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How to Maximize Your Online Presence During the Pandemic … a guest post

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Most small businesses were completely caught off guard by the coronavirus pandemic. Unfortunately, many have been forced to shut down permanently in the wake of such a significant business disruption. But some businesses have managed to adapt to these changing times.

Now more than ever, small business owners need to find ways to maximize profits—without sacrificing ethics. If you own a small business, check out the tips in the following article brought to you by Principia, which can help boost your online presence and continue turning a profit during the pandemic.

Essential Tools for Tourism-Driven Industries

There’s no doubt that one of—if not the—hardest hit segments of the economy is the tourism industry. Tech tools can help restaurateurs and hoteliers up their game, though. Business owners in this segment have access to numerous digital tools that can help them cut costs and increase their bottom line, such as for training purposes and digitizing menus. Maximizing efficiency by relying on electronic options that reduce paper consumption and man hours is a solution you can feel good about.

Along that same line of thought, if you own a bar or restaurant, maximizing profits can be a challenge. Inventory management tools can save you time and labor while freeing up cash by reducing your standing inventory value. This type of app helps you track important analytics about your stock so you can optimize your reorder strategy, minimize inventory shrinkage, and phase out products that aren’t selling.

Many other industries, including casinos, hotels, and retailers, can take advantage of similar tech tools. Accommodation management tools like Cloudbeds and Frontdesk Anywhere can help hotels avoid overbookings and ensure that rooms are clean and ready on time.

Customer accessibility is similarly enhanced. Retailers can use online ordering systems to enable customers to shop from home. Casinos can use CRM software to track the value of repeat customers and manage promotions to maximize return. There are industry-specific tools for virtually any business sector, so explore your options.

Innovation in the Digital Age

When your business faces new obstacles, it’s time to innovate. Shifting your strategies to the changing times is essential for surviving and thriving through major upheavals, like the current coronavirus pandemic. For example, Econsultancy points out companies that are enjoying the greatest success during the pandemic are those that are actively engaging with their customers on social media.

With that in mind, consider shifting your marketing strategy to focus on your social media presence. Besides cultivating more genuine relationships with your target consumers, social media marketing is an extremely cost-effective way to increase brand awareness and promote your products.

Tapping into Professional Expertise

The best business owners know that they can’t do everything on their own. Outsourcing time-consuming tasks will free up your time for more important things, like pursuing new sales channels or fine-tuning your product selection. In many cases, it pays to hire freelancers. For example, if you’re new to the world of e-commerce, you can hire an e commerce specialist to help establish and grow your business online.

Business owners and managers can also turn to online education opportunities to enhance their own skills and management practices. Expanding your own leadership capabilities and delving deeper into proven practices can help you refine your professional expertise.

Enhancing the Customer Experience

Keeping your customers happy is vital to the ongoing success of your business, especially during a time when people are struggling with stress and uncertainty. There are several different ways you can go about improving the shopping and service experience for your customers.

First of all, Marketo says to make sure your website is easy-to-use and mobile-friendly. An elegant and intuitive site is much more likely to convert visitors into paying customers. If your website visitors can’t find what they’re seeking, they won’t hesitate to visit your competitors.

As your business expands into the e-commerce world, make sure your customer service strategy can keep up. Use a combination of live chat apps, chatbots, and freelance customer support assistants to ensure customers’ needs are met quickly. The last thing you want is to lose a sale because an inquiry falls through the cracks!

Innovation is key to keeping your business moving forward during the pandemic. Online tools and digital growth strategies will help you maintain your revenue and reduce business expenses while embracing positive ethics. The best part? The changes you make today will continue benefiting your business long after the pandemic ends!

Look to Principia for more ideas and information that can help you take your business to the next level!

Chelsea Lamb has spent the last eight years honing her tech skills and is the resident tech specialist at Business Pop. Her goal is to demystify some of the technical aspects of business ownership. She can be found at:  businesspop.net.

5 Essential Steps to Starting a Business Out of Your Home … a guest post

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by Amy Collett

If you are thinking about starting your own business, be prepared for a variety of challenges and benefits. It’s one of the hardest-yet-rewarding career paths you can choose. One factor that can make a big difference in your experience, however, is where your new business is located. By setting up shop in your home, you can eliminate some of the overhead costs that come with renting an office space, and you can enjoy more flexibility and balance in your work and home life.

Of course, when starting a business from home, it’s essential to approach it the right way so that you can put yourself in a position to succeed. Along with hiring a management consulting firm like Principia, LLC, keep these five steps in mind as you get your home-based business up and running:

1. Lay out your interests

Just as Forbes explains, when you start a business, it’s important that you have a passion (or at least an interest) in the industry you are entering. Otherwise, the daily challenges that come your way can quickly overtake your motivation to keep going, and could greatly interfere with your ultimate satisfaction and success. Write down any interests you have accumulated over the years, as well as the specific skills you possess. Doing so will help you determine the kind of business you could do well in.

This step is also essential if you’ve recently lost your job or business. Once you accept your situation and grieve for a short time, you need to get up and begin mulling over your next idea so that you can figure out how to get it off the ground.

2. Research ideas

Once you have written out all of your interests and skills, hit the web to research the plethora of business ideas out there. Whether it’s running a dog grooming business, freelance writing, or opening an e-commerce store, you can do almost anything out of your home. Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Under30CEO are a few websites that provide a variety of business ideas and other valuable information on running a business.

3. Find funding

No matter what kind of business you start, you might need to seek funding to help get it off the ground. That way, you can have the working capital you need for getting any necessary equipment, hiring employees, increasing inventory, and handling any number of other tasks. When it comes down to it, having money available can help you to keep stress to a minimum and achieve your goals in a timely manner. When you are researching your financing options, be sure to consider both government and non-government programs and loans.

4. Equip yourself with the right tools

Along with figuring out your interests, researching business ideas, and finding the right types of funding, be sure to consider any tools you may need to succeed in your business. Basic equipment such as a quality desk, ergonomic chair, and laptop/desktop computer are given for any home office. But there are also many types of tools and software that can help you stay productive and in communication with team members and partners. Research the various productivity and collaboration apps on the market to choose the right ones for you.

5. Set customers on a pedestal

Last but not least: Value your customers (or clients) above all else. As Trustpilot explains, your business won’t survive unless your customers are kept satisfied. Along with maintaining solid customer relationships, make sure you are going to great lengths to expand your customer base. Ensuring the quality of your products and services, engaging on social media, and promoting your brand through email marketing are great ways to achieve this.

Amy Collett is creator of bizwell.org, a website that helps professionals and entrepreneurs build and strengthen their personal brand. When she isn’t helping clients boost their careers or businesses, she enjoys coaching her daughter’s soccer team and training to become a yoga instructor. 

How to Thrive as a Remote Worker … a Guest Post

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by Chelsea Lamb

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How to Thrive as a Remote Worker

Working from home can be a steep learning curve, especially for those who thrive in an office environment. When the COVID-19 pandemic caused offices to close around the country, companies were forced to send their employees home and develop remote working strategies. While some people might have welcomed the change, working from home can be challenging for a number of reasons. If you’re new to remote work and are having difficulties adapting, use this resource to help you thrive in the pandemic era.

Adapting to working from home

It’s possible to be just as productive at home as at the office if you follow some of these tips.

  • Create a designated workspace in your home to make it distraction-free.
  • Set regular hours for your workday, and don’t forget to take breaks for lunch and rests.
  • If you have kids at home, recognize that you may need to be flexible with your work hours — ask your boss for some leniency around deadlines.

Improve your technology

Having the right tools is paramount to being a successful remote worker.

  • If your personal laptop isn’t cutting it, consider shopping for a new one, and use a  Lenovo coupon to help you save money on your investment.
  • Consider getting a mouse (bluetooth versions are really useful) to help you navigate your laptop with ease.
  • If you’re consistently on the phone for work, be sure to buy a headset or bluetooth earbuds to make your calls more enjoyable.

Mental adjustments

Working from home will require a mental shift.

  • One of the challenging parts of working from home is coping with distractions—stay focused by following these tips.
  • If you’re having trouble completing your work projects at home, schedule regular check-ins with your boss or manager to help you stay focused.
  • Keep tabs on your mental health and take care of yourself by exercising regularly and reaching out to friends and family for support.
  • Consider professional coaching via Principia if you need further guidance with adapting to the new pandemic era.

Working from home is a big transition for many office workers, so use the above advice to help you thrive in a remote setting.


Chelsea Lamb has spent the last eight years honing her tech skills and is the resident tech specialist at Business Pop. Her goal is to demystify some of the technical aspects of business ownership.

What to Do When Your Small Business Closes … A guest post

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What to Do When Your Small Business Closes

By Carla Lopez

If your small business has recently closed its doors, you are not alone. In fact, Coresight Research CEO and Founder Deborah Weinswig has predicted that 15,000 or more retailers will have closed their doors by the end of the year. However, retail is not the only industry that’s fallen on hard times. Particularly due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, a wide variety of industries are struggling because consumers are simply not going out and purchasing goods or services.

Whether it’s due to the outbreak or because of another reason, now that your business is closed, the question is: What do you do? From embracing the failure to making ends meet to dreaming up your next venture, here are some tips to guide you along the way as you keep moving forward.

Come to Terms with Your Circumstances

Possibly the hardest part of experiencing a business closure is accepting that it’s over. However, it’s important not only to accept that your business is closing but also to embrace it. Remember that just because your business failed doesn’t mean that you are a failure. Many, if not most, of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs failed time and time again before realizing success. But the only way to move on is to embrace the moment and assess why your business failed so that you can know what changes to make next time.

Keep Working

Another hard but necessary step to take after your business closes is to find other ways to bring in some income. The reason it’s difficult is because you might have to do something outside of your perceived career path just so that you can make ends meet. This can feel like you’re taking a step back. However, it’s important to look at the situation in two ways:

  1. At most, this is temporary, and being able to pay your bills as you prepare for your next business venture is a good thing.
  2. There’s a chance that you could find a new occupation that you end up enjoying and thriving in. Then, you could either keep working as an employee for a while or turn it into a business.

One of the best methods for finding work after your business is closed is to join an online job board like Upwork. Employers from all over the world use such sites to hire freelancers for a wide variety of tasks and projects. This could bring about an opportunity for you to not only make some money but also regain your professional footing and possibly find an industry that you love.

Start Thinking of Your Next Venture

Successful entrepreneurs are constantly thinking about the next thing. Even when their company is successful, they are mulling over ways to improve and evolve in every aspect of their operations. The same goes for when your business fails. You must always be thinking of what your next venture could be and how you can get the ball rolling.

Take Care of Yourself

Last but not least: Practice self-care. Fostering your overall health and well-being is essential to living a fulfilling life, and that includes starting and running your next business. Be sure to practice basic hygiene each day, maintain a healthy diet and exercise routine, and get plenty of rest. Also, look for ways that you can relax, such as spending time with loved ones, taking on a hobby, reading a book, and so on.

Summing It All Up

Experiencing a closure of your business can be devastating, and it can feel impossible to bounce back from. But if you respond with the right approach, you can turn it into an opportunity for something better. Remember to accept your business failure, find a way to make ends meet while you’re in transition, keep thinking about your next venture, and practice self-care each day. Through it all, keep in mind that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Carla Lopez retired a couple of years ago, but she didn’t lose her entrepreneurial spirit. She created Boomer Biz for retirees like herself who still have a desire to work and achieve. The site is a resource for people in their golden years who want to start their own business or go back to work doing what they love.