For many of us in the digital space, the virus outbreak hasn’t made a big difference. It is business as usual for us as we are almost entirely remote.
For others, the situation is direr. Restaurants are being forced to close, some businesses are laying off workers, and the future is uncertain.
One thing I have seen locally is the number of people who are stepping up to help the community. I have seen friends offer to run errands for others, giving tips for working remotely (to those suddenly working remotely), offering homeschool help, offering homemade soap products to anyone who wants them, delivering food to children, and much more.
How have you seen others help? Let us know in the MainWP Users Group.
The ideas are almost endless.
There is no shortage of things we can do, and in this article, I talk about four observations I have seen from businesses that make adjustments during the coronavirus outbreak.
Many can learn a new skill
Some people are taking this opportunity to learn new skills, and course creators are meeting the demands. Some people find their industry will be down for a long time, and they are looking for a way to get going again quickly.
CXL is one of my favorite Conversion Rate Optimization blogs, and they offer countless types of courses. They have decided to help those who need a career change by offering a free minidegree.
According to the landing page,
“Many industries are hurting, and having to lay people off.
“Our mission at CXL Institute is to help marketers become great at what they do. That includes helping determined people who want to make a career change.”
The industries this is open for are hospitality, food services, transportation, travel, and brick and mortar retail. There is an application process, so it’s not automatic approval.
Are you looking to learn a new creative skill like watercolors or photography? The website Brit.co has a whole host of courses available. You can take them for free for the next two weeks using the promo code SELFCARE, according to Twitter friend Veronica Camara.
All @BritandCo classes are free for the next two weeks with code SELFCARE:https://t.co/q2ojQtGnX8
— Veronica | Content Strategist (@veronica_avo) March 19, 2020
Veronica also told me about a bunch of Ivy League Schools that offer classes. Freedcodecamp.org has the information.
There is a wide array of classes, including Computer Science and Personal Development.
Are you itching to do some learning right now? You are sure to find something for your interests here.
Finally, one of my favorite options for learning is Blogging for Business from Ahrefs. What a fantastic opportunity from a great company.
There are ten video tutorials for almost 5 hours. Looking through the course material, I can see they discuss some of the topics I have brought up at the MainWP blog.
And for free, my friends!
Businesses are adjusting and adapting
Businesses have had to adjust during this time, and they are making it happen. We have read or heard countless stories of business and government agencies who have requested their workers to work from home. That, of course, brings up a whole new set of problems.
The other night, a client of mine who installs windows requested that I add a notice on his website. He wanted people to realize he could do his free consultations using Facetime.
This is an excellent way for a business to adapt. Normally, he would go to the customer’s home and do the free consultation, but he wanted them to not worry about his presence during this period.
Here in Arkansas, food trucks have become delivery trucks. According to an article at a local TV station, some are delivering bulk food that can be warmed up by families. Other food trucks are helping deliver food to needy children who are home from schools during this period.
It’s also a good time for your clients to make sure their websites can take payments and, if needed, provide a virtual shopping experience. Websites can now go from a brochure-only type website to a more fully robust solution as customers are searching for ways to do more digital businesses.
No better time to take advantage of videos
Call it whatever you like, but the ability to use video during this time is an all-time high of relevance. Live video, recorded video, webinars, whatever you may call it sure can come in handy.
For example, an entrepreneur friend of mine created a free webinar for parents who suddenly have to run a homeschool. She is a remote worker and homeschooler, so she understands first-hand the demand.
She is freely sharing her knowledge with other parents. Last I heard she had over 500 registered.
Imagine being a parent, and suddenly you have to work from home. Suddenly, your kids are home too, and you have to help them with their schoolwork. Nikki jumped in to offer assistance.
A musician friend of mine is unable to go to her scheduled events, so she decided to do an impromptu concert on Facebook Live.
Another problem is that some people can’t go to the gym. Thankfully, a lot of training has made videos available like my friend Ben. He has a Youtube channel, but he is also posting workout routines on LinkedIn.
So, if you aren’t afraid of being on video, can use tools like Zoom, webcams, Streamyard, etc., you can be of service for others or deliver relevant content in a timely manner.
And, of course, there is the heartwarming video that movie star Gal Gadot came up with and published to social media. It includes several stars (two Wonder Women) and others singing various lines from the song Imagine by the late John Lennon.
Wrapping it up
Extraordinary times call for extraordinary innovation and change. No doubt, we are living in extraordinary times.
Whether it is adjusting your business operations or offering a free webinar, we can all pitch in to help our colleagues.
For some, it might be a time to change directions with new skills and, perhaps, make a career change.
What kinds of adjustments have you seen? Let us know in the community.
