Post-Pandemic Strategies for Running Your Business

Is there any area that the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t touch? Whether we’re talking about high-contact surfaces that require frequent sanitizing or entire industries, evidence of the virus’s effects are everywhere in our post-pandemic world.

Of course, “post-pandemic” doesn’t mean that COVID is entirely behind us. Rather, as the world begins to reopen little by little, businesses are learning to adapt and make changes to the way they formerly operated. While corporations might be back to enjoying “business as usual,” entrepreneurs and small businesses are more likely feeling the effects of health and safety guidelines, extended lockdowns, and any number of resulting consequences.

There’s no denying that small businesses have felt the brunt of the pandemic, but it’s small businesses like yours that make up the lifeblood of the U.S. economy. Fact is, what you do directly leads to more jobs, more consumer options, and more innovation. 

With that in mind, here are four easy and effective strategies for giving your business that extra edge in a post-pandemic world -- because what you do really does make all the difference.

1. Make your customer service an unparalleled experience.

As a proprietor, it’s all too easy to get so sucked into the task lists, scheduling, and financial concerns of your business that customer service takes a back seat. This is true for so many businesses -- don’t let it be true for yours! At the end of the day, your customers are human beings who value the same things from a business that they do from a personal relationship. Infusing your customer interactions with respect, consideration, and strong listening skills are a sure-fire way to stand out from the competition and boost the possibility of repeat business.

2. Showcase your commitment to your community’s health and safety.

It’s important that you demonstrate your business’s commitment to the health and safety of the community. A few easy ways you can do this are by:

• Enforcing or suggesting mask-wearing, depending on current state laws and guidelines
• Encouraging your employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine
• Implementing touchless payment options in your establishment
• Frequently sanitizing high-contact surfaces.

Your employees and your customers will undoubtedly appreciate your going the extra mile to protect them.

3. Treat your employees like the invaluable assets that they are.

There’s so much to be said for beauty, quality, or success that radiates from the inside out. Your employees make up the inner circle of your business, and will reflect to customers the kind of treatment you give them. If you offer open communication, work-life balance, and extend whatever benefits you can to your employees, their satisfaction will improve your business and make it that much stronger.

4. Follow your heart.

If there’s any lesson that a global pandemic has taught us, it’s that being generous never goes out of style. Whether it’s donating a portion of sales to a cause that’s near and dear to you, or providing discounted products or services to frontline workers, customers will sit up and take notice of what’s at the heart of your business. Altruism matters more than ever, and hey -- if you’re doing something good for your community, why not wave that flag proudly for all to see?

You’ve probably noticed at this point that most of these tips get right down to the root of what makes businesses tick: people. Pandemic or no pandemic, when your focus is on your customers and employees, we strongly believe that good things will follow.