I, like many of you, have seen my business disappear over the past few weeks and there has been absolutely nothing I can do about it as my business can’t really be “pivoted” or “realigned”. It’s hard to watch something that I have spent the last four years building come to a virtual standstill. And of course, it’s hard to see the impact this is also having on other businesses.
Not only are all of my clients freelancers, sole traders and very small businesses, but many of their clients are small businesses etc, so the knock-on effect has been massive. It’s been like dominoes.
So, what can we do?
It’s tempting to reach for the remote control, pop onto Netflix and dig out the Monster Munch, but why not use these quiet times as an opportunity to work ON your business rather than in it.
I’m seeing it as a break; a chance to completely review my business from my branding, website design and copy to the services I offer. And of course, I’m also busy sorting out all those pesky jobs that I wished I could do when I was busy but never had the time to do them; sorting out the filing cabinet, etc.
The aim is to have my business ready and be in the best shape, and maybe even better than it has been since the start.
I have come up with 13 ideas for you to consider:
- Update your bio and use this to refresh your social media profiles. You could also do a mini social media audit at the same time.
- Go through your website content and update pages with fresh copy, pictures etc.
- Sort out your filing system and/or move to an online system. If you have Office 365 you will of course already have online storage, so don’t forget to check what is already available to you.
- If you have a blog, why not write a few articles ready to publish when business gets back to normal. Don’t forget to check your blog analytics to see which are your most-read blogs. You may be surprised. And check blog comments as there could be questions asked that you could use for a future blog.
- Learn a new skill that supports your business. I’m spending 30 minutes each day on an SEO course that is currently being offered free of charge.
- Create a series of social media graphics and add them to your resource bank.
- Think about how you could repurpose any existing blogs or videos. You can take sentences from previous blogs and use as social media posts/prompts.
- Review your business finances and stop paying for apps etc that you aren’t using enough. And make a note of renewal dates in your diary a few days beforehand, so you’re prepared in the future.
- Sort out your stock photos.
- Write a case study. These take time but are a great way to showcase how you have helped clients. Why not ask for testimonials to flesh this out with great stories about your business?
- Streamline your processes, set up systems and look at what apps/extensions you can use to make your work more efficient.
- Create or refine your client on-boarding process. This could be particularly important at the moment considering so many teams are working remotely.
- Finally, why not create that lead magnet you have been putting off. A really easy and free software tool you could use is Canva. With numerous editable templates for those of us not blessed with InDesign skills, it’s also available on mobile.
But of course, it’s entirely up to you what you do. For some, stepping away from their business and having a break can be really advantageous, and indeed in some cases, may be what’s needed right now. Taking a break can provide you with the space and time to get a new perspective and allow you to deal with what’s going on at the moment. While for others, keeping busy is an important part of their routine, and this time provides a much-needed opportunity to work on their business.
Whatever you decide to do stay safe, stay well and stay positive.
Author Bio
Claire set up Clairical, a Virtual Assistant business four years ago. In that time the business has grown to provide support for a variety of clients from data management to business coaching. Many years of working in senior office management positions in the private and public sectors have enabled her to gain numerous skills and experience. Combined with a degree in Business Management, Prince2 qualification, and a Professional Certificate in Social Media from the IDM, your business is in safe hands. When not working you will find Claire at the local cricket ground watching a game (or making cricket teas), walking our Cavapoo, Barney and generally being kept busy by her two very active boys.
Visit Claire’s website or find her on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.