THINGS BUSINESS OWNERS CAN DO TO PROTECT THEIR BUSINESS NOW FOR THE FUTURE | WEDDING + EVENT INDUSTRY
What do I know? This is scary AF. We are in crisis … the event and wedding industry is tumbling all around us … just this morning I got my first email of what I assume will be many, letting me know that they can’t pay their invoice for website design because their events are being postponed and people aren’t paying them … right now is when people hold onto their money … and what will happen: none of us will be paid … the domino affect of this sh*t is massive … and it will take a lot of time to rebuild.
What else do I know?? People are staying inside …. with their loved ones, their husbands, their live-in boyfriends, their fiancés … what else do they have to do?? Make some love, become closer, propose to their GFs and BFs … a BOOM of weddings and celebrations could be just a year or so away … and I say, let’s focus on what we can do NOW to get in front of all those lovers stuck inside … starting with:
CRY + FEEL UPSET
You didn’t think I’d start the post this way, didja? I personally feel SO MUCH BETTER after a good adult tantrum session … something bad happens, and instead of holding all that sh*t in, I let it out … I “scream” out all my fears, things that I feel could happen, worries I have, questions I have … I say the most outlandish things about my business. For instance: nobody will hire me ever again … I let it all out … all that negative energy … I call my friends and they get to hear about it … sometimes they just listen, sometimes they help build me up so I am reminded of things I’ve done … Heather, you are sounding like a crazy person right now … ok, but roll with me for a minute … if you hold scary energy in, worried energy, mad energy - do you think it just ‘poof’ goes away? You can quiet it, but it could show its ugly face at the worst possible time … if I am feeling something incredibly heavy, I let it roll out … I have my ‘hour’ to feel bad and down … sometimes more than an hour depending on the severity of the situation … and then, when I am done, I put on my big girl panties and I am ready to face the issue in a healthy way.
During a time like this, with COVID-19 / Coronavirus / Pandemic sh*t, we are dealing with the UNKNOWN … and the unknown is terrifying AF. We have to allow ourselves to be humans … to be upset … to be worried and scared … there is ZERO shame in it and it will actually help us if we give ourselves that moment to unleash it.
2. TAKE IT TO SOCIAL
What are people doing right now?? Scrolling Instagram, Facebook, Twitter … now, I’m not saying they are looking specifically for the service you offer during this pandemic, but: SOCIAL MEDIA REMINDS PEOPLE THAT YOU EXIST … so while they are inside, getting all romantic with their honey, and they see your posts, things could be sticking … and in a few months or so when this crap is behind us, they might be ready to pull the trigger and contact you. Business isn’t always an overnight success story, so lay the groundwork now and don’t stop posting to social media!
3. BLOG
Nothing else but time, my friends … time to secure your website in a very nice place to be once all this crap ends! I wrote a blog post about blogging in Squarespace that may come in handy … if you have a WP site (I’m sorry … haha!) I can’t really help you, but you can definitely Google blogging tips online and find TONS. Remember: blogging is an INVESTMENT and it plays the long game … you blog today for credit 6-10 MONTHS from now! So get those typing hands out and use this time to add a ton of posts to your website!
4. GET CREATIVE
If you are stuck at home, it’s easy to get in a rut … the creative juices may start to grow stale … which will result in a lot more of #1 above ^^ … make sure you are still feeding your creativity … even if it means scrolling other creative outlets online or on social media … keep up with the latest trends … scroll Creative Market and look at pretty fonts … open the Anthropologie app and look at their newest colors and textures … KEEP YOUR CREATIVE JUICES FLOWING … don’t get stuck … use this time to get ahead of the game creatively so that when the gross veil of this sh*t lifts, you are more ready than ever.
5. UPDATE YOUR WEBSITE
Whether you have the budget to hire a professional website designer or not, there are things you can probably figure out during this ‘down time’ while you are stuck at home … you can update your homepage with new images or new wording … you can blog, as already discussed above … you can update your bio verbiage … you can add new press badges to your press page or if you don’t have a press page, make one … keeping your website the same as always isn’t beneficial to you, so doing what you can or are capable of doing without spending money is a great idea during times like this.
I don’t know if this post was helpful at all … but during a time like this it’s VERY hard to be a business owner … I believe that the cream will rise to the top … some business will be forced to close down … the best way to guarantee that you are the cream is to continue to do whatever you possibly can to stay motivated, stay creative, keep informed, stay in front of eyes on social media … and try to remind yourself that THIS IS TEMPORARY. Best of luck to us all while we ride this out!
XO~ Heather
