Undoubtedly, your business has been affected by COVID-19. How significant the effects are will depend on the nature of your business, how you serve your customers and where you are based. If you sell food or other essentials such as healthcare supplies or PPE, business might be booming.

You’ll have had to make changes to your workforce, and to how you work, but financially, things are bound to be looking good.

On the other hand, if your products or services aren’t essential, your brick and mortar store or office might have been forced to close, and online business might be slow as consumers focus on the things that they really need while trying to save money and protect their finances. 

Unfortunately, we can’t yet be sure how long this is likely to last, or how big the effects on both individual businesses and the economy, on the whole, will be. But, while we don’t know what it might look like, we do know that there will be a post-pandemic world.

We’re not quite sure what to expect, but we know that the current state of the world won’t last forever and that at some point, another new normal will start to form. We must be prepared for it if we want to rebuild business and do well in the new world. 

Start Thinking About Social Distancing Policies

Social distancing isn’t likely to last forever. At some point, there will be a vaccine, and we won’t have to worry about the spread of this particular virus.

But, it is probably safe to assume that some levels of social distancing will remain in place at least until a vaccine is found. There may be a period when your business is open, but you need to contend with social distancing restrictions. 

Ask yourself now how you will bring these into effect. How will you keep your staff and your customers safe? Could you restrict the number of people in the building? Or add visuals to help people stay further apart? 

Consider Your Staffing Levels

Business may be slow when things first start to return to normal. If you have had to furlough staff members, you may not need to bring them all back straight away. So, think about who you need the most, as well as any team members who may be more at risk and who should staff at home for longer. Give this some thought now and start making a plan. 

Communicate Changes to Your Customers

You might not yet know what your new normal will be, but making sure that you stay in touch with your customers will mean that you can let them know about any changes that you are making, as soon as you make them. 

Take Some More Services Online

Taking your business online is a great way to stay open, whatever happens. It’s a wonderful way to stabilise your business, and downtime from your brick and mortar store offers you a great chance to take more services online, give your website some TLC and use SEO services to boost business. 

Start Networking Now

Start thinking about and working towards the future now. Get networking using social media, especially LinkedIn and other online platforms.