Nobody could foresee a pandemic. In a few short months, our lives have all changed in ways none of us expected.

In this new scenario, people have had no choice but to change their habits in fundamental ways. Shopping online for groceries, following at-home exercise regimes, browsing for different brands other than the ones we always bought before. All of this was thought impossible to achieve on so large a scale in so short a time. But guess what – we did it! We changed our retail habits, and most of us will continue to do so after the pandemic is over. We were told that we were creatures of habit, that we would kick up a fuss when forced to do something differently. We humans, we were informed, love stability. But we changed, and I believe, for the better.

In this new environment, small and microbusinesses need to adapt if they want to survive, and – why not? – to thrive. But how?

First and foremost, as business owners, we need to change our mindset. We need to establish a new kind of relationship with our audience.

1 MINDSET FLEXIBILITY.

The attitude “it has always been this way” just doesn’t work anymore. You need to change how you approach your business.

2 REVISING YOUR CUSTOMER PROFILE

is a good place to start. Have a chat, send an email, contact your customers asking how you can help them. Customers appreciate brands that offer to help them in unexpected ways

3 INVEST IN CREATING A NEW RELATIONSHIP

with your audience. Everybody’s feeling the pinch, business and customer alike, and selling is not a good proposition. Customers are now more concerned about the environment and working conditions. Tell them how you are tackling these problems. If your production is based on person-to-person interaction, spell out clearly how you are solving the problems of operating in a secure environment. High-quality customer care is something customers are looking for far more than before.

4 STICK WITH WHAT YOU KNOW.

In this time of insecurity, we all want to rely on things we’re familiar with. The best strategy is to improve existing products. Give special attention to client services. Smooth out the hassles that could put off new customers from trying your product for the first time.

5 CREATE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA VISIBILITY.

All social media platforms have seen an increase in video sharing. Amateurish or professional, videos are now the best way to communicate with your audience. And this is no passing fancy, this type of communication is here to stay. Be brave and give it a go!

COVID 19 shook us up. Lesson learned. Now it’s time for us to start building a new normal!

What is your strategy for the new normal? Share with us!