Many companies had to reinvent itself almost overnight due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Entrepreneurs had two choices: take action to change the way they work, or close the store. Companies that refused to virtualize or adapt their business either failed or at the very least suffered losses. Innovation and the willingness to convert your business to virtual turned out to be crucial for survival.
So how have successful companies adapted to the challenge created by the pandemic, and how do they continue to adapt as the pandemic continues? There are a few things these companies – and their leaders – have in common that we can all learn from. Below are a few stories of companies that took the pandemic by the horns and made it happen overnight. One company refused to offer online services for years. Today, that same company generates 20 percent of its revenue from virtual services. Never say never.
Bringing music from in person to online
Music Compound, my company, is a membership-based music school in Sarasota, Florida, for all ages and genres. It is a performance-based music school with a 3000 square meter concert hall on site. The 20 instructors it employs are authorized to tailor each lesson to the student and use their educational background to do so.
Music Compound continued the personal operations throughout the pandemic and never missed a beat. After Covid hit Florida’s Gulf Coast in March 2020, our gross sales fell 50 percent during the peak of the pandemic. The entire staff was impressed and decided to seize the opportunity. Within 24 hours, we rolled out a virtual music school business model. Nearly 400 members and employees are connected weekly via Zoom. Each instructor had individual profile pages, each spiced up with videos, bios, and a Zoom link that members could use to contact them.
Having one process for all instructors and members also ensured a seamless transition for substitutes. Since the schools were either in distance learning mode or closed for the spring and summer holidays, Music Compound offered free music lessons through their Facebook and YouTube channels. This gave working parents, now suddenly homeschool teachers, a much-needed break and an extra resource for raising their children. We also launched a Facebook virtual concert group, which generated a new group of followers and potential prospective customers, and the company hosts regular Facebook Live sessions to highlight local artists, music history and short lessons.
Prior to the pandemic, Music Compound held four to six events a month to market their services and recruit members, but as in-person events were cancelled, that funding shifted to applications such as search, SEO, and social media marketing to help drive business. walk. Having an online presence was critical during the pandemic because of the number of people trapped in their homes, seeking an outlet, and now they had the time. Many companies closed or canceled programs as Music Compound expanded its services and hired more instructors. The changes we introduced were so successful that they have incorporated the Covid model into their daily activities.
Taking Small Businesses Online When Stores Are Closed
The Bazaar at Apricot and Lime is a 6,000-square-foot indie market in Sarasota with nearly 40 small businesses selling art, repurposed products, jewelry, cool gifts, plants, clothing, and green products. A majority of companies with space in the market are small, and many are startups. Most entrepreneurs had no online store or social media presence at all. When instructed to close their store, many had no outlet or followers to sell their products. In an effort to stay in business and generate revenue, market owner Kim Livengood immediately turned to Facebook Live.
She went live every day for three weeks, calling her online videos the “Bazaar Shopping Network.” (Yes, she was inspired by Home Shopping Network). She showcased available products and offered curbside pick-up, delivery and shipping. When she said she was quitting BSN, a fan in another state begged her to continue. It brought her comfort in a crazy time and kept her connected to the community and she thrived in it. With that note, Kim continued weekly.
