More on After-Pandemic Success – What is the Purpose of Your Business?

Surviving the pandemic through a strategic marketing plan is all well and good but, to prosper in the aftermath of a crisis, you will need to answer the age-old question: "What is the purpose of your business?"

(Uh, oh. Get out the wetsuit; we're getting deep today!)

You would do well to consider the purpose of any business that is successful as a model for your own, whether interior design or a luxury furnishings dealer. After all, the line "to make money" isn't going to get you very far as an after-the-crisis Mission Statement, is it?

Besides, thinking like that is superficial and, ultimately, a cop-out. Why? Because counting pennies like Scrooge just ain't going to cut it when it feels like the world is going to hell in a handbasket.

Why Go Through the Struggle Again?

Stated simply, "The purpose of a business is to offer value to customers, who pay for the value with cash or equivalents. Minimally, the money received should fund the costs of operating the business as well as provide for the life needs of the proprietor." (Alan Weiss, PhD)

The value offered, he explains, is through products or services that provide value in exchange for compensation (usually those pennies you were counting).

The beauty of this type of thinking is that you can stop worrying so much about profitability and focus on the value you have to offer. When you focus on providing value as the purpose of your business, profits pretty much take care of themselves!

Yes, it's true. When you offer real value, all that other stuff (like overhead, expenses, and the additional "costs of doing business") seems to get taken care of without much conscious thought or effort – or loss of sleep.

Now, when it comes to defining value, we have a whole new concept to consider. At a fundamental level, a client perceives value as receiving something worth more than they paid. If you can deliver that regularly, and do so honestly, you won't have to "struggle" through tough times again because they likely won't be tough for you – a recognized value giver!

While there's a bunch more that can be said about offering value and the purpose of your business in the aftermath of the pandemic, this seems like a good start. If it gets you thinking and optimistic about your future, we've done our job for now.

Business Coaching with Ted Can Help

If you're struggling with developing the purpose of your business in the face of the pandemic, Ted continues to offer business consulting support to interior designers and furnishing store owners. With more than 25 years' experience in the luxury furnishings industry and through all sorts of economic crises and natural disasters, he should be able to help you cope with all the craziness.

To get in touch with Ted, or for more design business tips, trends, and marketing ideas… Get in touch with TD Fall today.

Is Your Online Marketing Strategy a Victim of the Pandemic?

The pandemic and resulting lockdown orders have created a massive challenge for in-person service providers. And, while the internet offers thousands of articles on how to respond to such a crisis, few of them actually address the effects on an online marketing strategy for such a business.

Instead, most of the content out there is focused on how to sell and to deliver products during a crisis. While that may be helpful to a portion of the industry, which is the furnishings suppliers, it does little to help interior designers.

According to the digital marketing folks at Forbin.com, now is definitely not the time to go quietly online. Instead, they say:

“Now more than ever, you need to look at your website as your virtual store or office as this is going to be the most accessible representation of your business – the world’s window to your business. This is a great excuse to finally dedicate time to updating the content on your website to reflect how you're serving customers today.”

This means spending time increasing your profile on social media, as well. While many of us complain about the not-so-social aspects of platforms like Facebook and Twitter, it cannot be denied that their use has grown almost exponentially in response to the quarantines we’re dealing with.

Because of this, you should develop and execute a solid social media marketing campaign. Just make sure it’s not too “salesy” and that you offer high-value information instead of a perpetual sales pitch.

Realize that Online Search Trends are Changing

Again, according to Forbin, “Since mid-March, search trends have changed dramatically. We’ve seen obvious search terms like ‘coronavirus’, ‘take out’ and ‘delivery’ soar to top trending terms, but there have also been increases in more unexpected search terms.  For example, the week of March 15-March 22 saw a dramatic climb in healthcare keyword searches that are still on the rise.”

Doing research into trending search terms that align with the services you offer will show big benefits. While it may seem like a stretch to relate interior design to the pandemic, a bit of creative thinking will help.

After all, there are a massive number of people who are stuck at home right now, either working remotely or spending their days streaming Netflix. As the days and weeks under stay-at-home orders pass, these poor souls will become increasingly conscious of how their interior spaces affect their moods, productivity, and comfort.

Many will want to merge their virtual and physical environments. According to an article at Forbes.com, “Video conferencing is making people more aware of how they are perceived, and spaces in the future will be designed with that in mind. Muffled or reverberating sound, harsh or inadequate light will be considerations as we inhabit virtual spaces.”

The need for ongoing distancing, as well as emotional, mental, and physical health needs will become paramount for these folks and a sharp designer will develop solutions to those needs. This will include the no longer rare home office (which actually gets used), as well as the need to keep the entire family comfortable.

Expand Your Menu and Your Marketing Strategy

Granted that isolation has become a dominant trend in our culture, it is death to an interior design business. Expanding your menu and your reach are both going to be critical to your after-pandemic success.

While figuring out how to get this done in the current business environment is challenging (to say the least), it cannot be denied that the designers who survive will find a way.

If you're struggling with developing an online marketing strategy in the face of the pandemic, Ted continues to offer business consulting support to interior designers and furnishing store owners. With more than 25 years’ experience in the luxury furnishings industry, and through all sorts of economic crises and natural disasters, he should be able to help you cope with all the craziness.

To get in touch with Ted, or for more design business tips, trends, and marketing ideas… Get in touch with TD Fall today.