Giving Your Business a Facelift (continued)

Assignments

1. Think critically about your business. Step out of the day-to-day. Think about your business’ journey before COVID hit. What still works and what doesn’t? If you could start fresh, what would you do differently?

2. Assess your brand’s value. Think like a customer and approach your business from that viewpoint. What attracts you to your business? Does your signage attract attention? What do you first notice about your business, either as you park at a brick and mortar or the landing page of your website loads? What can be improved? What looks old, ill-kept or out of step? Make a list of action items to consider.

3. Examine your processes and operations. Again, step back from your daily activities. Think about your different activities. What can be automated or use artificial intelligence to create new efficiencies? What activities in the company can be accomplished through the cloud or software as service solutions (such as bookkeeping, marketing, etc.).

4. Review staffing. If your staff was asked to work remotely, think about who could continue working remotely or telecommuting as part of their jobs as you rebuild. If you have had to reduce your workforce – either temporarily or permanently – think about how you can staff differently through cross-training, outsourcing, telework, retraining, or project-specific contractors.

5. Your digital footprint. Customers have changed the way they interact with businesses, even with ones they were once fiercely loyal to. Find someone who’s trustworthy who can look at your website, social media, and e-commerce capabilities. Are they easy to use? Is there a straightforward lead generation and sales funnel? Is it up to contemporary standards in terms of design, voice, tone, graphics and even the underlying technology (if you have a site built in Drupal, you’re way behind the times).