2020 has been a tough year for most of us, but trying to find the positives is important. Here at Blue Sword, we wanted to use the last weeks of this year to look back at some of things that we learned about business in 2020.
1. Support Local, Small Businesses
Supporting independent businesses and helping small businesses to grow has always been at the heart of what we do. In 2020 however, the majority businesses have taken a hard hit – none more than small businesses. Our local shops, restaurants, cafes and bars are at the heart and soul of our community. It is vital that they aren’t forgotten about in hard times. Without them we would lose so much character, charm and personality in our local areas.
After the festive season is over, we still need to make sure that we are looking out for our local businesses. Try to stay clear of the big online giants, and focus on keeping small businesses afloat. Online shopping is a great way of keeping yourself and others safe while still supporting businesses in 2020 and into 2021! And if you’re looking to support a business without spending a penny, remember that you can follow their social media accounts and engage with their posts. You can also tell people you know about them and leave them a Google review!
We love working with small businesses, and had the pleasure of creating fabulous new websites for businesses including The Barefoot Sanctuary, Harry’s Enchanted Forest and Tyler Weir to help their online business in 2020. If you are looking for a new website why not get in touch with us and find out more about what we can do for you.
2. How To Get The Most Out Of Working From Home
During 2020 many of us had to work from home for the first time. We previously discussed our top 5 tips for working from home, where we laid out some great ways for you to be more productive. If you run, or work for a small business in 2020 then productivity is vital. Making sure your staff are focused is essential to having your company run efficiently, especially with the current financial climate you need to attract business.
Keeping an open communication between your staff and setting goals will help you to stay on track. Make sure your team knows how appreciated their work is and praise them on their accomplishments.
3. Social Media Is Ever Changing!
Of course, this is not something new but 2020 has been a year of many changes to social media. The huge growth of TikTok, stories being introduced on almost every platform and the huge growth of video content (again!).
Social media has a huge impact on how businesses interact with customers and improve brand awareness. There are now ever increasing ways that social media can be used to make sales. With Instagram’s new updates, there is a new opportunity for your business to flourish online. Making your social media presence known is really vital to setting a good brand image. When you have a keen following you can take advantage of all the shopping features on the apps and increase your sales! Online sales are so important to businesses in 2020, and into the new year when in person shopping is being kept to a minimum.
If you are struggling with keeping your social media accounts updated or you don’t have the time to spend running your profiles, Blue Sword offers a great social media package. If you are interested, we’d love to hear from you and discuss how we can grow your business – send us a message.
4. Look After Yourself
The last and arguably the most important thing we learned this year is to look after ourselves and others. With everything that has gone on this year it is vital we remember to take time for our mental and physical health. Going for walks and getting out of the house in a safe way for you and the people around you is so important. We also need to remember to give ourselves some TLC, spending time on ourself and improving our mental health. Reading a good book, having a bath or even just sitting in nature away from any causes of stress.
It can be very productive to look back at a year that did not go how you many have planned and still be able to list accomplishments and positives that you are able to get from it. As we go into this next year remember not to judge yourself too harshly on aspects you have no control over. We hope you have a wonderful 2021 with many happy memories.