Business Alongside Covid-19
5 min read
Business in year 2020 – 2021 is definitely going to be remembered as a Covid-19 year. Not only did it affect everybody on this planet but also the world economy. Also, not only did it impact huge conglomerates around the world, it also impacted small businesses as well. Nobody seems to be spared from this pandemic.
Unemployment rates in countries around the world are shooting up and stopped everyone in their tracks. In Malaysia, the unemployed persons increased by 18.1% in March 2020 as compared to previous year.
During this testing time and with no certainty of the end of this Covid-19 saga, it is time that we become an entrepreneur. Yes, we should now become a small business owner in this trying times.
So, what can we do as an entrepreneur during these challenging times? Is it possible to do a business when no one are buying? Our answer is Yes. People will still need to survive and business transactions are still on-going. The thing is, businesses are taken to a “different dimension”. Like it or not, we will need to adapt to this new dimension: Going Online.
Here are some practices that we can adapt into our businesses during this Covid-19 pandemic oitbreak:
- We should prepare a Business Continuity plan (BCP). This is where will need to outline processes and systems. This is to ensure that our business can prevent and recover from potential threats to our business. This BCP should include the elements of protecting employees, minimising risk spreading disease and there are alternative arrangements for customers, suppliers and other relevant parties.
Our Business Continuity Plan should include the following functions:
a. Human resource, customer, and supplier management
- Plan for the continuity of leadership
- Plan for working and scheduling arrangements
- Review HR policies – sick leave, overseas travel
- Get health and travel declarations from employees who travelled to USA/China/South Korea/Japan/Northern Italy/Iran/the Middle East or any other highly hit countries by Covid-19 in the past 14 days
- Review health insurance policies
b. Processes and business functions
- Educate employees on good personal hygiene and infection prevention/control
- Ensure adequate training and supply of disinfectant, hand sanitiser, masks
- Develop health screening plan (fever scanning)
- Monitor coronavirus (COVID-19) development and directives from the government
- Plan for cleaning and disinfecting store if it’s exposed to suspected or confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19)
c. Internal and external communications
- Prepare communication plan in case your store is involved in a coronavirus (COVID-19) case
- Identify key stakeholders and prepare them on a contingency plan during the outbreak
- Ensure that employees know their roles and responsibilities during the outbreak
- Set up communication channel so employees can ask questions/report their status
2. Make sure the delivery of food to and from your business is smooth. With people still having a paranoia of going out into crowded places and being used to restricted movements, it is a good idea to do so. If you are wondering whether to join the fray of food deliveries, the time is NOW.
There are quite a number of options which includes Grabfood, Foodpanda and Bungkusit.
Even we have come out with a system where we can bring to you the favourite Halal Bak Chang fresh at your door step. We have adapted modern cooking technologies and up to date food delivery for the benefits of our customers. Our customers can be hundreds of kilometers away from our premise but will still arrive at their doorstep fresh and ready to be eaten. To know more about our Halal Bak Changs, please go here.
By the way, if you are into food delivery business, make sure that you promote it all across your social media platforms. Make sure that your customers know about your business. As you know, if you don’t tell people what you are selling, potential customers will not know about you.
- Make sure payments can be made to you online as well. Did you know that the World Health Organisation stated that Covid-19 may be spread through Bank notes? Bank notes can change hands so quickly and you can imagine the Covid-19 hitching a ride straight onto your hands.
In Malaysia, some options of online payments are such as:
- Credit card terminal with contactless payWave feature
- QR pay
- Ewallet
Even without Covid-19, it is a good idea to make sure that we have these online payments available since it is a preference these days. In Malaysia, 74% innterviewed prefer to use online payment methods.
Make sure you promote and harp about that you have these payment facilities to improve your brand or business awareness.
- Make your business available online. As said earlier, since the rise of Covid-19 around the globe, people are more reluctant to go outdoors and visit physical stores.
On online shopping, Google indicated that there is a spike in search for online shopping platforms. This also means that consumers are looking for other means of shopping. It was obvious that states such as Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Johor and Kuala Lumpur were highest ranked states looking for online shopping.
The highest search result for online shopping is Shoppee. Amongst the physical shoppings showing presence online are brands such as Watson and Tesco. Watson is ranked second and Tesco is ranked fifth for google queries on online shopping.
As for us, we find that Shoppee, Lazada and Facebook are suitable enough for the beginning journey of our newly minted brand Fatimah Chew Food about our Halal Bak Changs. We find that our strategy to go fully online for food products is a rewarding and bold decision made thus far.
Make sure you set up your online stores which will come together with an ecommerce feature that lets you sell both online and offline easily. Make sure to set up and promote your online shop so that potential customers will know what you are selling online.
- Provide hand sanitiser to promote cleanliness. Also follow the required regulations such as preparing temperature logging if you are at a physical store.
Here are some simple (albeit not foolproof) coronavirus prevention steps that any physical store can immediately take to protect your employees and customers:
- putting up educational signs on proper hygiene processes
- providing soap at your washroom sink
- placing alcohol-based hand sanitiser on your checkout counter and near your exit doors
- 6. Make sure you have promotions up and running to attract potential customers. We will not only attract bargain hunters when running a promotion but will add loyal customers. Bare in mind that loyal customers spends up to 3 times more than new customers.
Similarly when doing your business online or in a physical store, your ultimate aim is to make sure that your customers keeps coming back. So make sure that you have promotions up and running to encourage spendings and you have a customer loyalty program in your business.
- Put your social media game on overdrive. As an entrpreneur, you are at the heart of your community and you also play an important role in the economy.
So use your voice and brand during this time to post about what you’re doing for your business, employees, and customers, whilst also educating the general public about the coronavirus.
