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How Your Small Business Can Redefine Its Brand During COVID-19

Making safety and communication part of its identity can help your company thrive

Getty Images The first hint Patti Gibbons had that something was wrong was a Saturday evening in March. The 60-year-old owner of Heavenly Soaps went to her local Costco and found it packed. “It was worse than Christmas Eve,” she says. The next morning, she turned on the news and realized was becoming. She knew she had to make some big changes to keep her small business afloat. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Gibbons isn't the only owner of a small or midsize business facing the challenges of COVID-19. According to a survey by Main Street America, 3 in 4 businesses have had their revenue cut in half since early March. More than half (57 percent) reported that revenue dropped by 75 percent or more, and 80 percent had closed at least temporarily. As these businesses pivoted to remain viable, they reinvented everything — from their business models to their staffing procedures. "At the heart of most entrepreneurs, there is the need to continually iterate and optimize your business,” says Amanda Brinkman, host of Hulu's Small Business Revolution and chief brand officer at Deluxe Corp., a technology and financial services company based in Shoreline, Minnesota. During tough times, every small business should consider how its brand — the characteristics that are the company's identity and lead customers to choose it over its competitors — can adapt successfully. The following are parts of a business's brand that companies need to address both during and after the pandemic.

Focus on safety

Virtually every business is going to have to address health and safety protocols to keep their customers and employees safe. An employee or customer getting sick at your place of business can have huge ramifications for your company, Brinkman says. So review how you will enhance cleaning and disinfection, provide personal protective equipment (PPE), and establish your business will use. That may mean rearranging furniture or installing barriers. You may need to choose single-use or disposable items when possible. "Your commitment to health and safety needs to be very visible and right at the forefront,” Brinkman says. You should be thinking about the people who are nervous about coming to your place of business and do what you can to make them comfortable, she adds. AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. , Heavenly Soaps closed from March 24 through May 5. But her customers still wanted their products. So she immediately got to work, communicating with customers that she could still ship to them. She studied Instagram and Facebook marketing methods and began using them to target new customers. Gibbons had upgraded her website earlier in the year and, serendipitously, her checkout options now included “store pickup.” Flowers & Gifts 25% off sitewide and 30% off select items See more Flowers & Gifts offers > She also gained a new awareness of how to present products. “It gets down to things like learning how to take better pictures or make your pictures look more inviting. I've purchased some new soap dishes that look like a clawfoot bathtub and put my soaps in there so it's more appealing to the eye,” she says. Be sure that basic information about your safety measures as well as up-to-date hours of operation are available on your company's website or social media pages, Brinkman adds. Share the measures you're taking to enhance safety, and list any changes customers may encounter when they go to your business.

Gather and use feedback

Get feedback on how customers want to hear from you now. Some may want regular updates on social media, while others may want more in-depth information in an email or newsletter format. Then keep in touch. “The number one thing right now is that people really expect brands to be visible,” says Charlene Tassinari, cofounder of San Francisco-based Canvas & Co. AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. More on work AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS