Tag: stimulus for small business

Freebies for Your Online Store

March 31, 2020 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Want some freebies for your online store? A lot of larger companies are stepping up to help out online sellers due to the pandemic. Here are some to consider:

USA Today has a Support Local Business website that you can add your business to.
Google advertisers will see a credit notification appear in their Google Ads account in the coming months.
Shopify is offering a free 90-day trial if you wish to set an online store. If you’re currently on a 14-day trial, you can extend it to 90 days.
Shopify is also giving free access to the digital and physical gift card function, for all new and existing Shopify plans.
Facebook is offering grants as well as free ad credits.
Etsy will not be charging for their offsite ads for the month of April. Additionally, any seller who needs extra time paying their bills can request a one-month grace period.
Square is refunding all software subscription fees for the month of March for existing sellers who currently use Square Appointments, Retail, Restaurants, Loyalty, Team Management, Payroll, Marketing, and Square Online Store.
Square is all waving all fees related to curbside pickup and local delivery.
PayPal is all waving all transfer fees until May 1st.
Moz Academy is offering free SEO courses until May 31st. You just need to sign up for a Moz account and then use the coupon code “wegotthis” at checkout.
In the Etsy forums two weeks ago, as well as on their Instagram, I suggested to Etsy that they start a hashtag to support sellers, and now they have #StandwithSmall (although mine was #ShopEtsyWhileIsolating).So use it in your social media posts.
#KeepSmallStrong is a new collective hoping to help any small business owner including designing and launching of digital storefronts as well as set up of local delivery and national fulfillment.

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How to Keep Sales Going During COVID-19 Pandemic

March 25, 2020 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

by Gail Oliver, Online Marketing Consultant

HOW TO KEEP GETTING SALES DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC The shutting down of businesses due to the Corona virus outbreak obviously has a trickle down effect. If your buyers are not working, then non-essential purchases are typically the first things they have to stop buying.

Therefore, if you have an online shop, you might be wondering how to keep your business afloat, and I have a few suggestions.

Upcoming Buying Occasions

Mother’s Day is May 10th, and you can likely assume that most people will still be buying Mother’s Day gifts, however, they may just not spend as much as they normally do.
Father’s Day is June 21st, and it will likely be the same situation as above.
April, May and June are graduation months, and people are still going to be buying grad gifts, again, maybe just not spending as much. If graduations end up being delayed until the fall, however, then they may wait until then to purchase the gift.
People will still be having birthdays (but maybe not parties), anniversaries and having babies (but maybe not showers), so their friends and family will still be getting them gifts.
People will still get married, they may just not have a big celebration or they might postpone it until fall. However, their friends and family will still buy them wedding gifts.

What Your Shop Can Do

Consider making significant sales offers for the occasions above, particularly on volume orders i.e. Buy any 2 items, get 25% off.
If you haven’t been targeting some of the gift buyers above, consider adding in products that would be applicable.
Consider adding a lower-priced product line into your shop, to target those buyers who have had their income reduced.
Email your previous customers with a special offer for their loyalty.
Start using the #ShopSmallBusiness hashtag on social media to remind people that businesses like yours need their shopping dollars.
I posted an interesting stat on my Instagram today about how long the coronavirus lives on certain surfaces. Maybe you wish to alleviate any customer fears by outlining your sanitation and safety procedures, to reduce the fear of buying.

Other Opportunities

With school possibly cancelled for the rest of the school year, parents will want educational items and craft kits to keep kids busy.
Depending on when the quarantine ends, people will likely not be travelling much internationally or might just forgo the summer vacation altogether. Therefore, they might take those vacation funds and put them into sprucing up their outdoor space, especially since they have been stuck inside.
Try to think of quirky new sales opportunities, such as End of Quarantine Party supplies or t-shirts.
A few weeks back I wrote about 8 Upcoming Publicity Opportunities for Your Business and two really apply to the current situation. So contact your local media – who wants to support you now more than ever – to get your business publicity for National Handmade Day (April 4th) and National Small Business Week (May 3-9). Here is an example of a Denver Magazine who ran an article promoting 10 Local Etsy Shops.

Hang in there everyone.

How COVID Will Likely Change Life and Business

March 18, 2020 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

by Gail Oliver, Online Marketing Consultant

Whenever a crisis impacts the world, much like the coronavirus is doing, life and business will inevitably change.

For example, after 9/11 airport security screening changed enormously. We will likely see the same impact now after the coronavirus, but this time you will be screened for your health.

Technology will be developed that will allow an immediate test on all passengers for any type of infectious disease before they are allowed to board a plane, boat, cruise ship or even cross the border in their car. It may be many years off, and a tedious process, but it is a likely reality.
These health screenings might then carry over to other events, such as concerts, sporting events, schools and other mass gatherings.
Home test kits might also become a reality as people will want to test themselves.
If you never invested in travel insurance before, you will likely see more people purchasing it, if they just lost money on a vacation they had to abandon. The good news is, with increased demand, it might become less expensive.
If your business or event never purchased business disruption insurance in the past, you will likely be reconsidering after this shutdown caused by the coronavirus.
Cleaning products will change. Don’t be surprised to see companies that sell disinfectant wipes, for example, now position them for “100% effectiveness against infectious diseases”.
New services will emerge for cleaning and sanitization as well as for emergency preparedness, among others.
Online teaching platforms will expand for elementary, high school and college students, if classrooms shut down for long periods of time.
Masks will be developed that will be 100% effective in stopping transmission of the flu.
Brands that manufacture products that are currently selling out, such as toilet paper, might decide to bypass the middle man and start their own ecommerce sites, selling directly to customers online, at very least in times of urgent need.
Online sales will increase, meaning more opportunities for shipping, transport and logistics companies.