The world hit a snag when the COVID-19 pandemic decided to lay waste. Retail businesses were one of the most affected by the virus. Several policies including the “stay at home” rule have proved harmful for small businesses relying on day-to-day customers. If you are a small entrepreneur, you might want to take note. Here are five ways you could open your business while taking care of your customers.
In the name of social distancing, many have placed their bets in online shopping to access necessities. This is one of the driving factors on Amazon’s proliferation in the pandemic. If you own a small business, how can you help your customers shop safely?
Reach your customers at home
Start reassuring your customers long before you open your shop. Remind them of the safety precautions your business is implementing. You should talk to them in human terms. Remember that empathizing with them and the current situation is key.
You may also want to explore “curbside pick up” and “online orders” as modes of transaction. Encourage your customers to order ahead of time and pick their orders up in-store. When they arrive at your store, show them new items in hopes of additional purchases. The key here is to remind your customers that you are as serious as them about the pandemic.
Adopt signs of safety
Take notes on how other big stores have remained open during the pandemic. If these work for them, why won’t it work in a small business? Start by placing sanitizers and wipes in points of contact. If possible, you might adapt to the contactless payment scheme.
Indicators such as tape and signages to prevent a sudden influx of customers wouldn’t also hurt.
Make safety measures high priority
Place hand sanitizer across your stores. Signages should be present all over your store to demonstrate the practices you are employing. Examples of these are maximum allowable customers in-store, preference of contactless payment, so on and so forth.
You need to exhibit a clean and organized environment for your customers.
Get your employees onboard
Following safety precautions do not apply to customers only. Train your staff to develop rapport and provide assistance to customers with the current precautions in place. You wouldn’t want to see fully protected customers interacting with your non-mask-wearing staff.
Develop strict protocols around your staff and customers. Train your employees in dealing with customers not following the safety precautions you put in place.
Plan ahead
If you’re going back in business, consider a soft opening. You also need to manage your expectations especially when it comes to sales. Things might not go well in the first parts of your operation. No one knows when the end of the pandemic will be. It is best that you plan your future amidst the virus. Create your playbook now to make your business future-proof.
What can you say about these? If you wish to learn more about being a leader in the pandemic. click here.
Opinions expressed by AsianBlurb contributors are their own.
The editorial team for AsianBlurb.
