How To Support Local Businesses In The New Normal After COVID-19

With the onset of COVID-19, all businesses are severely affected. Non-essential businesses are forced to cease their operation. Almost every company bled with fixed overhead but plummeted productivity.

After COVID-19 there will be a NEW NORMAL of doing businesses. There will be fewer customers interacting with you face to face. Your shop will receive fewer visits. Your training program will no longer able to accept mass participants. Your restaurant will no longer be able to host large number of diners. The hotel will receive fewer international tourists. Cinema cannot be a full house anymore. And the list goes on. All this is due to the Social Distancing to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

Back to the local front. Social Distancing will definitely affect the local SMEs especially those rely on human interaction. Below are 6 Ways To Support Local Businesses While Social Distancing.

SHOP ONLINE OR BY PHONE
Since most businesses can no longer rely on foot traffic to be successful, many are changing the structure of their stores. Retailers and boutiques are turning to social media to highlight their products, so like and follow their pages to stay updated. Send them a direct message or give them a call to see how you can make a purchase. They’ll be excited to hear your voice. Restaurants are shifting to carry-out or delivery services, so give them a call or check their website for menu availability.

PURCHASE GIFT CARDS
Even if you don’t need something right away, purchase a gift card now so you can treat yourself when this is all over – you’ll have earned it. Keep local businesses that you utilize frequently throughout the year in mind when deciding on gift card purchases – salons, restaurants, gyms, and retailers are all great options.

ORDER CARRY-OUT, CURBSIDE PICKUP, OR DELIVERY
Many local restaurants have worked hard to shift their menu and operations to carry-out and delivery. When you grab your food, don’t forget to tip!

ENGAGE ON SOCIAL
A lot of businesses are shifting their communication strategy to social media. This is the quickest and most efficient way for them to reach a large portion of their audience and their staff organically. Let them know you’re there by engaging with their posts. Have something in mind you’d like to see from them? Tell them. They’re listening.

FOLLOW THER PAGE, SIGN UP FOR BLOG & E-NEWSLETTER UPDATES
You might just learn something new. You might make new friends. As businesses make the shift to social media and mass communication, you can expect to see more tutorials, demonstrations, and informative information.

TELL YOUR PEERS
Much like online reviews, peer to peer reviews is a great way to keep local businesses top of mind right now (and always!). Order delivery and tell your friends about your great experience – share a photo on your Instagram story and tag the restaurant. Get expert styling tips for free via Facetime from your favorite boutique – share the details on Facebook! Did your hairstylist save you from cutting your own bangs – you better give them a shout out!

Encourage friends and loved ones to support local businesses by sharing these ideas on your social media.

Use #SupportLocal

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Dengan bermulanya COVID-19, semua perniagaan terjejas teruk. Perniagaan yang tidak penting terpaksa berhenti beroperasi. Hampir setiap syarikat mengalami overhead tetap tetapi produktiviti merosot.

Selepas COVID-19 akan ada NORMAL BARU untuk menjalankan perniagaan. Akan ada kekurangan pelanggan yang berinteraksi dengan anda secara bersemuka. Kedai anda akan menerima sedikit lawatan. Program latihan anda tidak lagi dapat menerima peserta secara besar-besaran. Restoran anda tidak lagi dapat menampung sejumlah besar pengunjung. Hotel akan menerima kurang pelancong antarabangsa. Pawagam tidak boleh penuh lagi. Dan senarai itu berterusan. Semua ini disebabkan oleh Jarak Sosial untuk meminimumkan risiko penularan COVID-19.

Kembali ke arena tempatan. Jarak Sosial pasti akan mempengaruhi SMEs tempatan terutama yang bergantung pada interaksi manusia. Berikut adalah 6 Cara Untuk Menyokong Perniagaan Tempatan Semasa Menjauhkan Sosial

KEDAI ONLINE
Oleh kerana kebanyakan perniagaan tidak lagi bergantung pada lalu lintas penjalan kaki untuk berjaya, banyak yang mengubah struktur kedai mereka. Peruncit dan butik beralih ke media sosial untuk menonjolkan produk mereka, jadi ikuti halaman mereka untuk mendapat informasi yang terkini. Hantarkan mesej terus kepada mereka atau hubungi mereka untuk melihat bagaimana anda dapat melakukan pembelian. Mereka akan teruja mendengar suara anda. Restoran beralih ke perkhidmatan pelaksanaan atau penghantaran, jadi hubungi mereka atau periksa laman web mereka untuk ketersediaan menu.

KAD HADIAH MEMBELI
Walaupun anda tidak memerlukan sesuatu dengan segera, beli kad hadiah sekarang supaya anda dapat memanjakan diri anda apabila ini selesai. Ingatlah perniagaan tempatan yang sering anda gunakan sepanjang tahun ketika memutuskan pembelian kad hadiah - salon, restoran, gimnasium dan peruncit semuanya adalah pilihan hebat.

PENGAMBILAN ATAU PENGHANTARAN
Banyak restoran tempatan telah bekerja keras untuk mengalihkan menu dan operasi mereka untuk melaksanakan dan penghantaran. Apabila anda mengambil makanan, jangan lupa memberi petua!

MENYERTAI SOSIAL
Banyak perniagaan mengalihkan strategi komunikasi mereka ke media sosial. Ini adalah cara tercepat dan paling berkesan bagi mereka untuk menjangkau sebahagian besar penonton secara organik. Beritahu mereka bahawa anda berada di sana dengan terlibat dengan siaran mereka. Ada sesuatu yang anda mahu lihat dari mereka? Beritahu mereka. Mereka mendengar.

IKUTI HALAMAN MEREKA, DAFTAR UNTUK KEMASKINI BLOG & E-NEWSLETTER
Anda mungkin belajar sesuatu yang baru. Anda mungkin mendapat rakan baru. Semasa perniagaan beralih ke media sosial dan komunikasi massa, anda dapat melihat lebih banyak tutorial, demonstrasi, dan maklumat yang tepat.

HEBOHKAN
Seperti ulasan dalam talian, ulasan rakan sebaya adalah kaedah terbaik untuk memastikan perniagaan tempatan sentiasa diingat sekarang (dan selalu!). Pesan penghantaran dan beritahu rakan anda tentang pengalaman hebat anda - kongsi foto di kisah Instagram anda dan tandakan restoran. Dapatkan petua gaya pakar secara percuma melalui Facetime dari butik kegemaran anda - kongsi perinciannya di Facebook! Adakah penata rambut anda menyelamatkan anda dari memotong poni anda sendiri - lebih baik anda menjerit!

Galakkan rakan dan orang tersayang untuk menyokong perniagaan tempatan dengan berkongsi idea ini di media sosial anda.

Gunakan #SupportLocal

10 Ways to secure Zoom

It was widely reported that popular Zoom was not secured to use. Zoom has released its patches to secure its software. Having said that, you can take additional measures to secure yourself while using Zoom.

1. Use a Unique ID for Large or Public Zoom Calls

When you schedule a Zoom meeting, look for the Meeting ID options and choose to Generate Automatically. Doing so plugs up one of the biggest holes that Zoom-bombers can exploit.

2. Require a Meeting Password

One way to protect the meeting is to require a password. You can give the password out only to those who have replied and seem credible. To password-protect a meeting, start by scheduling a meeting and checking the box next to Require a meeting password.

3. Create a Waiting Room

When participants log into the call, they see a Waiting Room screen, the host, lets them in. You can let people in all at once or one at a time, which means if you see names you don’t recognize in the Waiting Room, you don’t have let them in at all.

4. Only the Hosts Should Share Their Screen

Make sure your settings indicate that the only people allowed to share their screens are hosts. You can enable this setting in advance as well as during a call.

5. Create an Invite-Only Meeting

Only people who can join the call are those you invited, and they must sign in using the same email address you used to invite them.

6. Lock a Meeting Once It Starts

While the meeting is running, navigate to the bottom of the screen and click Manage Participants. The Participants panel will open. At the bottom, choose More > Lock Meeting.

7. Kick Someone Out or Put Them on Hold

During the call, go to the participants' panel on the right. Hover over the name of the person you want to boot and when options appear, choose Remove.

8. Disable Someone’s Camera

f someone is being rude or inappropriate on video, the host can open the Participants panel and click on the video camera icon next to the person’s name.

9. Prevent Animated GIFs and Other Files in the Chat

In the chat area of a Zoom meeting, participants can share files, including images and animated GIFs – if you let them.

10. Disable Private Chat

Open Setting in the Zoom web app (it’s not in the desktop app). On the left side, go to Personal > Settings. Then click In Meeting (Basic). Scroll until you see Private chat. When the button is gray, it’s disabled.