Six tips for setting up shop during the pandemic

2020 has been a strange year for everyone. We’ve seen the tragic loss of hundreds of thousands of lives and millions of businesses have been forced to shut their doors permanently.

So does this mean that now is a bad time to start a business? Not necessarily! Some businesses have thrived over the pandemic and while the economy isn’t amazing at the moment, new businesses aren’t going to be doomed from the beginning.

If you’re thinking of starting a new business as we welcome 2021 into our lives, then take a look at these tips for setting up shop during the pandemic to give you the best start possible.

Choose your industry wisely

The industry in which your business will lie is important, and you need to think long and hard about what consumers are after at the moment.

For example, delivery services, fitness services, mask makers and distributors and cleaners have thrived during the pandemic because they are all services that people are still able to take advantage of with minimum risk of contracting the virus.

If you’re not completely sure what kind of business you want to go into, give yourself a head start by choosing an industry that’s well sought after!

Find an ideal business location

Whether you’re planning on opening a local business or a business that’s available to people all around the world, it’s important to find a business premise that’s going to work for both you and your potential customers.

Find a shop for rent that’s easy to access, simple to find on a map, and a premise that’s going to allow you to run your business simply and efficiently. 

Alternatively, in today’s world there are many businesses that are choosing to run their businesses entirely from home.

If there are products involved, you could find a suitable warehouse for storage and shipping, and all of your administrative work could be completed from the comfort of your home.

Know how to market your business

Regardless of the pandemic, entering the business world in this day and age is no easy feat, and it’s imperative that you understand how to market your business.

While all marketing efforts can be extremely successful, you need to think about what people are more likely to use both in today’s world and within your industry.

For example, if you’re going to be selling smart home products, it’s very likely you’ll be able to reach your target audience through television adverts and social media.

However, if your target audience is older, you may have more success through magazine and newspaper adverts.

Think about your target audience so that you can successfully market your products or services.

Walk before you can run

It’s always good to dream big, and there’s nothing saying you won’t get there one day.

However, taking on too much for your business before you can handle it isn't going to do you any favours. Take things one small step at a time and you’ll soon notice your business growing naturally.

One of the scariest things about starting a business is the financial factor, and taking things one step at a time will prevent you from running out of budget and having to close your business down.

Don’t be disheartened

Running a successful business takes a lot of patience, so if your business seems to be running very slowly to begin with, don’t be disheartened.

Use this time to sit back and think about how you can improve things. Sometimes it’s something as simple as your marketing technique!

A great way of improving your business is by looking at your competitors for inspiration. How do they market their business?

Do they have an aspect that reaches out to customers that you don’t currently have? Take the time to rewind and start again - slow and steady wins the race.

Stay flexible

Finally, you’re never going to be able to please everyone with your business idea, and that’s completely normal. However, take note of the reaction of your loved ones when pitching your business idea to them.

Take constructive criticism and turn it into something that will appeal to a larger audience. You may also find that a few months down the line your outlook for your business changes, and that’s also completely fine! Improvise and adapt to your new ideas for your business.

As you can see, setting up shop during a pandemic doesn’t have to be something that’s doomed from the start. With clever planning and these tips, you could be running a successful small business a few months from now.