Coronavirus has been described as the ‘worst public health crisis for a generation’ by the PM, but for many small to medium sized businesses it is also the worst financial crisis for many. Arctic Bee builds websites for many different types of customers including a number of cafes and restaurants and these are going to be the hardest hit as people avoid public and social gatherings over the coming weeks which could indeed stretch into months.

For many small businesses who rely on person to person contact here is food for thought. How crisis proof are you? Whilst for some businesses this will be too much to ensure survival, for others it provides an ideal opportunity to consider how you future proof because when this pandemic nears its end or a vaccine is found, there is no doubt that this situation will reoccur with either a new wave or new strain of the virus, and there is so much that businesses can do to ensure their survival when social interaction dwindles.

Take a small restaurant. There is only so much pasta and dried food people will be willing to eat. Are you set up for online deliveries? Are you able to produce recipe boxes of your best loved dishes to deliver to families who can then cook together, or are your best products: sauces, coffee, wine and relishes available for purchase online. Now is the time to think brand, and that includes branding those things that people love consuming in your café or restaurant that you can package and sell to make the monotony of self isolation at home all that more bearable.

And then there are cleaning companies, hairdressers, make-up artists, herbalists and all range of small industries that equally can be thinking now about branding and using e-commerce as a buffer for the hardest of times when  people are unable to visit the salon, café or pharmacy of their choice, or are reluctant to bring home services in for fear of contact with the outside world.

Do you sell pamphlets with cleaning tips, recipes, ways to safeguard against viruses, top five things to do with the family at home… the list is endless.

If you are looking to future proof your business, and yes, I accept that for many this may come too late, then consider e-commerce as a way forward with plenty of guidance and marketing advice from Arctic Bee. We can help you to create your brand, build a loyal following from your footfall in times of prosperity and then reach out to those confined within their homes during times of crisis, whether or be a pandemic, poor weather or man made disaster.

Contact Us today for your free consultation – it may be via telephone, but whilst your sitting at home pondering how your business can survive the next few months, Arctic Bee can help you to brainstorm and then come up with some creative solutions to turn a crisis into an opportunity not to be missed.