The coronavirus has become the biggest health crisis of our lifetimes, and it is disrupting the lives of nearly everyone around the globe. Countries are taking the unprecedented steps of having people stay at home and away from even small gatherings.
No one is sure how long the current measures will last, but what is sure is that there will be significant damage to SMEs worldwide. Governments have responded with financial stimulus packages aimed at helping businesses of all sizes. Although this stimulus will certainly help, there will still be lots of heartache for most companies.
This is a very difficult time for business owners, and some of the time should be spent strategizing on how to get the business up and running as quickly as possible when the virus is eradicated. To assist with this, here are two key things SMEs can do to make sure that they get their business to recover quickly after the coronavirus.
Reconnect With Your Customers using a Mass Email Service
You should during and immediately after the coronavirus outbreak, maintain a constant relationship with your customers. Because this is a sensitive time and you cannot be sure how they are doing and how they will react to business communications, one great way to communicate with them is through the best type of email marketing using a mass email service. This type of communication allows them to see it is you communicating with them and gives them the option to open the mail when they choose, and when it is convenient. It also allows you to say exactly what you want in the communication in an extended length.
You can easily accomplish communicating with you clients using a mass email service that is easy and convenient for you during the virus outbreak. You can use this type of service without the need for any of your other employees, or if you do need them, it is something they can easily do from home.
After the coronavirus situation has settled down, you can use a mass email service to let your customers know that you are back in business and prepared to service them. This resource can keep your business in the right posture with existing clients. You can also make special offers to them through the emails. It also gives you the means to quickly reach out to potential new customers.
Hold Onto Your Employees
Many small and medium sized businesses run their companies close to the bone, without a lot of financial room for disasters like the one they are facing now. These times create a lot of scared business owners whose first reaction is to dump as many existing expenses as possible, in an attempt to save their businesses.
Their plan is to simply deal with the fallout and make the best of whatever is left, when things return to normal. Some business owners will divide critical assets from those that are not as important, and determine that many of their employees are simply too expensive to retain.
This is usually a terrible mistake. Your employees are the life blood of your company and their contributions often are not as easy to determine as simply looking on a spreadsheet. Additionally, you will be making key decisions under a lot of stress which is never a good idea. Your goal should be to hold on to all of your employees until you can get your business back up and going. Once you are in business again, you can certainly look at cost savings by scaling down your employees, but do it then and not now.
The great news is that many governments are offering grants and loans to companies who hold on to their employees during the outbreak. Look into these programs and you will likely find one the will accommodate your situation. Seek to get thing the way they were before the outbreak began, before you make any big changes.
Stay safe during the outbreak and use these tips to get your business back up and running quickly.
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Interesting related article: “What is the Coronavirus?”