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The COVID-19 crisis has disrupted the world of business. In fact, many small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs) that went on a temporary hiatus had eventually closed for good. However, some have managed to stay afloat amid the crisis. A few others have even flourished due to their pandemic relevancy.
If your business is fortunate enough to have survived and even thrived, consider maintaining and growing it. While the pandemic is here to stay, find ways and means to boost your business. Understand that it takes conscious efforts and deliberate actions to attain your business growth and success.
Fret not; this article provides business strategies for every entrepreneur. That said, here are seven ways to grow your business during this pandemic.
1. Study Your Industry
Every entrepreneur studies their industry before launching a business. The goal is to see if their target market is thriving. If they see that their planned business is in demand, they’ll immediately take the plunge. However, studying your industry should be a continuous effort. Doing so is all the more necessary during a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, the US Chambers of Commerce has identified thriving industries amid the crisis. If your business doesn’t belong to the list, you must double your effort.
2. Consider Your Consumer Needs
In line with studying your industry, focus on your target market. Know that your business exists because of your consumers. Hence, be sure to give in to what they need. That’s the only way for your business to grow and flourish. Unfortunately, consumer behavior is ever-evolving. Consumer demands keep on changing, especially during a crisis. As such, carry out research and due diligence to know their changing needs. Most importantly, ensure you’re able to meet these crucial needs.
3. Create Business Value
Businesses succeed if they continue to offer value to the world. For the most part, they live and survive if they provide their target consumers with valuable products and services. However, the business value goes beyond catering to consumer needs. It’s also about giving jobs to people, supporting suppliers, and helping the community. If you continue to create business value for all your stakeholders involved, your business will flourish in the long run.
4. Recalibrate Your Business Processes
It’s crucial to reevaluate your business processes from time to time. If you see that they aren’t working well, be sure to recalibrate these processes. Your focus must be on accuracy, efficiency, and productivity. Along with these are the quality and safety of the products and services you offer. Plus, don’t forget your workforce, as they are your business’s primary assets. Ultimately, they serve as the backbone of your company.
5. Hire the Right People
Your workforce is the lifeblood of your company. Without them, your business won’t exist and succeed. As such, be sure to come up with a team of experts. Your employees must not only have the technical knowledge and skills. They must also have areas of expertise and industry experience. Finally, they must have the utmost dedication and commitment to work. That said, hiring the right people is the key. Use recruiter scheduling software to manage your applicants and stay organized during the recruitment process.
6. Adopt and Utilize Digital Tools and Technologies
We can no longer ignore the benefits of adopting and utilizing digital tools and technologies. Think of automation in various industries and artificial intelligence (AI) in different businesses. Also, consider virtual reality in e-commerce, 3D printing in manufacturing, and telehealth in the healthcare sector. As an entrepreneur, check what tools and technologies are best for your business. From there, invest in them as they will pay off in the long run.
7. Implement Digital Marketing Campaigns
Digital marketing has never been this important. Especially during the pandemic, many big companies and SMEs have heavily relied on different online campaigns. That said, consider the following:
- Website marketing: Be sure to update your website. It is where you’ll display and promote your products or services.
- Search engine optimization (SEO): Implement SEO campaigns to boost your online visibility. Be sure to optimize your website, produce keyword-integrated content, and build backlinks.
- Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising: Employ a PPC campaign to increase your website traffic. Create valuable ads promoting your products or services and display them on the search engine results pages (SERP). But know that you must pay for every click.
- Content marketing: Come up with various pieces of content for your digital marketing. Post articles on your blog, have product photography, produce promotional video clips, and publish infographics about your industry.
- Social media marketing: Harness the power of social media for your business and marketing. Start by posting and sharing content on Facebook for customer engagement. Also, build your network and synergy through LinkedIn. Lastly, communicate with your customers via social media apps.
At this point, you now know what it takes to boost and grow your business during this pandemic. Consider the business growth strategies discussed above, from studying your market to implementing digital marketing campaigns.
As an entrepreneur, it is your ultimate goal to grow, succeed, and sustain your business for the long term. However, it takes proper planning and execution to achieve your business objectives. Ultimately, nothing can stop your business from growing-not even the COVID-19 crisis.