Business owners are discovering clever new ways to run their shops in the age of coronavirus, and some have met with such surprising success that they plan to keep their new business models into the future.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
One of them is Lifestyles owner Melissa Judd, who has shifted a large chunk of her services online and plans to keep it that way even after the covid threat blows over.
Her new tools of the trade are a motley mix of Instagram TV, Facebook, Zoom, Facetime, and a range of other online platforms she uses to keep in touch with her clients.
"I've decided to keep all my programs as an online format moving forward because it is hard to be physically there in all the places I want to be at once," Ms Judd said.
She has "pivoted", as the industry jargon would have it, and she says the new move to a digital space has worked out well for her.
Now she runs her various classes from the comfort of her studio-home, where she films everything from pilates classes, to mindfulness meditation, to lifecoaching seminars and beyond.
Another business owner who has risen to the challenge of coronavirus is Wagga Woodfired Wagon owner Jay Vidler.
Mr Vidler used to rely heavily on events and Saturday functions for his pizza business, but with events cancelled across Australia he has had to improvise.
He set up a website and an online delivery platform, which has taken off better than he ever expected.
"I'd say 15 to 20 per cent of orders come through the online store which has freed up our phone line a lot, which is amazing," Mr Vidler said.
"The online ordering is something we've wanted to do for quite a while - this has pushed us over the line to get that system up and running, and we'll definitely keep that going."
Mr Vidler has also attracted quite a lot of local attention with his wagon now stationed outside his Mount Austin home, with passersby stopping at the sights and smells of woodfire pizza.
"We get a lot of walkers, joggers, bike riders," Mr Vidler said. "It's not every day you see a pizza shop on a nature strip in suburbia."
READ MORE:
Another business owner who also relied heavily on events was Adam Bannister from Adam Bannister Event Production, and these days he runs online events for companies.
Mr Bannister said he is convinced that companies will learn from this experience and continue to run their events digitally even after the world returns to "normal".
"The world has changed; this isn't a short term blip," Mr Bannister said. "People are learning what's possible with technology; you can still solve problems and you can still have real connections."
Kenji Sato
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
