Today’s post explores how Coronavirus (COVID-19) affects small business and sign shops, then shares 3 steps owners can take to minimize its impact, keep their brand afloat, and stay safe.
Coronavirus Affects All Small Businesses
Long before the World Health Organization declared the Coronavirus (COVID-19) a global pandemic, small businesses across the country felt the effects that widespread infections could have at the ground level.
The H1N1 influenza outbreak in 2009 cost businesses around $1.09 billion, according to a 2013 report. Five years later, the West Africa Ebola crisis rang up a socioeconomic cost of $2.8 billion that was felt by companies big and small all over the world, according to a 2016 World Bank Group report.
But COVID-19 is different. At the time of writing, there were more than 160,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 6,000 deaths. More than 140 countries and territories have reported cases; more than 80 can now confirm local transmissions. And though the number of new cases in China is decreasing (dropping from more than 90% last month to less than 1% today), infection rates are growing exponentially in Italy.
In response, governments across the world are mandating business closures, travel lockdowns, and strict social distancing protocols that will drastically affect businesses across the country for the next few months.
But that doesn’t mean your business is going down in flames. In fact, there’s lots you can do to keep afloat while fighting the spread of COVID-19.
3 Steps To Minimize The Impact Of Covid-19 On Your Sign Shop
If your business is allowed to remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic, implementing the following 3 tips will help you stay safe and fight the spread:
1. Prioritize Safety
Safety matters most. We highly recommend that all Signworld partners take extra efforts to implement the CDC-recommended anti-infection precautions to keep your team and the general public safe. Among the most important are:
- To actively encourage all employees, especially those who are sick or who have come in contact with sick persons, to stay home for at least 14 days. Implement systems to enable remote work if possible;
- To reinforce proper cough, sneeze, and contactless greeting etiquette, as well as hand hygiene, within your business;
- To maintain at least 6 feet of space between others at all times (i.e. “social distancing”);
- To perform routine, thorough environmental cleaning.
2. Adopt Digital Tools And Remote Options
Doing so allows you to continue to serve customers and maintain productivity, while also creating a helpful sense of normalcy during these strange times. Fortunately, there are hundreds of free apps and programs to make remote work possible, such as video calling and cloud-based collaboration. Hold meetings, customer service appointments, and design consultations online to reduce travel and face to face contact. Fortunately, Signworld partners already have plenty of online service options–some owners make as much as 60% of their total revenue through online sign sales alone, and more businesses than ever will need anti-pandemic safety signage.
3. Step Up Your Communications
Now’s the time to level-up your customer and team communication channels. Both parties want to know that you’re doing everything necessary to ensure their safety, so reach out and let them know you’re taking the situation seriously and share your anti-pandemic protocols to create peace of mind. Make sure to let them know how your business or services may be changing in the coming months, and what to expect in the future.
Once you’ve got your message in mind, it’s time to get the word out. Update your homepage and business listings; send an email to all your subscribers; post an update on your social media channels; and message all staff members through whatever channels you established.
Contact The Signworld Business Alliance
Call 888-765-7446 or visit the Signworld website to set up a “contactless” conversation with a member of our team. We’re standing by to answer any questions you have during this uncertain time.
