By Julie Yusim, Executive Director, Wilmette/Kenilworth Chamber of Commerce
To begin, I want to congratulate all of the Wilmette and Kenilworth business owners who survived the pandemic shutdown. I am truly in awe of you. You proved that you are flexible, open-minded, brave and innovative. These attributes enabled you to emerge successfully.
Unfortunately, it’s looking like the business landscape is likely to be disrupted by Covid-19 for the foreseeable future. This being the case, you will need to continue to rely on those qualities moving forward.
One upside to the shutdown – small business owners got a crash course in managing an unexpected business disruption. A shrewd business owner like you will record the successful measures you implemented that enabled you to continue serving clients and customers. For example, were there best practices you developed that kept you going? Making these practices part of a “business continuity plan” will enable you to pivot and reopen more quickly should another disruption occur.
I often hear stories from business owners about innovations they implemented during the shutdown that were popular with their customers, and now they plan to integrate them into day-to-day operations going forward. For example, some restaurants did not offer curbside pick-up or delivery pre-pandemic; now they have refined those practices, to the delight of their customers, and will offer them all the time.
In addition to having a business continuity plan, staying on top of emerging trends will help your business thrive and grow. Here are some trends to jump on.
Hybrid/remote forms of work: It looks like remote or hybrid forms of work are here to stay. If you have employees, rethink your workplace and provide accommodations for people working from home, such as office equipment, mental health support, etc. These measures will also help you retain quality employees.
Digital shopping is here to stay: If you aren’t taking advantage of the growing online market, start NOW! Make sure you have an appealing e-commerce website that is user-friendly.
Social media marketing, especially influencer marketing, is only going become more important in the future. Sure, it can be a pain to stay on top of it, but it is absolutely critical. Become a social media expert yourself, schedule time in your day to post, or pay a savvy employee or freelancer do it for you. Integrate content that is authentic (i.e. employee profiles) to help your customers care and relate to your brand.
Here are some other trends to consider:
- Ride the wave of “shop local” enthusiasm that arose during the pandemic. Thankfully, Wilmette and Kenilworth residents emphatically responded to the call to support our local businesses. Find creative ways to thank and incentivize these customers to remain loyal. Locally, you can take advantage of the Wilmette-onomics program, the Shop Wilmette Gift Card program and the Village of Wilmette texting program.
- No-contact delivery, curbside pick-up…your customers have grown to love it, so you must be prepared to keep doing it. If you’re just starting to incorporate these practices, do them well!
- Maintain a rainy-day savings account and an awareness of your options for raising capital.
- Use data analytics to target customers. The information you receive will help you market more effectively and efficiently, plus increase profitability.
- Make use of the surge of support for small and local businesses.
- Be conscious of sustainability and incorporate ethical practices. For example, provide sustainable products and services, donate to charities, or have your employees volunteer for causes. Let your customers know about this involvement on your website and in your marketing.
- Innovate your business model. All business owners must continually reflect on what they're offering customers and how they operate as a business. The pandemic taught us that we cannot predict the future, therefore it will be important for owners to stay on top of changes and adjust accordingly.
- Use the Wilmette Public Library resources to get all of this done!
- Join the Chamber (yes, shameless self-promotion)! We can help you. During the shutdown, our members benefitted from constant information on grants and loans, advocacy at the State and local levels, continual promotion to residents, and more.
- Be clear about purpose and meaning in your company. Having both will help you attract and retain talent and customers.
I wish I could promise that the coming year is going to be easy, but we know things are still going to be challenging. One thing I can promise, though, is that Wilmette businesses will show up with courage, creativity, flexibility, and determination. These qualities have gotten us through the last couple of years, and I believe they will again.
