June 22, 2020
We are not the same society that we were before the COVID-19 outbreak. This public healthcare crisis has forced us to change the way we live our lives. Many of these changes will be with us for a long time to come, so we must adapt to the needs of “the new normal.”
The only certainty is that there will be ongoing uncertainty
When will things get back to normal? There’s simply no way to know:
The answer to this question will also vary by geographic area, whether any flareups occur during reopening, and how long it takes to develop a vaccine. In the meantime, stay focused on your day-to-day operations. We really do have to take this one day at a time.
You will be called on to adapt to changing conditions and regulations in your shop’s market area. Testing may become widely available to all. Some places may achieve herd immunity. A vaccine will eventually be developed and administered to the population.
Strategies for adaptation as business comes back
Your customers’ willingness to do business with you will be driven by their perceptions of your cleanliness and preventive practices. This includes:
Until your previous levels of business return, use these tactics to protect your bottom line:
Don’t forget to adapt your marketing to the COVID-19 age:
Don’t overlook the mental health aspect of this crisis
This is and will continue to be a very stressful time for everyone, so keep an eye out for stress-related problems that may appear in your staff members:
Adapting your shop to “the new normal” will require all the skills you have developed to this point. The shops that can roll with the punches and stay on top of these pandemic-driven changes will be serving their customers’ needs better, and they will prosper as a result.