Tips to keep your business moving through Covid-19

Yes, Covid-19 has made our world uneasy and full of unprecedented challenges, especially for Australian businesses who are wondering what the future holds.

We want you to know that we’re thinking of you and we’re here to help where we can.

It’s a remarkably challenging time for most retailers and suppliers, so we wanted to offer some advice on ways to reduce the potential impact.

Here are some tips for staying mentally strong and ahead-of-the-curve during Covid-19.

First and foremost, take care of yourself and your team

If a staff member is feeling ill, encourage them to rest up and stay at home. There are a lot of employees and businesses currently working from home already, it’s better to prevent the spread of COVID-19 than have sick employees turn up and potentially make things worse.

While we all know washing your hands is incredibly important and goes a long way in preventing the spread of the virus, equally important is identifying high-touch areas in your stores such as door handles, keypads, workstations or product displays and disinfecting them regularly.

The golden rule? Wash your hands as if you’ve just cut up some chilli and are about to put contact lenses in. While cleanliness needs to be taken seriously, having a lighthearted approach helps keep customers at ease. Placing hand sanitiser in easily accessible places with fun or friendly notes can help customers keep hygiene front-of-mind.

Get the right facts

There is a lot of hype and hysteria over social media and it can easy for vital information to get swept up in the noise. We’ve put together a list of several reliable sources that provide real-time updates on what you need to know about Covid-19 so you can also update your employees.

• The World Health Organisation: provides live news updates and ongoing statistics, including Q&A and professional medical advice on how to stay safe.
• The Australian Government weblink provides important updates, news, and restrictions based on your state or region.
• ABC News: one of Australia’s oldest and most trustworthy news sources.

Become Innovative

People are completely changing their spending habits and eCommerce is spiking worldwide. Italy has experienced an 81% spike in eCommerce since the end of February. Not all businesses have a digital presence and many are under pressure to get their catelogues online and accept digital sales fast.

The following Spenda tool can help you grow your business online and improve cash flow;

Spenda’s Account Receivable solution allows you to collect unpaid debt faster and gives you customers the ability to track, group and batch-pay all their invoices at once.

Need to get your store operating as an e-Commerce source? We can help there too.

Customers are changing their purchasing habits because of Covid-19 with some people predicting these changes could be long-lasting. Now is the right time to set up an online presence and to encourage your customers to shop online by offering them cost-friendly incentives such as discounts or free delivery.

To help Australian retailers we are offering free eCommerce builds for eligible customers, get in touch to see if you qualify.

Have you jumped on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and LinkedIn recently? Your competitors have, so make sure you utilise these sources to communicate with your customers and highlight your products and offers.

Communicate With Your Customers

In a similar way that we’re contacting you about how to get on top of the virus, it may be worthwhile reaching out to your customers to inform them about the procedures and steps you’re taking to keep them safe.

If you are still operating a brick-and-mortar store, letting customers know you are open, but playing it safe is crucial. Many stores have already placed tape on the ground showing the 1.5m social distancing rule or enforce staff to wear disposable gloves.

Social media and eCommerce is a powerful tool and can help your business grow. Tell your customers about the measures you are implementing in response to Covid-19 and reassure them that their health and safety is your main priority.

We hope these tips inspire you and you apply some of them to your business. Remember we are here to help you where we can, stay safe and look after yourself.