Entrepreneur's 7 Strategies for Reopening Businesses

For months, states across the country have been encouraging — then walking back — various reopening strategies as the coronavirus pandemic continues to pummel the economy. But as the crisis promises to continue unabated into the fall, business owners who have been waiting for a risk-free window to reopen are beginning to accept that that window might not be coming anytime soon. Plan B, for most brands, is to begin some form of reopening now and take whatever precautions are necessary to diminish the risk of exposure for staff and customers. But health concerns are just one of the challenges business owners are contending with as they begin to reopen. The consumer landscape has changed dramatically, and businesses that don’t adjust accordingly are not likely to survive for long.

On Wednesday, Entrepreneur published seven strategies for businesses to consider as they begin to reopen. Some of the strategies, like “do a social distancing check” and “check in with vendors,” are likely obvious (though certainly essential) strategies for any business owner who has been paying attention for the past five months. But the article also offers some deeper for businesses that don’t know quite how to adjust to meet the new consumer landscape.

For starters, brands need to define their vision, the article says.

When it’s time to start or restart operating again, your business might look vastly different than it did before the health crisis. You may need to offer limited services or products to save money, or it may be wise to pivot and restructure your company significantly. Reassess your business with the current economic climate and your local customers in mind.

 

As you develop a vision for your business, you may need to write a new business plan. You’ll rely on that new plan for guidance as you plan your reopening and your business’ development afterward.

The article offers some fairly urgent on-the-ground advice as well, such as investing in marketing and publicity.

While minimizing costs is essential, work to retain your marketing and publicity budget. Building awareness around your reopening efforts can be vital to its success, but that will take time and resources. Start developing a marketing and publicity plan now so that you and your customers know your timeline for reopening and are ready when it happens.

Entrepreneur’s final strategy, “Be Flexible,” is maybe easier said than done, but it bears repeating as often as possible. No one knows what the next few months, let alone years, will look like, and any business that is preparing to settle into a permanent new model has not taken the right lessons from 2020. For better or worse, change is coming — it may never stop coming — and every business needs to be prepared to change with it.

Read the full article at Entrepreneur.com.