Entrepreneurship During A Pandemic
Thanks to the recent COVID-19 outbreak, we all have a lot of time on our hands and a lot less income coming in. Navigating entrepreneurship is already pretty tough, but as a full-time entrepreneur and someone who coaches fellow aspiring sexuality entrepreneurs, I’ve found myself giving the same advice to my clients that I do to my colleagues in other industries, so I decided to write a blog post to shed some light on some of the ways entrepreneurs can make our businesses more flexible to meet the evolving demands of our audience during this difficult time.
Flexibility is key.
During these uncertain times, it’s hard to see beyond the barriers this new way of life has created for us when it comes to connecting in-person. However, the needs of our audiences are changing and this could present an opportunity for us to learn how to adapt our service and engagement models to deliver virtual/at-home solutions.
How can you adapt?
Consider how you can offer virtual services or online content to stay connected to your audience and generate some income until the self-quarantine periods have ended. Here are some ideas:
Offer virtual services or host virtual events. Zoom, GoToMeeting and UberConference offer free and paid plans that can assist you in going virtual with your work.
Create a virtual workshop or online course to generate additional income. Platforms like Kajabi, Thinkific and Podia are really helpful solutions for creating, managing and marketing this kind of paid content.
Create an e-book or print-on-demand merchandise (like custom t-shirts, accessories, etc.) that appeal your audience and can drive engagement with your work.
Offer a special, limited-time discount on your virtual services to encourage engagement.
Start a crowd-funding campaign to promote your business and offer the virtual services/products above as incentives for donations
Consistent messaging is critical.
It's important to have a clear road map and continuously communicate with your stakeholders about any changes to your business. Any virtual offerings, discounts or special considerations you have in place will never be used unless you strategically message these opportunities to your customer base. Here are some ways to get the word out about what you’re doing in response to these changing times:
Send periodic mass email blasts to your audience with updates or changes to your products or services. Be sure to include any important dates or special offers.
Post consistent updates on your social media platforms and online groups.
Create a special landing page on your website that you’ll continuously update as the situation develops. This will be a central place where you can send your audience to ensure they’re up-to-date with your latest offerings.
Content is King.
While everyone is at home and glued to their screens, consider collaborating with other entrepreneurs to create compelling content that will drive engagement and expand your audiences. Interviews, podcasts, blog posts, etc. are all great ways to engage with other audiences right now.
If you’re an aspiring sexuality professional and you’re looking for guidance or direction during this time, I’m happy to offer help! I’m offering 1:1 coaching sessions and hosting a virtual mastermind group for aspiring sexuality professionals and I’d love to connect. Click the links below to learn more!
