A. Hopkins Insurance & Financial Services

Tag: Chamber of Commerce

  • Innovative ways businesses keep going during COVID-19

    Innovative ways businesses keep going during COVID-19

    As the saying goes, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Montreal distiller Paul Cirka decided to take his own spin on this old adage when life – or more accurately, his supplier – gave him corn. Instead of turning corn into gin, he made hand sanitizer.

    Cirka Distilleries is one of many businesses finding innovative ways to keep the doors open during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s not an easy task. As the federal and provincial governments take measures to combat the virus, more than a million Canadians lost their jobs in March and by mid-April more than five million people had applied for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.

    Over the last month, many businesses have been declared non-essential. Many have closed their doors, hopefully temporarily, as they ride out the pandemic. Others have turned to alternative ways to carry on. Restaurants are doing takeout and delivery, for example, and fitness facilities and yoga studios are putting classes online.

    Some businesses have become even more innovative. Fortunately for companies like Cirka Distilleries, COVID-weary Canadians need a drink more than ever and businesses that make and sell alcohol continue to operate. Cirka saw a need even greater than gin and vodka, however, and using a recipe approved by the World Health Organization, the business has joined distilleries around the world to produce much-needed hand sanitizer. Since March, Cirka’s employees have been working around the clock to develop the antiseptic, which requires a much higher form of alcohol than the usual 40 proof Cirka uses to make its vodka and gin.

    Other businesses are also straying from “business as usual”. Bauer Hockey, one of North America’s top producers of hockey equipment, has changed its focus to make another product currently in high demand: masks. Bauer is using hockey visor materials to manufacture full medical face shields, which are meant to protect the wearer from being infected by respiratory droplets that carry the virus. Organizations can request a minimum of 100 face shields directly through Bauer’s website.

    Bauer’s venture into medical face masks is a welcome contribution in a time when frontline workers are in dire need of personal protective equipment…and when employees of businesses deemed non-essential would otherwise be unemployed. The switch from hockey gear to hospital gear is keeping 20 people working in Quebec and another 12 working in New York.

    Peregrine Retail Design Manufacturing’s in Burnaby normally creates elegant front counter designs for high end clients including Lululemon, CIBC and Starbucks. But when many of its clients were forced to temporarily shut their (undoubtedly fancy) doors, work came to a halt and Peregrine had to lay off 30 per cent of its 85 person staff. Seeing a need in the retail sector determined to still be essential – grocery stores, pet stores and (as we determined earlier) liquor stores, Peregrine quickly turned its sights to manufacturing a product slightly less high end but ultimately more critical in keeping retail workers safe – plexiglass shields.

    There’s no word yet on when life will get back to normal. But while the future remains uncertain for many small businesses in this most unprecedented time, one thing we can likely count on is that more business owners will embrace innovation, and find new ways to stay afloat, meet a need and keep their workers working.

    Author: ChamberPlan.ca

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  • Keeping your business current during COVID-19: Ted Kouri of Edmonton’s Incite shares his pandemic plan

    Keeping your business current during COVID-19: Ted Kouri of Edmonton’s Incite shares his pandemic plan

    Many of us are stewing, stressing, wondering what we are supposed to be doing right now, other than swimming for our lives. Do I need a new business strategy? Should I plan for a major pivot—think up new ways to deliver my services or products? Should I be shutting my doors?

    “Business as usual” seems a proverb of a long-time past—most business owners are navigating a terrain as foreign as the moon right now. “This isn’t like any other time we have ever experienced,” says Ted Kouri of Incite, an Edmonton-based strategy firm with national reach that helps small businesses grow into new markets and build brand loyalty.
    “It feels different than H1N1 or any market crash that has come before because it hit us so fast,” says Ted. “COVID-19 doesn’t discriminate geography or industry, we are all affected, business-wise and personally.”
    Most people agree, this is not the time to be ‘making the sale.’ We asked Ted how he is keeping his business current and an asset to others, and personally navigating this time of uncertainty. Here is what he shared:
    1. Keep your clan in the loop.
    Internal staff communication has looked like the following over the past weeks: Layoffs, down-sizing, uncertainty, and more layoffs. No question, there are lots of scared people. Ted suggests keep all your staff in the loop, whether they are laid off or not. “If your whole team is kept up to date, messaging regarding your business can stay consistent and transparent,” says Ted. “Don’t pretend it’s not difficult when communicating with your team, but don’t let fear rule the day. Be upfront, but positive.”
    2. Repackage your services. Never has “adapt or die” been more true in business, however, according to Ted, “It’s a mistake to totally abandon your strengths right now. Instead, get creative about how to bring your new ideas or service segments to market,” he explains.

    “There might be new needs your clients have never had before.”

    Ted also advises, make short term pivots that have long-term value. “Don’t give your services or products away for free, but repackage them. A different version of your core services might be a four-week offering vs. a five-month plan.” For restaurants and grocery stores, it’s curb-side pick-up. For the beauty industry, it’s using training technologies such as YouCam A.R.T. to stay connected with clients and have them “try-on” new products. Fashion and retail industries are using new app, Streetify to give clientele a virtual shopping experience.
    3. Make a game plan. “Back to normal” seems elusive right now. No one knows when that will be; however, having a game plan—a vision for what “later” could look like—can put the mind at ease.
    “Businesses need to think about market share that could be gained when businesses are up and running again,” explains Ted. For Incite, 3, 6, and 9-month contingency plans have given them a path forward, some options when it feels like there are none. “A contingency plan doesn’t have to be complicated,” says Ted. “Just a one-pager laying out some avenues to take once we have past certain gates.”
    Ted believes brands that go dark—those who don’t have external communication while they are temporarily closed—will have a harder time to hit the ground running when it’s time. “Decide how you can maintain relevance with your clients and stakeholders right now, and make an authentic connection.”

    “The small businesses that choose to show up for their clients now will do better in the long term.”

    4. Decide your personal mindset. “One of my favourite business pieces is Dan Sullivan’s ‘Scary Times Success Manual: How to be a leader when times get tough.’” How we decide to show up right now matters. A lot. “People admire those who can stay positive, shed light or solution on a situation.

    “There has been no better time to show personal leadership and be of value to others than now.”

    It may be hard to believe at the moment, but there’s a chance that this crazy time is an opportunity for businesses to get better at what they do. “What’s important is to focus on what is not different,” says Ted. When we are forced to downsize, get creative, save money in order to survive, we quickly see the holes in the way we operate. “There is opportunity that will come from this time. The trick will be to have your running shoes tied on the start line when the sun comes out, and all this is over.”
  • Your Business Website Content Review: How to get started and what to consider

    Your Business Website Content Review: How to get started and what to consider

    If your business brochure went to print with two or three spelling mistakes, you would probably reprint to save yourself the embarrassment. However, we tend not to take digital publishing polish as seriously. We all stumble upon web pages and blog posts with typos and broken links daily.

    A content review, or “audit”, is a great way of improving your business website performance. Reasons to perform an audit on an annual basis, include updating new board members, news you keep on your site or awards you might be celebrating. Also renewing your events calendar, new services, pricing, or portfolio pieces to show off your work…And, of course, to make sure all spelling and grammar is sound. It’s also a chance to find out where most or your users are spending their time on your website, and make some valuable changes.

    Wondering where to begin?

    Start by creating your webpage inventory

    Most content strategy companies suggest beginning a content review with a webpage inventory, to ensure no corner of your website is neglected or forgotten. Webstruxture , a solutions-based web applications designer, suggests using an Excel spreadsheet to create a map. Columns might include:

    • Name of the web page
    • URL
    • Content Owner
    • Date the content was reviewed
    • Date it was approved
    • Next review date

    Webstruxture also recommends project management program, Asana, to help stay on top of your content review plan and create a manageable schedule.

    Assign Roles and Responsibilities

    Like any internal project, making sure your team is clear on who “owns” what task and responsibility sets them up for success. GatherContent , a platform on which a team can plan and organize content at any scale, suggests getting the following people involved:

    • Subject Matter Expert (SME)
    • Editor
    • Copywriter
    • Marketing Manager

    Wondering where you are going to fit this into your tight schedule? A content review doesn’t have to be finished in a day. Break it off into bite-size chunks and give your team a reasonable deadline.

    Create a content review housekeeping list (But don’t be afraid to think outside its parameters!)

    There are obvious things to look for in a content review, such as bad spelling and grammar, but there are many steps to testing your site. A thorough check-list used by web strategist and designer, Intechnic includes the following:

    • Click on all links to make sure they are still working
    • Fact-check to ensure accuracy of the information on your site
    • Assess white space: is the page too content heavy? Do you need more images?
    • Evaluate the validity of the existing content. Does it still accurately depict the services or products you are offering. Is the message aligned with your brand, your core values?
    • Check load time of each page
    • Check for inconsistent formatting
    • Ensure all meta-tags and page titles are in place

    Invite a third-party to help you review

    Some of the most important questions you might ask when performing a website content review is:

    “Am I satisfying the needs of my user? Are they finding the information they came to find?” How do I know my content is engaging?

    Expertise can make it hard to know what people don’t know. A third-party content writer or strategist is a great resource to have on board to offer an outsider’s perspective and address some questions that might be essential to improving your user experience.

    Evaluate your analytics

    Knowing where your users are spending most of their time on your website can also inform your content review. If there are pages that are getting no traffic, maybe that content can be archived, or the right search terms do not appear in headings, subheadings, and body of the content.

    What can be gained?

    The outcome of a content review can be very rewarding and might lead to your renewing customer and potential client engagement, a renewed confidence in your business message, and turning more site visits into leads and conversions.

    A first content review might seem like a mountain of work, however, once you have an inventory in place and assign roles, it gets simpler with every calendar year. Whether your content review is part of a content strategy for a new website or an annual review of your existing site, it’s always worth spending time improving one of your business’ greatest assets.

    Author: ChamberPlan.ca

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  • Business Process: Is it time to rethink it?

    Business Process: Is it time to rethink it?

    Process. The word strikes deep into the hearts of business owners because we never stop thinking about it, or questioning it.

    · Is my business working at an optimal level?

    · Did I only need one meeting to accomplish what I just did in three?

    · Could I have accomplished this task online or over the phone and saved the effort and time of meeting in person at this stage of the client relationship?

    Overall, business process can be described as a collection of linked tasks which, at completion, result in delivering a product or service to your customer or client. Some companies outsource this, others manage it internally; however, business process management (BPM) is also a growing industry, expected to be grow to a $16 billion market by 2023.

    There are many reasons to rethink your process:

    · Growth, new market environment

    · A restructure after acquisition

    · Improve quality control

    · Changing expectations of the customer or client

    · New and better technologies available

    An online business will have a much different set of processes than, say, a retail operation, vs. a non-profit organization, of course, but many of the same questions about process apply.

    Explorance, a provider of survey software advises that if you are changing up any one or more processes in your business, start with the following steps:

    1. “Start with identifying any need for change.” What does your current process look like? Are you not making deadlines, or spending more money in one area of the business than you think you should be? Is a process putting more pressure on one department or member of your team? Also, ask, “What are current issues or current risks for the company?”

    2. Identify how one process impacts another. Is one process standing in the way of, or slowing the execution of another? Are there steps in the current process where you commonly encounter a roadblock? For example, is your client online ordering process straight forward, or does it frustrate the user enough that you are losing sales, or needing human interaction? Is a process presently slowing the efficiency of how your team works, and adding no value? Is there a step in the approval process that can be removed, for example?

    3. Ensure your managers are on board with any changes to process. A process change can be as small (but important) as implementing a strategy for fixing broken links on your website, or as big (and important) as adding a position to your team to alleviate one step in a bigger process. Get your team involved, especially managers to make sure they are in agreement, or don’t have a different or better idea for fixing any process issues.

    4. Set some process improvement objectives and goals. Commitment to a process change is paramount if you want to see a difference in efficiency, revenue, or any other aspect of your business. Setting those objectives and getting your team excited about the possibilities the change can bring will help in exploring your business’ optimal performance.

    Though a team may be open to change in the process, it is not always successful. According to John Kotter, writer for Business Harvard Review’s article “Leading Change: Why transformation efforts fail,” more often than not change fails. Not establishing a sense of urgency and momentum for change is often what leads to its failure. “Sometimes executives underestimate how hard it can be to drive people out of their comfort zones,” says Kotter.

    But the change doesn’t have to happen overnight. Set reasonable expectations, and accept that there might be a trial and error period; results may be better than you ever thought. Either way, there is nothing to lose—in the end, you will know your business better.

    Author: ChamberPlan.ca

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  • Start a New Decade with These 5 Noteworthy Lessons from Small Business Owners

    Start a New Decade with These 5 Noteworthy Lessons from Small Business Owners

    Entrepreneurs, in particular small business operators and owners, are not strangers to trial and error and misstep. What is important is what we learn and take away to fuel our next move. Here are a few lessons from small business owners to lead us into a new decade!

    Hiring Key People. Susan Guillory, President of Egg Marketing & Communications, and contributor to Forbes says finding success is easier when you have the right people on your team. She admits to designing her own logo when she started her company 13 years ago and that it was a big mistake. “I can tell you that this DIY strategy is not effective as your business grows,” she says. She encourages all business owners to, in the very least, find one person who can support you.

    Take action on new projects. Neal Schaffer is a social business coach and author of Maximize your Social. His advice is to push new projects forward. “Sometimes if means simply turning down things that we used to accept or deciding to simply unplug from other activities,” he shares. What does unplugging, or disengaging from usual practices look like for you and your business in 2020?

    Collect your own data. How do you examine your own customers’ behaviours? Their spending patterns? Their aversions? What questions do they frequently ask? No one knows your business better than you do. Or rather…no one should know your business better than you do. But we are not always great at tracking our own data—that is customer demographics, how they found you, their likes and dislikes, etc. For Larry Kim, founder of Wordstream and CEO of MobileMonkey he believes the key to success is to “fail slightly less often by using more data rather than gut feel in project planning phases…”

    How do you plan on gathering more of your own business’ data in 2020?

    Tune out the noise and follow your instinct. Instinct—we know it’s there, and yet, we don’t always listen. Sometimes it’s because there is A LOT of noise to break through, but, also, listening to our instincts actually takes practice. Not only is it tricky to pin down that initial feeling we had about a certain business move or hire, but to ignore the other pressures that exist in business environment or society in general can be difficult. Caroline Ghosn, co-founder and CEO of Levo League, says there are always warning signs. “As an entrepreneur, the latitude of failure and of success is directly correlated to people. I am growing more and more attentive to my first instincts, even if I can’t justify them, as they apply to people.”

    Keep it simple.

    That’s Neil Patel’s simple advice. He is an entrepreneur, investor, advisor and well-known blogger, with expertise in online metrics and analytics. He admits to having many of his start-ups fail. “Typically the failure wasn’t due to the idea. Instead the solution was complicated and hard to use.”

    Wishing you every success for your business ventures in 2020!

    Author: ChamberPlan.ca

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