There’s so much weight to the statement that we’re living in unprecedented times, but it’s true. Never have we lived through a pandemic like this. The economy has never been knocked by such a huge blow – which will potentially be even worse than previous recessions.

Never have so many businesses feared going under.

Will the current situation lead to survival of the fittest? It certainly seems that way; however, we’re still living through the worst of it, so who knows?

One thing’s for sure, you should continue to market your business through the pandemic. That may feel scary, particularly if, like most other businesses, turnover/income has dropped overnight. Whilst we wouldn’t advocate throwing money away or being silly with whatever funds you do hold, the ones who maintain a presence and actively promote their business will definitely be better off in the long run than businesses that go into hibernation.

Think about it: the people you want to reach are all at home too, scrolling through social media – they’re probably spending hours every day browsing the net. The nature of marketing means that you have to be visible to someone 5-7 times before they make a decision about you…and you can’t achieve that if your company has seemingly vanished from the face of the Earth. If there are fewer in your industry in existence when the virus has been beaten and the dust has settled, you’ll want to set off with an advantage – the world will be yours for the taking.

With lots of time on your hands, now most people are at home, it’s also a good time to think strategically about the future of your agency. Maybe working from home has introduced you to new technologies that you could implement when social restrictions are lifted and we’re back at work. Maybe these same technologies have given you an idea how you could better reach candidates or how to tweak/simplify your interviewing/recruitment procedure. You will probably never again get the time and opportunity to look objectively at your business. Just because you’ve always done something one way doesn’t mean there aren’t better ways out there. Research, explore, experiment. Whatever the new normal will be when UK Plc goes back to work, it’s unlikely to be the same as before. How can you adapt?

This is also the ideal time to look at your website. Again, you may not have had much time to analyse it before nor measure it against your competitors’ sites. Some agencies may have qualified for the £10,000 grant from the government, some of which could pay for long-needed improvements, enhancements or additions to your site. The industry will experience an absolute boom when restrictions are removed; so many people have lost their jobs and will be eager to find new positions. Any glitch, obstacle or feature that’s lacking from your website that will make your life easier at that point should be sorted now.

If you’ve been putting off a rebrand, there won’t be a better time to announce this change than the moment the wheel of the economy begins to turn again. That said, there’s a lot of work that goes into a rebrand, which is something else you should be organising now. The last thing you want is to go offline/loco when people are clamouring for your services.

With so much time on your hands, you could research your ideal clients. Which companies/employers would you love to work with but haven’t had the time to approach? Put some work into your CRM and think about how you should approach these companies – what will be their main concerns, in relation to recruitment, once the pandemic is over?

Maybe, as a result of this situation, you’ve been forced to look at other services your business could offer. The virus has brought about huge changes in so many areas and all industries, but some of these may prove to be good ones. Diversifying is a good thing, it makes you less reliant on one income stream; plus, it encourages you to innovate and plan ahead.

Why not get in touch with us for a chat at Fast Recruitment Websites? We’re still here, albeit remotely, doing exactly what we’re suggesting and continuing to market our services. We’ve seen businesses in a range of industries - who didn’t really have a need for the online world pre-pandemic - absolutely rely on the internet and today’s technology to continue trading during these strange times.

There’s little doubt that Coronavirus will leave a changed world in its wake. By continuing to promote your business during the lifespan of the virus, you will ensure you’ve still got a seat at the table when things start back up again.