With an overwhelming sense of uncertainty sweeping over the UK once again, many of us business owners will be facing another lockdown that will inevitably involve the closing or postponing of our business services.

 

First and foremost, we want to emphasise that it’s okay to feel what you’re feeling – whether you’re angry, sad, anxious or overwhelmed, its all completely natural. We are living through extreme times and sometimes it is hard to do anything but accept defeat.

However, this doesn’t have to be the time to give up on your goals.

 

Although optimism and positivity may not be emotions on your radar right now – there are a number of small ways that you can be proactive and prepare yourself for the eventual return to normality that we can only hope is hiding just around the corner.

 

Today, we thought we’d share our top suggestions for the variety of different ways you can help your business thrive beyond the latest lockdown measures…

 

Develop an online marketing strategy

 

During the first lockdown, social media use inevitably shot up due to more free time being available. The Drum even reported that visual apps like Instagram and Tik Tok saw a 25% increase in engagement. With the second lockdown likely to follow this trend, it is vital that you develop a consistent and effective social media marketing strategy.

Posting regularly and interacting with your audience are key to building up a follower network around your business. Plan out your content in advance to make sure you have plenty to share, include call-to-actions in your captions so your followers know exactly what to do to support you, and consider adding as much value to posts as you think is viable.

 

If you need some help with your Instagram page, we have recently released a 0-10k eBook that is available to guide you through the inner workings of creating an Instagram, understanding your audience, and growing your page from the ground up.

 

Balance your budgets

 

Finances are key to making sure you survive another lockdown. Make sure you’ve perfected your budget, so you are aware of your incomings, outgoings and what you have available to spend on yourself and your business.

 

You could also consider using a budget planner to plan out the next month or two. Christmas is traditionally an expensive time of year so you should definitely remember to account for any additional spending in your budget.

 

If you need help with mapping this out – at KLMA we have also created a downloadable budget tracker as part of the business module on our online course. This has space for you to work out all your incomings and outgoings, to make sure you can allocate what you earn and don’t overspend unintentionally!

 

Work on your mindset & self-confidence

 

Understandably, you may not feel up to doing much as the country returns to a standstill. However, working on regaining a positive mindset could be vital to returning to run your business.

Taking care of yourself mentally is an integral part of retaining the magic of your career journey. If you are feeling low or uninspired, you could try writing down some positive affirmations and repeating them to yourself daily. Remember the different ways that you have succeeded over the past month and allow yourself to feel proud of your accomplishments.

 

If you need to spend this time taking a step back from your business and working on YOU, more often than not it will benefit you in the long run.

 

As a part of our online business module, we have also included a downloadable eBook guide designed to help you work on your self-confidence and help your mindset to evolve as a part of your journey as a businessowner.

 

Understand your business inside-out!

 

Finally, to work out why your customers want to invest in what you offer, you need to understand your business inside out. This involves having a strong idea of the unique services you offer and who you offer them too.

Developing an understanding of your unique selling point is what will put you ahead of others in your field. You need to prove to your audience why they should choose your business above the rest. The free time that lockdown provides could be a great opportunity to go back to basics and work on the mission behind your business.

 

Mapping out your target audience is another piece of the business puzzle that you should definitely prioritise. You need to get inside the heads of your potential customers to understand why they would buy from you. This can then be tied into your online marketing strategy and influence the content that you create!

 

 

This is a difficult time for so many of us, so it is so important to try and pull together and keep reaching for those goals. Use this time to work on your business and yourself and hopefully we will all come out the other side even stronger than we were before.

 

If you are struggling for inspiration or need some added support when it comes to your business, as part of our online course we have an online business module tailored to helping your hustle thrive. Including a number of video tutorials and downloadable eBooks, the module covers everything from social media marketing and finances to self-confidence and developing your business. We are here to help you through these more difficult times, with unlimited support and tuition.