Growth Opportunities for Businesses Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19 continues to impact lifestyles in many varied ways. Whether in business, education, or day-to-day activities, the stay-at-home directives brought about shifts in demand for specific goods or services. This has overstretched distribution channels and supply chain challenges for certain products, forcing consumers to adjust their shopping habits.

Since the commencement of the pandemic, many companies have either been operating at limited capacity, working remotely, or closing down. However, the good news is that the Coronavirus pandemic has subsided in most parts of the world, and life is slowly returning to some level of normalcy.

Infections in the UK are drastically reducing while coronavirus patients keep stabilizing, with the total number remaining below those witnessed in previous outbreaks.

While this may tempt you to throw all caution to the wind, it is recommended that you continue adhering to set COVID-19 guidelines as there is still a risk of a new wave emerging. Sadly, more than 170,000 people have lost their lives in the UK since the pandemic struck.

Consequently, England has stopped free coronavirus testing for the general public, with rules around when and how one can access free testing continuing to tighten.

Thanks to the pandemic, there are minimal, if any, opportunities to support business growth. However, there are ways to navigate the current setbacks and continue growing your business despite these challenges.

Ways to increase growth in business after the pandemic 

Reevaluate your products 

Although new Coronavirus infections have gone down, the pandemic’s impact will be felt longer. It will take time for things to revert to normalcy if they ever do. As you prepare to venture outdoors to mingle with existing and potential clients, it is advisable to act with caution, irrespective of how safe it currently appears.

Now that more people are vaccinated, the health ministry believes that there’s less need for mass testing. Some high-risk individuals are currently eligible for free COVID testing, including recovering patients, invalids, or densely populated areas.

Staff working in health facilities, home care organizations, or hospices are at higher risk making them eligible for the free COVID-19 testing. However, don’t despair if you aren’t a suitable candidate for the free testing exercise. If you suspect that you’ve been exposed to the virus, you can approach an authorized dealer and get a Covid-19 test kit purchase or visit Flowflex online and get the testing kit at your convenience.

Thankfully, markets and economies are slowly opening up and businesses are trying to pick up the pieces. If you are a struggling entrepreneur, it may be time to reevaluate your offering. Ask yourself these questions to know how to navigate these trying times.

What goods or services were you selling that are now irrelevant?

Since the onset of the pandemic, many goods and services have for a long time been rendered unprofitable. Some sectors that have been hard hit include education, travel companies, and entertainment. 

As things start to shift back to normalcy, you may find that some products are no longer in demand. Many businesses selling facemasks or sanitizers have had to reevaluate their options.

What in-demand products can you start selling? 

Analyze how the pandemic has affected your customers and how their spending habits have changed. Most businesses have created an online presence for their brands, to take products closer to their targets as online purchasing has become the new normal.

Creating an online store is a cost-effective way of expanding as you can reach a broader market with minimal effort. Think about how the pandemic has affected your customer’s needs and preferences and how you can create a solution to bridge any existing gaps in the market.

How can you make readjustments to your services to better serve customers? 

We live in uncertain times. Therefore, your service must be clearly defined to help the general public easily identify with you. Whether customers need assistance completing a transaction or searching for a product they need, a professional customer service unit can make a big difference. Your website should be simple and easy to navigate. 

4 Helpful ways to enhance your customer service department after the pandemic. 

Integrate more channels to increase your customer service support 

As much as possible, have an online presence on multiple social media platforms to create brand awareness and address customer concerns. Hire a social media manager to help your customer interaction efforts on various channels such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn. Maintain availability using diverse options such as phone, email, or live chat. Customer engagement is time-consuming and needs a dedicated staff ready to handle any of their concerns. 

■ Offer longer customer service support timelines. 

Modernization has enabled the world to be a global village making it easier for businesses to expand to new territories. For this reason, there’s a need to have 24-hour customer support, to cater to different time zones. If you plan to extend your services to other countries, having a-round the-clock customer support is inevitable.

■ Create a comprehensive resource center for self-service support 

To encourage more online purchases, you must put together a knowledge base with how-to tutorials, manual guides, a glossary, and any other information that may be helpful to the customer.

■ Transparency regarding shipping and delivery 

Be honest regarding expected wait and delivery times. Being precise and consistently communicating with a client is especially important when there’s a delay or when employees are working virtually.

Final Thoughts 

Currently, almost every business, whether big or small, needs an online presence. Whether it’s a Facebook business page or a website with a cart and complete purchasing check-out system, there are many varied ways your business can make suitable adjustments after the impact left by the pandemic.

If your business location is in a high-risk setting, it would be helpful to continue adhering to Covid-19 protocols to put your customers at ease. Placing water tap outlets in strategic locations to encourage regular hand washing and drying using an automated handheld drier, can encourage customers to visit your premise.

With the high flow of customers walking in and out of your business premises, it is crucial to maintain the highest standards of cleanliness. Consider investing in a modern, easy-to-use vacuum cleaner to keep your business location presentable.

While Coronavirus seems to have waned and the rate of infections decreasing, it is unwise to disregard Covid-19 protocols and throw all caution to the wind. You can now conveniently purchase a Covid-19 test kit and do the test from the comfort of your home.

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