Resources for Brands & Business Owners during COVID-19

Tools and Tips
Written By Maura Rooney
 
resources for business and brand owners make a change
 

As COVID-19 becomes more and more widespread, challenging feelings of anxiety, confusion, and negativity can also run rampant. One thing is for certain, though: the way we do business and communicate in the future will surely change, and the impact is potentially greater than we may anticipate.

As a business coach and brand strategist based in California, I’m seeing first-hand how brands and businesses are struggling to cope with the changes and uncertainty during this time. It’s prompted me to reflect and think about how we at The Look & The Feel can better support brands while we all navigate uncertainty together.

One thing I’ve noticed is that the fears and negativity we are experiencing stem from how little we know about COVID-19.

The truth is, crises and hardship are most often unexpected and come at a surprise. They are derailing and often detrimental. But they can also bring opportunity, a fresh perspective, and new ideas. When we’re faced with obstacles, we often learn how to shift and reshape to carry on.

So how can we ensure that our goals, long term vision, joy, and hope aren’t permanently damaged? 

We have to stay resilient. 

Our team is working hard to ensure our clients, colleagues, and collaborators feel supported during this time. In doing this, we hope to embrace what we do know and aim to lessen overwhelming feelings of uncertainty by establishing a safe and supportive environment that helps brands and business owners like you manage and maintain during this time. 

Here are some resources we’ve collected that can help your brand weather unexpected change and uncertainty.:

Keep Up-To-Date on COVID-19

Make sure you’re properly informed. There is a lot of misinformation out there, and rumors or factually incorrect stories can add to fear and breed desperation. To ensure you’re clear on the facts, follow information from the source.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are the best places to receive facts and updates on the situation.

Be Well

Keep yourself safe and healthy. Your business can’t run, let alone grow and scale, if you and your team are unwell. Take time to rest and recoup even in times of crisis. Taking care is crucial to ensure your brand will continue to thrive. Encourage team members to follow best practices from the CDC for preventing the spread of the virus. The CDC will also clarify signs and symptoms of COVID-19, and you can view a checklist of how to prepare your home and office. 

Remember to take care of yourself and keep a positive attitude. 

Your mental wellbeing is vital, so don’t neglect it. 

If cabin fever is setting in, we’ve found some ways to keep your brain and body stimulated.

  • Go for a walk. Nature is always waiting for you. Try your best to avoid high-traffic parks and more populated areas.

  • Read a book! If you don’t have one, try your online library or download an e-book (or audiobook) from an independent online bookstore.

  • Play a game! We recently got into Wingspan. Farkle is also a great game to play, and all you need are six dice. 

  • Get creative and artsy! Try an online class and learn a new hobby. 

  • Connect with friends and family via FaceTime or Google Hangouts. 

  • Join a virtual sing-along or jam!

Get Your Communications Clear

Now is not the time to go radio silent on your customers, team members, or audience. 

During times of crisis, it’s important to communicate, communicate, and communicate. 

Make sure your clients, customers, and collaborators are clear on what you’re doing to stay informed, prepared, and capable to continue to provide quality services.

Don’t skimp on content marketing, either. Now is a great time to develop more blog, social media, and vlog content so that you can continue to be seen as a resource for your audience. People are social distancing and reading more online content! 

Revisit your company’s work-from-home policies and build in a flexible and effective remote option for team members and yourself. 

Stay Adaptable and Strategic

Instead of succumbing to despair and overwhelm, do what you can to maintain your hope and agility. 

Don’t let uncertainty derail you to the point of no return.

First, get clear on what you can control.

You can’t control the outbreak, the economy, or the future, so you just have to let that go. It’s OK to be afraid, and it’s OK to worry—these are normal reactions to uncertain times—but it’s not OK to let these emotions overtake your business. Acknowledge your anxiety and concern for what they are: completely valid feelings. Then do what you can to focus energy and resources on what you can control: your reaction and ability to reevaluate and reframe your services. 

When you stay nimble, you are more likely to come out of crisis and uncertainty on top instead of at the bottom. 

Be open to pivoting. Do you own a yoga studio? Consider offering livestream yoga classes or no-touch classes outdoors. Run an organic juice bar? Use this time to develop an online immunity-boosting juice program for customers around the world to purchase. Own a doula agency? Move in-home consultations to Zoom, and start hosting birth classes online; set up a private Facebook group for new mothers looking for postpartum resources. These are just some foundational ideas you can use as inspiration as you consider how you can pivot during times of change. 

Reevaluate your services and your resources. Where can you temporarily cut away a few services so that you can focus on keeping your overhead costs as low as possible?

One tried-and-test way to ensure your business doesn’t lose traction is to build a business that is diversified. When your clientele and expertise are diversified, your brand can survive a hit in one arena but still thrive in others.

Build Your Technology Toolkit

The best thing about change is that it opens us up to new ideas and forces us to shift and stay resourceful. Use technology! The tech industry is giving back to the community with free tools to help your brand function better online.

Working remotely is a unique experience. If it’s your first time or you’re converting your team, here are some ways to maintain balance when making the shift.

Maintain communication when remote. Our favorite tool to use for our remote team is Slack!

Need to share your screen or a mini video tutorial? Try Loom.

LinkedIn recently unlocked 16 LinkedIn Learning courses — available for free —with tips on how to build relationships when you’re not face-to-face, and use virtual meeting tools (Microsoft Teams, Skype, BlueJeans, Cisco Webex and Zoom).

Small Business Support

Running a business is complicated. The SBA has shared multiple ways to protect your business, your employees, and yourself throughout this outbreak.

SCORE created a comprehensive list of resources for disaster preparedness and how to prepare for coronavirus. 

Facebook’s Business Hub outlines resources for COVID-19 management.

Financial Support

Social distancing can have an impact on your business’ financial statements. Build up your safety net. Check to see if your city offers small business support during times like these. The Small Business Association also has low-interest loans available.

Nerd Wallet created a list of additional lenders with their own perks. Sometimes a small loan can keep your business going during a rough patch,  and a small investment can even help with preparing for growth when the economy is healthier again.

Facebook recently announced a Small Business Grants program.

Women's Economic Ventures is offering Quick Response Loans for eligible businesses impacted by the pandemic.

Make Sure You Have Back-Up Support

The ideal scenario is that your team members stay safe, healthy, and happy. But, like with anything in life, sometimes our people get sick or have a personal crisis that pulls them away from work. To avoid losing too much traction and momentum, consider hiring a contractor or virtual assistant to help your business carry on. 

Give Help to Others

If you can, reach out to offer support to your local food bank. Instead of shopping on Amazon, look for items on Etsy or an independent bookstore. Order gift cards from local gyms, restaurants, and bodyworkers. When we do what we can to help others, we help our communities continue to thrive. 

Take Time to Work on Your Business

During unexpected downtime, use it as an opportunity to get some things off of your to-do list. 

The important thing is to remember that none of us is alone in this. There isn’t a single person on the planet immune to unexpected change. 

And right now, everyone is dealing with uncertainty. Small business owners, entrepreneurs, corporations, nonprofit organizations, and entire communities are learning to shift attention and focus. We’re learning to pivot and reframe. We’re learning to ask for help and draw strength from one another. We’re learning to listen. We’re showing empathy and compassion. We’re reaching out to help others who need it most. We’re doing what we can to support small businesses. We’re looking for opportunities to flourish and thrive despite the fact we don’t know what will come in the future. We never know what to expect in the future, even during calm times. 

We never know when something will pull the rug out from under us, but we can do our best to plan and prepare. 

We can leverage opportunities like the COVID-19 crisis to fortify and build our resilience. 

When we feel resilient and prepared, we’re better equipped to serve our customers and to cope with whatever comes our way. 

Even though it’s challenging, stay hopeful—with change comes opportunity and innovation. 

Need some extra help during this time?

Reach out to us! 

We are now offering the following support:

  • Strategy sessions to help you pivot and evolve your existing offerings to lock in new and current business 

  • Laser-focused coaching sessions to address concerns and to help develop a plan for moving forward 

  • Targeted content marketing to help you continue to provide value and serve as a resource for your customer base

  • Communications support to craft client-focused messaging to reassure your customers 

We understand that things are changing, but we're here to help. Lean on us. 

 

Maura Rooney
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