How Flexible Thinking Can Help Your Small Business Thrive During COVID-19
Elizabeth Gore spoke at the Survive and Thrive Summit about how flexible thinking can be an asset for small business growth. Hosted and produced by Ramon Ray of Smart Hustle Media, the first two Summits were held earlier in 2020 and the next one will be in spring 2021. It’s free! If you don’t want to miss when registration opens up, sign up for our newsletter.
Shifting is scary. And it’s even scarier when you need to make a shift in your small business. COVID-19 has been all about pivoting and changing. Some business owners had a hard time with it while others embraced it. Where do you stand on the spectrum?
Shifting Successfully for Small Business Growth
In a short but powerful talk with Elizabeth, she explained that flexibility is necessary not just to survive but also to thrive. Her team of 15 people is now helping over 98,000 business owners, which was never in their capabilities but with pivoting and help, it’s become possible.
Flexible thinking is important right now because things are changing and having a clean slate to base your ideas and thoughts on will keep you in the ‘now’. This is a new normal, not just for today, but for a while, and a flexible mindset will help you adapt to the market and trends as they change.
Business Funding
HelloAlice.com helps you find funding, opportunities, and experts along your small business journey — all for free. The more you use Hello Alice, the better she gets to know you. Your recommendations improve each time you click, so whether you’re looking for a mentor or figuring out how to acquire customers, Hello Alice tells you what you want to know. Recently, Hello Alice launched covid19businesscenter.com, another free resource that helps you find federal-state resources, grants, private funding, and step-by-step guides on how to apply for aid. Peer-to-peer communities and forums are available to help you connect with other businesses and share information and tips.
Long-term Advice
If you’re in an environment where shelter-in-place will happen for more than three weeks, consider pausing your business. There are legal ways you can pause and even stop rent. This even includes other business payments and this will help you save money for when you do reopen. This might be the best course of action if your money cash flow will dwindle due to people staying home. Elizabeth also suggests taking a deep look to make sure your business is fully digital. There are a lot of free tools to help you digitize your business right now. So, investing in this should be limited.