The whirlwind of events in 2020 had shifted the tides of a lot of local businesses. Small and local businesses have been shut with the global crisis, revealing that it had the biggest impact on small businesses. Local businesses with less than 20 employees were hit the hardest.
Thriving through 2021 is no joke, but this could also be a great standpoint for a more steady growth and a brand new perspective. Now that businesses have been through the worst, you can take all the lessons for a more successful branding this 2021. Here are the must-haves for local businesses to successfully take over the market this year and beyond.
10 important must-haves for local businesses to succeed in 2021 and beyond
Active social media presence
The past year has shown that more people have been on social media than the previous years. Boosting your online presence is among the best strategies that will get you going for 2021. Since everything is almost digital, having an overwhelming social media footprint improves branding significantly.
Most local businesses rely on social media presence because it is a good way to promote products, engage with their audience, and even answer common customer service queries. Aside from social engagements, a strong online presence is also a way to analyse what products are working.
Connections with influencers
Influencer marketing is not new in the world of local business. People with a high local reach can significantly boost the marketing strategy of most businesses. Tapping on to local influencers can make your business pervade niches you’ve never set in.
Promotion of products isn’t new to these influencers as well. They have been promoting various services and items for years. Keeping your business afloat with its competitors is quite a challenge. And the help of influencers can make the competition even more exciting locally.
An empathic customer service
You can bid goodbye to a lot of things in 2020, but you can keep the quote that says: “You don’t get a second chance in making a first impression.” Having a more empathic team will get you higher ratings when it comes to customer service. And you would want to take this with your business, even beyond 2021.
Enhancing customer satisfaction is a comprehensive process. Each customer is unique, and you need to train your staff well to handle complaints, suggestions and constructive criticism well.
Remote working situations
The world of business is always evolving, and a remote working situation is something businesses should be able to adapt to. The mistakes in 2020 involved not seeing how much you and your staff can do remotely – a lot of things.
Although not all businesses can grow best without a tangible workplace, there are many things that modern remote working tools can bridge. Renting out infrastructure can be a huge chunk in your costs. Additional protocols can also cut your budget. The millennial workforce is tech-savvy making your business a more mobile-driven community. Working remotely not only saves you money, but also time.
Recruiting and retaining members
A successful business isn’t only built under great customer service and amazing products, but a team that works efficiently. Recruiting and retaining the right talent can ensure that your business will thrive and hit the numbers in no time. Leading a staff that works hard and smart will motivate you even as a newbie entrepreneur.
It is worthy to note that over 90% of employees stay in their workplace if it offers professional development. Pump up your employee benefits and provide them with great opportunities for growth whether in business or personally.
A data-driven culture
Nothing can stop the rise of everything digital. And this entails how every move in your company has data in it. This is slowly becoming valuable to locally growing companies, especially when they have people who know how to handle data and use it to their own advantage.
A data-driven culture embodies a decision-making process of a business driven by analyzed data. This means that you will replace your gut-feeling with the data that you have. Business owners have been dubious about this culture, but over time, a data-driven environment has leveraged business with insights backed up by science.
Diversified offerings
Diversifying your services is a strategy that is highly welcomed in 2021. The change in the world is swift and there is no better position in business than the one where you can quickly modify and provide services and products on your toes.
Expanding your business based on the skills that you have and the demand of your locality can all be covered with having diversity.
Local community connections
Making sure that your business is well-rooted in your community is a no-brainer. But having the right community connections can get you a long way. This means that you can expand with ease, make promotions and marketing strategies with people who know the ropes, and can establish your brand with confidence. For example you can share a word about your product or services through a digital flyer or pamphlets among your community
Adaptability
The global crisis took a toll on small and local businesses and if there’s a takeaway in that predicament, it is to be adaptable in all situations. Whether you will require a team to work from home or to take days off from the business, you should take your share in researching the ongoing protocols and policy changes.
Being adaptable also means being able to cater the online demands of your consumers. The past year showed how small businesses turned to technology to thrive, and your business should be able to easily adapt to the changing needs of your consumers.
Sufficient financial backing
The right financial capabilities for a business venture is not enough security for it to thrive out. There are a lot of factors about how your current finances can flip the other way around. Having a couple of options in cases of emergencies keeps your business ideas afloat. Financial assistance from sponsorships, friends, crowdfunding, and investors will keep your doors open for future.
What else?
The ever changing needs of consumers makes the business world a tricky yet fulfilling one. The past year has taught us that even the large and international businesses face the impact of the global crisis. Resiliency of local businesses isn’t enough to make it stand, you will need the right mindset and strategies to thrive through 2021 and beyond.
