Whether ordered by state or local governments, or out of an abundance of caution, many businesses have closed their doors during the coronavirus pandemic. Many of those businesses want to stay open, of course, if only to bring some income in during this time so that their employees are not faced with layoffs or furloughs. Others—especially restaurants—wish to stay open because the services they offer can bring some measure of comfort or convenience to the many people sheltering-in-place around the country.
For those local restaurants that haven’t yet embraced an online ordering platform, there are several to choose among. Using such a system is a good idea to limit or eliminate the direct interaction between your staff and your customers. While we don’t have a particular company to recommend, several examples include MenuDrive, Toast, ChowNow, and Upserve. Another option to consider is an on-demand restaurant delivery service, with examples like Grubhub, Doordash, UberEats, and Postmates. Small grocers might consider connecting with a company like Instacart if they haven’t already. RunningRestaurants.com has a great list of tips for streamlining your offerings for these services as well since maintaining a full menu might be impossible right now.
Offering gift cards or certificates for your business is also a great idea, according to Business Insider. There are pushes on social media to support small and local businesses during these tough times, so you’ll want to make sure you give your patrons a way to do so. For more inspiration, see the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Small Business Administration. The federal government is also working on an economic relief package targeting workers and businesses. Learn more here.
If you are able to stay open during these times, whether fully or in some limited way using curbside pickup, online ordering, or delivery, don’t forget to keep a close eye on your employees. They’re likely stressed now more than ever, and should any person seem like they’re under the weather, send them home for everyone’s common good. Make sure everyone is also following sanitization guidelines and distancing themselves from one another as much as possible. Restauranteurs can learn more about food-prep safety here as well.
And finally, businesses that offer seminars or need to pull management for meetings will find teleconferencing software a huge boon: Zoom Meetings, GoToMeeting, BlueJeans, and Google Hangouts Meet are but a few of the popular options available.
As we all collectively wait for this to end, let us know if there’s anything we can do for you at The Brandt Group. In the meantime, stay safe!
Recent Comments