Let’s not sugar-coat things.

Small businesses took a hit over the COVID pandemic.

It was a rough ride, but we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and it’s time to think about recovery.

And not just surviving, either – it’s time to think about how your business can thrive.

If you are a small business owner, you might be wondering how you can compete with the big box stores, who seem to have endless resources to pull from.

Believe it or not, you have some advantages over the big box stores that you can leverage to not only get back on your feet, but to find new life in a thriving post-pandemic era.

Here are just 3 ways small businesses can flourish after the COVID pandemic…

 

1.    Small businesses are more agile in their day-to-day operations

 

I have a friend who, before she started her own business, spent a lot of time working in the retail sector. For years, she worked on the sales floor of a big box toy store.

After that, she spent some time working for another toy store – this time, a small family-run business.

Although the 2 stores sold the same products and were located in the same city, what she witnessed behind the scenes was as different from night and day.

At the big box store, if an item didn’t scan, an employee would have to care enough to report it to a manager. Then, a report would have to be filed, and a request would need to be made to head office. It would sometimes take months to get the corporate database updated. Whether it was employee apathy or just a faulty and archaic system, it took a lot of time for any administrative change to happen at the big box store.

But when she worked at the small store, and the same thing happened where an item didn’t scan properly, what followed was completely different.

My friend, a new employee at the time, asked her boss, the owner of the store what she should do with the faulty barcode. Because he was the store owner, and a small business owner, it meant a lot to him that scanning went smoothly. He knew it would affect his inventory and bottom line if he didn’t fix the problem right away.

He immediately found the correct code and entered it into the computer. The problem was immediately fixed.

And, if that wasn’t enough, he immediately trained the new employee on how to fix this problem should it ever happen again.

The entire process took maybe 10-15 minutes.

Small business owners care more about the day-to-day operations of their business. If change is needed, they can make change happen – and fast. There is no chain of command, no phone tag, no falling down the priority list. The problem gets fixed faster and employees are more empowered to make changes.

This of course translates to a better shopping experience for the customer, and more business for the company.

 

2.    Small business can pivot faster than big business

 

When the pandemic hit, all businesses – both big and small – were caught off guard.

Their old ways of doing business were no longer working.

So, we heard the word “pivot” a lot.

Pivot, meaning changing direction.

Selling something new, or in a new way.

Small businesses were able to make split decisions where they could. And they could adapt a lot faster than larger companies.

Restaurants started selling groceries. Gyms started boot camps in outdoor public parks. Little stores started leaning more on social media to entice their customers with products, and arranged deliveries and curbside pickups.

 

3.    Small businesses can offer a sorely missed human experience

 

You know what a lot of people miss, now that they’ve been socially distancing and isolating for over a year?

Other people.

The human interaction and “experience” of being out and about, interacting with others, and purchasing goods and services from businesses.

Sure, we have access to delivery services and curbside pickup, but people miss shopping. They miss eating in restaurants and cafés. They miss getting pampered at salons and getting treatments at massage therapy clinics.

These experiences will always be needed and they can best be provided by the small business owner.

Shopping at a department store will never have the same human touch as browsing through a small business, just like eating at a big chain restaurant will never compare to dining at an intimate bistro where the chef knows you and remembers your “usual”.

So, fret not, fellow entrepreneurs. You’ve been through a lot, but all is not lost. Small business owners are a resourceful and resilient breed of people. Always remember that small businesses are more agile than big businesses in their day-to-day operations. They can pivot faster if they need to. And, nothing can replace the small business human experience.