The global pandemic has left many small business owners uncertain of their future and grappling with the reality that almost overnight the commerce world as we know it has become almost exclusively an online model. For small businesses that rely on their retail and physical storefronts to produce revenue, this transformation can be daunting. It’s important to understand that if ever there was a time to move your business into the digital world, that time is now. The sooner, the better in fact. It won’t just help reduce the loss of revenue but will continue to serve you in the future.

We’ve got some practical ideas to help you quickly make the digital jump your business needs to survive. Our skilled team has helped clients achieve this in one week because of our experience. While you may not be able to move as fast, you can still get moving, and we hope this article will help to rescue many more businesses and jobs then what we can get to.

First, the good news. This global pandemic is happening at a point in history when our world has many ways to connect digitally. The proliferation of video tools means that many of things that were once required to be done “in-person” can be done through video. When it comes to figuring out how to transform your business into a digital one, here’s a quick guideline:

If you have a product, you can sell it online and have it delivered.

If you offer a service, you can sell consultation online and deliver it virtually.

The additional good news is that even before the global pandemic, many businesses were already providing that a virtual world can work. InspireHUB has been a 100% remote workforce for seven years. Hello Fresh, a meal-kit company out of Berlin, became a billion-dollar company delivering prepared meal-kits around the world and Peloton was enjoying skyrocketing growth from people connecting from their bikes through their homes. (Side note: In our new reality, we remain concerned for the well-being of ‘Peloton wife’ but at least she gets to do her self-isolation with her bike and Aviation Gin.)

We recognize that those with products (food, beverages, clothing, etc.) can have a smoother transition. For many, like Cooper’s Hawk Vineyards, it was a matter of morphing to an online ordering system for their wine and figuring out campaigns to help engage the local community around them.

But, what about the businesses that are venues, events-driven, or provide ‘hands-on’ services. It requires more creativity, but remember this: YOU possess a unique skill-set, and that knowledge is something that consumers are interested in and have proven they will pay to engage with virtually.

We realize converting your business to a new virtual reality can be unsettling, so we assembled some creative ideas to help inspire you to imagine the new ways your products and services could come together.

At InspireHUB, we’ve created a Digital Rescue Kit to help with the above. Whether you work with us or someone else here are some things for you to consider.

• Keep your clients safe.
  Just like in your traditional business, you need to ensure that whatever you create to engage with your clients, fans and members is safe. Many technology platforms and solutions participate in data brokering behind the scenes. (Meaning they sell off your user data to other partners you may not want.) Be sure to look for the company's data brokering policy and if you can’t find one, ask!
  
  
• Experience working virtually.
  The good news is that there are plenty of companies who have been working remotely for years prior to the pandemic. Still, be sure to ASK how about their remote experience. If you’re working with a team who has less than a year of experience working remotely, they will still be working out the kinks. Companies who have more than two years experience as remote teams will be able to provide you with all the attention you need and not be distracted by the need to stabilize their own internal teams.
  
  

Do they have experience?
It sounds obvious but be sure to visit their customer testimonials.  Also, don’t be afraid to ask about speaking directly with one of their existing customers. If they provide superior customer experience, then they should be able to provide you with a list of happy customers who would be delighted to tell you about what they have encountered.