Why I'm still selling
Apr 01, 2020
This week's blog is a bit different. I feel I need to address the elephant in all our rooms and talk about coronavirus.
We live in weird times. My young kids are at home with me and my working schedule has been seriously interrupted as I try to homeschool. I thought it would be nice to have a break over the weekend, but actually structure is important to all of us so trying to think about ways to entertain the kids over the weekend (2 boys can't just hang around all day especially at 7 & 5) and have a break from work was tougher than I anticipated.
How is your business doing at this time? Are you thriving or surviving? Trying to juggle it all? Or feeling like you don't have a business left to keep going with?
Try not to be limited by your existing business. I have seen loads of great things that people are doing - online pilates, online dog training, vouchers for when restaurants reopen, and paying a deposit to be able to book first when your hairdresser reopens. Try to think laterally and what your clients need at this time and offer this. It doesn't have to be forever, just at the moment.
Remember to continue selling if you can. If we all stop selling, the economy will suffer more than it is already, and actually people are buying. Some people, especially retired people, and those on fixed incomes or even furloughed employees are not spending money at the moment, nothing. Our main outgoing, other than the general costs of the house, is food now. And people are at home, bored and frustrated. How can your business help them? Ignore the people that say you shouldn't be selling now, they often don't know what it's like to have your own business and as long as you aren't hiking your prices and are being genuine, it's fine to go on selling. Look at the value you are offering, and focus on that.
If you can't sell at all now, focus on some great freebies to grow your audience and focus on building your email list and offering for when you start up again. Prepare for when things improve. And they will.
Get all the help you can at the moment from the government. Furlough employees if you have them and need to do this, get your self employed tax return in for 2018/19 by 26th April if you have missed the deadline, and then you can claim the self employed allowance from the government. Use mortgage holidays, pause as much as you can, and look at universal credit as the rules on this have been relaxed.
I know not all the measures cover everyone, including sole directors of limited companies, but hopefully this will come soon. If you can't get these things, get out there and really sell yourself.
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