In today’s trying times, especially with the COVID pandemic bearing down on us, many businesses are struggling to stay afloat. That beckons the thought: why not take your company online? Now, granted, for some this won’t be possible. It really depends on the type of business and clientele you are curating. But, there are several really good reasons why you should at least look into the prospect, and we break them down for you here.
Easy to Get up and Running
With so many tools and apps at your disposal, getting up and running is easier than ever before. We’ve come a long way from building frames and adding flashing icons to websites. Today, you can do just about anything — and if there’s no tool for features you want, you can hire someone to develop it, or do it yourself.
If you’re looking to set up an e-commerce business, you have a multitude of payment options to choose from. For example, a Magento developer could have your website ready to go with all the bells and whistles in a matter of weeks. Or, you could use other website developers such as Wix or Weebly to do it yourself. Both have a variety of free and paid apps you can add to the site such as built-in scheduling, up-to-the-minute calendars and sales functions.
Expanded Reach
Think about it: when you open a physical location, you’re pretty much limiting yourself to one area and the surrounding locale. However, when you take it online, you’re expanding your reach — significantly. Now, you can reach clients or customers nationally or even globally if you desire. It all depends on your specific goals, but make sure you have a business plan on how you want to grow, to avoid expanding too quickly and not being able to satisfy demands.
While you don’t necessarily need a formal business plan if you’re not seeking funding or an investment, it’s a good idea to have one anyway. This document gives you a point of reference, and it’s so important to have a good idea of where you want to take your company now, in 5 years and in 10 years’ time.
Work From Home
There’s something to be said about having the flexibility to work from home. And in 2020, it’s probably more important than ever to do so, keeping yourself and your family safe and minimizing your exposure to COVID-19. With a home office, you get to work around your schedule, so it gives you more time with your family. No more rush-hour commute, getting stuck in traffic when there’s an accident or waking up hours before you need to be at the office.
Instead, you can actually just wake up and walk to your desk, if you really want to. Be cautious, though, because it’s easy to bury yourself in work, especially when it’s in your home. Set strict working hours and stick to them, much like you would if you were working a regular 9-5. This will keep you sane and will keep your stress levels down. Just because you’re always “at work,” doesn’t mean you can’t turn it off.
It’s also easy to lose motivation and get distracted while working from home, so setting a strict schedule and letting everyone in your home know those are working hours will hopefully keep you in work mode.
Going digital is a big step, one that should come with a bit of planning, but it’s entirely possible to work solely online with many different business niches. Retail, for sure, and many service-based industries thrive with an online presence. The only thing you have to do is ask yourself: am I ready to take that next step?