By Dr. Marie Morganelli, Copywriter for Chamber member ForwardView Consulting
The response to small businesses in the time of COVID-19 has been surprisingly joyful.
That’s right – I said joyful.
Everything isn’t all sunshine and roses, of course. Small businesses around the country are closing or are already closed. There is a surge of applications for unemployment support. There are a lot of people out of work, who are wondering what they are going to do to get by.
But when a crisis like this hits, I find that the best thing to do is, as Mr. Rogers famously said, to look for the helpers.
And right now, there are an awful lot of helpers who are reconsidering where and how they spend their money. People are realizing that choosing to support small businesses really matters, in ways they may not have considered before.
Supporting small businesses keeps good people working. Small businesses foster community, and connection in the best of times, and in the worst.
That’s why we at ForwardView focus so heavily on supporting small businesses. We believe in the good that comes from hard work, creativity, and community spirit. We love the positive messages and the heart that comes pouring out from each client we help.
So, our recommendation to our clients and to you, at this most unusual of times, is this: Lean in. Really.
We can’t change our reality, but we can certainly embrace it. Consider how you might keep your message vibrant, especially now, while everyone is engaging with social media in unprecedented numbers.
When all is said and done, we well get through this crisis and back to normal, though it will be a new normal. In many ways, it may even be a better normal. Perspective changes us, and the good news is that it can change us for the better. Lay your groundwork now in terms of marketing and outreach so that you’re ready for the new normal that is to come.
Amidst all the fear about what we don’t have, let’s not lose sight of what we do have: community, friendship, family, nature, and above all, love. Whatever your faith looks like to you, hold it close. Be confident in the resiliency of the human spirit, and in our inexhaustible ability to be kind.
That spirit is so dear to us at ForwardView that this company was founded on it. The spirit of fellowship with one another and the connection to community are the foundations of this small business.
In fact, our founder, Nathan Yates, made the conscious decision to focus ForwardView specifically on small and local businesses that serve communities because he believes in the power of connection.
Think also about the name of this company: ForwardView. The only way to weather a crisis, big or small, is by looking at the horizon ahead. That, and remembering to make an effort to connect with those around us.
We are lucky at ForwardView because we each work remotely and can stay safely isolated in our own home offices. But we worry about our client-partners, who are also friends. We want everyone to stay safe. We are ready to help you keep up that connection with the community in any way that we can, because at the end of the day, community is all we’ve got.
We also want to share some resources that we hope may be helpful, if needed:
You can apply for a disaster relief loan from the Small Business Association here.
Here is a searchable directory of financial institutions with a variety of loan products available.
Kiva.org is an exciting nonprofit organization that funds micro-loans for small businesses. They may have options for you.
Don’t forget to check your local government for any emergency funding that may be available. Many of our clients are in Virginia. Here is information from the National Federation of Independent Business specifically for Virginia (though you can search on other states for information as well).
Homebase is another organization that compiles information that may be helpful to small businesses.
Small businesses drive innovation, contribute to job growth, help everyone channel their passions, provide stimulus to their communities, and create jobs.
Don’t get us wrong, we’re grateful for the big box delivery options right now, too, but the character, personality, and contribution to building healthier communities that small businesses provide is why small businesses have always been the hallmark of American culture. That isn’t going to change, virus or no virus.
We are already seeing this pandemic pull people together. This may a bad time, but also, it is the best time.