How to Strengthen Your Business Right Now in 8 Creative Ways

The original article was posted on Houzz in March 24, 2020.

After we’ve all experienced a bit of shock and awe in the recent weeks, it’s time for us to brush off our shoulders and put into practice effective ways to strengthen our business. Check out these 8 strategies from Houzz that designers across the country have implemented to strengthen their business despite the obstacles they currently face.

Our favorite is #1.

1. Clean Up Your Books (and use Id Bookkeeper while doing so)

   In the slow down that COVID-19 has caused, use this time to take a close look at your books. Reconcile and clean them up. Be ready to re-open into the market with the fresh start you’ve been given—and that means your books too.

2. Keep Clients in the Loop

   These ever-changing times have involved different states and regions of the country having differing definitions of “essential business.” This creates the challenge of your clients not being so sure where their current project stands with your business. Be sure to keep all of your clients abreast on how their area’s governing mandates effect their project with your firm.

3. Expand Your Work Outside of Your “Normal”

   This may mean taking on smaller projects than you typically would, or expanding into a neighboring city or town that you aren’t quite as familiar with. Be open to change, including scope and scale, and how you can use it to your advantage.

4. Invest in Marketing Now

   If you’re going to put any money into your business now, let it be marketing. Potential clients may be hesitant to spend money as we emerge from this crisis, which takes creativity in marketing that may involve a marketing agency to increase web traffic or social media views. If not an agency, be prepared with refreshed and updated information readily available to both current clients and prospects.

5. Be Transparent

   Authenticity is the one of the most valued attributes a designer and company can have. Let your employees, vendors, partnerships and clients know what you are experiencing and listen to how this is impacting them. Be open and understanding, flexible and focused on connectivity to get through the hard moments. We really are all in this together.

6. Seek Ways to Help the Community

   Are there ways your profession can help the community? Extra textiles or talents to create masks for your local first respondents or elderly neighbors? Can you host a sewing class in your free time to teach kids who are stuck at home how they, too, can help? Be exactly what you already are, creative, and find a way that you can help those in need.

7. Scrub Your Workflow

   Take this time to think about your workflow. Does it work? If not, how can you revamp your processes and procedures? This is also a fantastic time to clean up internal processes and projects that you find yourself way too busy for usually. Seek out and research emerging technology for the design industry and begin thinking about how these technological advancements can become a new way of doing business as the pandemic fades.

8. Tie Up Loose Ends

   Last and definitely important, use this time to tie up loose ends. Connect with your past clients and check on them. Begin seeking proposals, call realtors for networking purpose, join a few social media forums and learn how others are using this time to rethink their current procedures.

If you’re inspired by this brief overview, be sure to check out this excellent article written by Erin Carlyle at Houzz for more details on these 8 ways to transform your business while on this unexpected hiatus.