Currently, many business owners are facing a lockdown or similar restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Needless to say, this is a stressful time for many entrepreneurs.

But stressful times come with the territory of owning a business, and it’s important to remain focused and productive through it all.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Being “productive” doesn’t necessarily mean doing more of the same thing you would normally do if there wasn’t a Coronavirus wreaking havoc on your day-to-day operations.

Being productive does not necessarily mean being busier, or selling more product and services. After all, it might be near impossible for you to run your business effectively during a time like this, depending on what it is you do.

Being productive could look like resting, rethinking, and re-evaluating.

How are you choosing to be productive while on lockdown.

If you are struggling to come up with ideas, here are a few…

1. Work on your Pivot

You know this word – pivot.

Everyone hates this word. It’s a heavy word.

While it sounds simple enough, it’s one of the hardest things a business owner has to face. You could argue that pivoting is more difficult than starting a new business altogether.

Love it or hate it, pivoting is the key to surviving tough times.

Entrepreneurs are forced to pivot when what used to work is no longer working. It’s what often happens when an entrepreneur’s back is up against a wall.

The choice is clear – they can pivot or they can go extinct. Talk about stressful.

Your only way out of a bad situation is to figure out how to do things a new way.

Or, do something completely new with what you have.

You have to adapt in order to survive. And FAST.

Not in a temporary fix kind of way, but in a way that will be effective after quarantine, and after the pandemic is over.

Don’t just think about how you are going to get through this lockdown, think about post-lockdown, and what you’re going to be doing during the NEXT lockdown.

Make your business immune to these changes in the future.

Don’t like pivoting? No one really does. Change is hard. But adapting to change is part of being a business owner.

Remember, if it was easy, everyone would be doing it!

2. Create Content

If you find you have more spare time than you’d care to admit to these days, now would be a good time to create an abundance of content.

Content is the driving force behind social media and email campaigns. It’s also the backbone of your website or business blog.

Brainstorm content ideas aimed at your desired audience so that you have material to post on social media, your website, and send out in emails.

Create posts for your blog.

Record videos for your YouTube channel.

Get comfortable doing Instagram Lives.

Offer your advice as an expert in your field to your desired audience while your audience is captivated and locked in online.

This will help you build rapport and grow an audience. Even if people don’t buy from you right away, they will remember who they turned to for support and advice during these times, and you will be the first one they will turn to when they are ready to buy your product or service.

Remember, sharing content isn’t only about attracting new followers, it’s about engaging the followers you already have and staying on top of their minds.

3. Audit your business

COVID-19 has changed the face of small business in countless ways.

The old ways of doing things are no longer the best ways to be doing them.

Take this pause as an opportunity to scrutinize what is currently working and what isn’t.

Think of it like an audit.

Scrutinize your workflow, your processes, and where you focus your time and resources.

Be brutally analytical.

Now is as good a time as any to reinvent yourself and your business for the better.

Down times in business can be frustrating. Down times during the COVID-19 pandemic can be unbearable. It can be challenging but there are many ways you can be productive in your business during a coronavirus lockdown. You can use this time to figure out how you are going to pivot your business, create content to engage and grow your audience online, and do an audit on your business to figure out what is working and no longer working.