Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma’s Division of Strategic Development want to help our community partners and area businesses as we endure the COVID-19 pandemic. Michael Southard, Economic Development Director assembled the top five tips for what entrepreneurs and small business owners can do to survive during the crisis:
Utilize online sales. Even if you don’t have an e-commerce site it’s important to share products and services on social media platforms.
Be transparent. Being as transparent as possible is the best course of action when com municating with your customers. Customers can empathize with businesses facing a crisis. Bad news such as, reduction in services and delayed deliveries are expected. Be honest with your customers, even when the message isn’t positive.
Be personable. Even if your products or services don’t directly help customers during quarantine, your business can still provide value to people. Educate, entertain and inspire people stuck at home all day. Customers will appreciate the positivity.
Collaboration. Collaboration between other small businesses on marketing initiatives can be very beneficial. Not only does this increase exposure for both businesses, it can result in more leads and overall successes compared to working alone on the same initiative.
Prioritize or pivot. During these uncertain times you may need to shift some things around. Look for ways to successfully pivot and prioritize your messaging. For example, messaging surrounded around the idea of, “Stop by and take 10 percent off storewide with code Spring Break” can pivot to, “Use code Spring Break sitewide at checkout.”
For more tips, contact your local small business support group. Also visit, www.growchoctaw.com/news for the most up-to-date information to mitigate risk, protect employees and support customers during the COVID-19 pandemic.