There is a good chance your business has been disrupted in some way by the coronavirus pandemic. As you know, it came on sudden and impacted most of businesses in some way. Many businesses have been left without clear government guidance on how to safely reopen or even when it might be safe to reopen. This makes planning the future difficult as we navigate through uncharted territory. It is what it is. Now is the time to embrace the situation and find new ways to do business as a matter of survival and hope. But, more importantly, this is a time to create new opportunities and embrace the bad hand we were dealt that created the Covid economy. While you might be feeling a little down, it is possible to create new opportunities in this Covid shattered economy. We’ll share two ideas with you today that just might motivate you to get outside of your box, outside of your comfort zone and try new things. Idea #1: Get Smarter The combination of a sudden recession and stay-at-home orders has meant a lot of idle time. Instead of binge-watching television, sleeping in and wasting time, use this time wisely to educate yourself on topics like SEO and social media marketing. Take an online course in Pay-Per-Click advertising and learn how to use the power of social media to draw in new customers using new promotions. Canva is a new app that allows anyone to create stunning graphics and ads. There are tons of YouTube videos that provide tutorials on using Canva. Which, by the way costs $13 a month. Savvy business owners and managers are investing in their own personal education during this time. Find a subject you’ve always wanted to know more about and dive in. Idea #2: Make Positive Changes The second opportunity can easily be tied into the first idea. The more you learn during this time, the bigger edge you gain over your competitors. Assume they are treating this time as an extended vacation while you are busy honing your online marketing skills. If you can add value to your own customers by giving them faster and better service or perhaps one-on-one attention that you were not previously able to offer, now is the time. During a crisis, we all must begin making changes based upon our circumstances. Those changes frequently lead to other changes. Have you ever implemented a new policy based upon an event that occurred? You likely had to make a change at the moment of that specific incident and then created new policy based upon the circumstances. Think of the pandemic as a time to make positive changes. Remember that your customers are likely in a state of flux as well. Think about your business relationship with them and what you can do to help them right now based upon what goods or services your customers consume and need. Be adaptable. If you can provide service right now in a way that is better than what your competitors are offering – do it! You just might be able to earn new business away from your competitor’s clients who wouldn’t normally look at changing vendors. You have to offer something better. Whether that is pricing, delivery times or anything else, you must provide a reason to change that meets the customer’s needs and goals. This is not the time to ignore your business or shrug your shoulders and say that things are out of your control. They are only out of your control if you let them get out of control.