This isn’t a podcast I was planning on recording, because I didn’t know Coronavirus was going to happen. And even when I heard about it, I didn’t expect it to escalate this quickly. But here we are. With a country applying social distancing due to Coronavirus, over 70s being advised to stay away from people for three months, non-essential NHS operations being postponed, and many businesses struggling, now’s the time to share a podcast about how to help support small businesses during Coronavirus.
How to help support small businesses during Coronavirus
In this podcast, all about how to help support small businesses during Coronavirus, I give a few ideas about how you and I can help small businesses during this tricky time. Because it is going to be a challenging time for many. Well, most. We need to remember that behind every small business is a person with a family and commitments, with worries and stresses. And if we can help these people – these small business superheroes, then why wouldn’t we? Nothing I say in this podcast goes against Government guidelines – it’s essential you read these guidelines and, in my opinion, adhere to them. Now, let’s crack on… how to help small businesses during COVID-19
- Fake news. I don’t think many people deliberately spread fake news, but when you see some ‘juicy gossip’ around Coronavirus, just have a think about whether it’s true or useful. If it’s not true (and if you go to the source and they disagree with what’s being said, let’s say it’s not true at this point) then just stop. If it’s not useful, also stop. People are scared enough.
- Engage with people’s social media. If we leave meaningful comments on people’s social media it signals that this content is good and valuable and that should help it to get better organic reach.
- Tag people you think might be interested in specific posts.
- Send them a supportive DM or react to a story – a bit of cheerleading helps.
- Communicate with the business. If you don’t want to/aren’t able to go out, contact the shop/business to see if they’d post out.
- Be respectful of their procedures and guidelines. Look at what they’re doing in-store to help protect themselves and their team and follow this. And if you feel poorly and think you might have Coronavirus, don’t go into their shop. Instead, call them or email them or DM them.
- Be aware of returns policies. Just keep your lines of communication open, return anything you need promptly, etc.
And a bit of good…
If you’re a small business, it isn’t all doom and gloom. There’s a lot of people around who are trying really hard to help you as a small business. And I’m one of them…
I’m thrilled to be working with Victoria Knowles-Lacks and the Shotgun & Chelsea Bun Club on the Online Small Business Showcase. This is an exciting initiative, the brainchild of Victoria, that I am thrilled to support. This was revealed yesterday and will develop during the week before the showcase starts very soon.
And don’t forget the Small & Supercharged group. This is a free Facebook group that has been set up to help support small businesses all the time, not just during Coronavirus. It’s a safe community where we’re all in it together. Come on over and join. You’d be very very welcome.
