How to Pandemic-Proof Your Online Business

Apr 9

Well this is a topic we never anticipated writing about. But here we are! What a strange world we live in, hey?

We're not sure if this is just us, but we feel like the timeline of our emotions and productivity has kind of gone like this:

Week 1

Pure disbelief that Covid-19 has infiltrated nearly all of our communities and how quickly things shut down. But we still felt like maybe this thing would be short lived. Everyone kept saying "If we can just social distance/self isolate for a few weeks...". With our daughter home from preschool the eternal weekend set in.

Week 2

Nope, things are only going to get worse. This week felt a little apocalyptic and all we did was stock up on groceries and garden supplies (watching Contagion probably didn't help 🤦🏻‍♀️). We didn't do any work this week and if we're being super honest... our sales for the week were literally zero. Others must have been just as distracted as us.

Week 3

This week felt different, staying home felt normal and I think we accepted our current situation. Plus with a week of no sales, our minds were back on our biz. We immediately started brainstorming how we could best serve our community when their finances might be unpredictable and everything in life is far from normal.

Week 4

This week we've been more productive than we have been in a long time. We take shifts with the kids and have even been working at night. We've embraced being home indefinitely with no plans and actually feel pretty jazzed about the future of Station Seven and the new products we have in the works for you.

So if like us, it’s nearly mid April and you're here in week 4 a bit more accepting of your current situation and ready to take action again, here are three ways you can adapt your business so you can best support your community online during these crazy times.

1. Provide a lower priced offering

The financial uncertainty is SO REAL, it’s not a stretch to say that people are not spending much these days. But just because your products or services might not be “flying off the shelves” right now, that doesn’t mean that your offering isn’t still valuable or helpful for your community.

Think about ways to still share your expertise at a lower price point for those experiencing financial uncertainty.

This could mean a reduced service package compared to your typical options. Or it could be a passive download, such as a self-guided workbook through your process. Or have you considered bundling up all of your knowledge in an ebook or mini course?

Now is the time to think about lower priced offerings to remain accessible to those that can benefit the most from your expertise. 👊🏻

2. “Product”-ify your services

If you’re currently providing services, think about ways to turn that 1:1 customized service into a scalable, passive product.

Again, ebooks, mini courses, downloadable workbooks, and pre-made graphics templates are just a few examples of approachable, downloadable products that you can make to serve any niche.

Not only is this typically cheaper than working directly with you (see point #1 above), it also allows you to impact a much larger group of people than you’d otherwise be able to help.

Especially if, like us, you’ve now got a house full of kids constantly seeking your attention!

By offering passive products, you’re no longer trading your time for money; your business can continue to serve your community at the same time you serve your kids mac and cheese (for the third day in a row—no judgement here 😂)

3. Most importantly, show up!

For the millions of us locked up at home, there’s nothing more lacking in our lives today than connection.

Simple, authentic, human connection.

Yes, it can be hard to find the right message these days. And yes, it can be SO HARD to put yourself out there when your phone feels more like an anxiety delivery mechanism than a tool for meaningful interaction.

But you DO have value, and what you do genuinely helps others.

Build that connection with your community by continuing to show up, share, and be a guide through these challenging times.

Or just be real and share a transparent look into how the pandemic has affected your business. Supporting each other as creators is a two way street, and there’s no need to pretend everything is all good if it simply isn’t.

Not sure what to share? Here are a couple ideas:

A behind the scenes look at what your work from home situation looks like—the good, the bad, and the ugly (anyone else rocking all day pyjamas?)
Some of your personal productivity hacks to get sh*t done
Share the love by tagging your favorite small businesses and creators keeping it real in trying times

Truth is, this isn’t going to last forever. So although money may be tight now, the relationships and community you build now will stay with you, and when your customers are ready to buy again they’ll know where to go.

So if your butt is getting numb from a full Tiger King marathon (or, let’s be real, Frozen 2 for the a millionth time), think about applying some of these concepts to your business during the great quarantine of 2020.

P.S. We’ve opened the doors to Crafted to Convert, because having a great website online is kind of a must-have for success during social isolation. Find all the details here.

P.PS. Feeling stuck these days and wondering how to position your online business? Leave a comment or send us a note, we’d love to hear from you!