How to Pivot Your Business and Move Online During Covid-19 and Beyond

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Yup. It’s a strange time. It’s a difficult time. And we’re all doing our best to learn how to cope and change our mindset to do our best to accept this current ‘new normal’. When it comes to business, it’s obviously pretty hard (ok, unless you’re an essential business - impossible) to run one face to face. To stay relevant and try and keep some semblance of income coming in, we have to think of ways to move our businesses online. Fortunately, there are ways to do that, and I’m going to do my damndest to walk you through some ways to pivot your business and move online during Covid-19 and beyond. So grab your glass of wine or whatever tickles your business-brainstorming fancy, and let’s get pivoting!

Workshops and courses can be held online in so many diverse fields!

You can teach art classes online, marketing and social media workshops, yoga, dance, pilates, music...you name it! Of course, some topics and fields are easier or just more fun to do in person, but it is absolutely doable to move them online as an option during these strange times...who knows, maybe you’ll keep it going alongside face to face classes down the track! Apps and programs like Zoom, Google Hangouts or Skype are video options to connect to your clients. TinyChat is a super cool way to stream your course while allowing space for your students or clients to comment and connect while it’s happening. Facebook and Instagram Live are also great applications to get you online, connected and motivated. Just remember wherever you stream or connect, record your sessions so they can be played back and repurposed for other events if need be. 

Create a Masterminds Group to bring like-minded businesses and entrepreneurs together.

This is an amazing opportunity to brainstorm and come up with mutually beneficial ideas to support your businesses. Maybe you can trade content. Maybe you can teach each other something new to help bolster your business. Or maybe you can offer something to the public together and split any earnings. Maybe you’re a team of artists that together can create an online course in drama, dance, and singing. Or you can offer marketing and PR as a duo to other small businesses. Teaming up can have massive benefits!

Challenges can be a way to keep you and others on their toes.

Whether it’s through a course, workshop or Mastermind Group, challenges can help keep each other accountable.

Perhaps you can offer businesses DIY opportunities from home, offering them something that they can while in ever-loving-lockdown...check out White Deer Graphic Design (@whitedeergd) for their DIY course and a free challenge to provide small businesses the skills they need to create great visuals and designs for their brand. There are other businesses just like hers that are pivoting to online work and offerings, too.

In terms of income and/or client growth, you can charge a small fee that’s less than what you’d typically charge face to face or create a subscription-based course opportunity for your content that people can sign up for. Maybe offer the first lot for free and simply get email addresses to grow your mailing list of future clients! Just make sure you have your client’s consent to email them about your offer so you don’t run into any legal hiccups. Then target your mailing list and work to grow it! From there if it’s a success, you can begin charging low rates. Market your offer on social and have a link to your privacy policy to help you stay legally legit while you pivot...speaking of legally legit, there are a few other things you want to think about from a legal perspective as you make these important business changes:

Intellectual Property:

With everything up online and made public, it’s so important to protect your content as well as how it’s being used. Be very clear about what you own and what your clients own and what can be used from a copyright perspective.

Be clear about cancellations and refunds - make sure you have up-to-date Ts & Cs, especially around cancellation and refund policies.

Make sure the language is clear and terms cover the bases for circumstances out of your control. Don’t get caught being held liable. For way more detail about this you can check out our blog, COVID-19 And What You Need To Know When You’re An Event Planner.

As mentioned above, have a solid privacy policy so both you and your clients feel safe connecting online.

Are you excited, yet? You should be! There’s so much potential for you! But before you start bringing any of your brilliant ideas to life, be sure you can answer your WHY. Your why is super important! It will help give you a clearer vision to create something, and in turn that will be clearer to potential clients and followers. My why, as simple as it sounds, is to help you pivot. And if I’m being completely honest, to also help you see that lawyers can be helpful, too, with zero expectations! :D Once you know your why - get to work!

Need a bit of an assist to get you started? Totally get that. It’s not easy to wrap your head around something new when you’re used to working a certain way for a long period of time. So start by simply fleshing it out: What is your topic? What is your offer? What is your challenge? What are the daily tasks you’re trying to invite your clients to do? And how will you market this course/challenge etc? 

I absolutely get that there is so much to consider right now, but know that I’m here for you! Seriously, don’t hesitate to get in touch. I’m available via DM or by phone to answer any questions you may have and offer you a consultation - no expectations. Just for you. Just to help. You’ve got this, friends. Stay well. X

 

 

 

***Disclaimer. Please read!!***  

  

This article is for general information purposes only and should be used solely as general guidance. It does not and is not intended to represent legal advice or other professional advice. 

 

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