The time has finally come for all industries to re-open on the 17th of May after the heavy (and long) lockdown in the UK. But your livelihood may hang in the balance, so don’t rush it. We urge you to recognise the opportunities that lie ahead. The post-lockdown boom could just be a once–in–a-lifetime opportunity to scale a business.
Consumers are desperate to get out there and spend their lockdown savings. It’s finally time for them to get a massage, meet up with a group of friends for a pint, travel or get back to their personal trainer to work off that extra lockdown jiggle. Are you ready to use this opportunity to scale your business more than ever before? It’s time to get strategic and think out-of-the-box.
In this blog, we’ve listed our best ideas for scaling your business, post-lockdown. So, keep reading!
Upsell
Your customers have been cooped up for over a year and they will be wanting to get out of their house, spend their money, and live as “normally” as possible. But you’re not the only business re-opening, so keep the competition in mind.
What will make your customers choose you over the next business? Well, added value, of course.
Think about ways to add value to each and every customer. Delight them with your range of products and fine service, and ultimately, boost revenue to scale your business.
There are many ways of upselling your offering to encourage the audience to spend more and we’ve listed a few below:
- Loyalty programmes
- Bulk offers – think 3-for-2 and 2-for-1
- Offer a discount when spending a certain amount
- Create a bundle package or “gift guide”
- Offer free shipping
- Create a sense of urgency with a limited-time countdown
Implementing just one of these into your re-opening strategy will give you the edge over your competition.
Work a little harder
It’s been a long, hard road. If you’re like most business owners, then you’ve probably had moments of little or no productivity. Now’s the time to bounce back and give it that extra little push.
An extra dose of ambition will also prove to your customers that you want to provide them with quality and value.
You won’t need to burn the candle at both ends forever. Working a little bit harder, in the beginning, will reap rewards at the end. Put in that extra effort to position yourself as an industry leader and someone your competitors look to for inspiration.
Online everything!
Are you a brick-and-mortar business, who went online to earn a living during COVID-19? You might be thinking, “I don’t need my online presence anymore, right?” Wrong!
The biggest mistake you could make is to let all the effort you put into building your digital presence fall by the wayside. Keep doing what you’re doing, whether it was email marketing, improving your website or giving your social media more attention. Do. Not. Stop.
Keeping on top of your online presence has many advantages including:
- Tap into new markets that may not be found physically
- Access to a larger audience
- Increase brand awareness
- Free advertising
- Builds trust and brand loyalty
- Scale your business at a low cost
What’s not to love, right? We know what you’re thinking, and yes, your time will be more limited. If you’re not sure how to stay up to date with online marketing post lockdown, the good news is that there are people to help you with that. Consider outsourcing to a virtual assistant who can help manage your online presence so you can focus on other areas of your business.
This brings us to our last point.
Outsource
Outsourcing is one of the best ways to scale your business after lockdown and has many benefits.
- You only pay for the time you need instead of a full-time salary.
- There are little to no recruitment costs.
- You can tap into a range of talent across the globe, and you’re not limited by geographical location.
- There is no need to return to an office space which means fewer overhead costs.
- Outsourced employees are generally happier. This has a direct impact on increased productivity and a lower staff turnover.
- You are not bound by an inflexible, long-term contract.
- It’s cheaper, which means your extra income can be spent on other areas of the business that require more attention.
- You can hire from reputable companies that have already vetted potential candidate.
- It eliminates the time-consuming tasks from your day, giving you more time to focus on growing other aspects of your business.
We know it’s been tough and, quite frankly, you can pat yourself on the back for sticking it out and proving your resilience as a business owner. Re-opening your business may seem daunting, but just focus on the bigger picture: coming back stronger than ever and growing your business while you do so.
If you follow these tips to scale your business, it won’t be doom and gloom after the post–lockdown boom!
