7 Tips on what to do for your small business during internet and power outages

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This week has been a strange one for those in the United State’s midwest. We’ve gone from socially acceptable social distancing practices to homebound due to snow.

With COVID-19, we became used to the idea of things changing at the drop of a hat, and the last week has been no exception. Except, now it has nothing to do with COVID. It’s the weather’s fault.

We’ve now been designated to our homes, again. We are working remotely due to the 6-10” snowstorm that has hit us particularly hard. 

Snow is not a stranger to the midwest. However, we don’t know how to deal with it when it comes around. It’s like an estranged or distant relative that you either only hear about or see maybe once or twice every year or so.

How have I handled power outages and the internet being scarce in my area while maintaining my business?

Thankfully, my home has not been affected by any power or internet outages yet. Still, many of my friends who run and own small businesses have been.

Here are some helpful tips to keep you working during a power or internet outage:

Get ahead of your content calendar

As a blogger, I need to think of my content a few weeks in advance. Making a content calendar isn’t always optimal, but it helps me stay organized. I know what I need to talk about and how different topics flow from one to the other.

I usually know what content is best for my readers beforehand. So, think of ideas that interest you, are influential in your business, and addressing the most often questions your clients tend to ask. This way, you can still brainstorm content ideas and reassess Pinterest, social media, and client testimonials later.

Even if you don’t finalize any of these content ideas, you can amass a list of evergreen content when you might hit a lull in your blog topics.

Organize your workspace

I highly suggest this one. Every few weeks or months, I need to clean the slate and start afresh. What better time when you don’t have any technology to distract you?

I tend to amass paper in my workspace. Usually notes and edits to projects of long past. Still, I might have a few final products that I want to hold for my portfolio later.

You might already have a relatively clean workspace, but take this time to wipe everything down. Even cleaning with a wet wipe or duster can help you re-establish a productive business workspace.

Read a book

If you’re without power, you might have to limit this activity to daylight hours. Nevertheless, it can help you generate new ideas or refine any old ones you need to address in your small business.

My go-to is any reading material relating to your industry or general business. If you don’t usually go shopping for non-fiction reading material, try finding something that makes you change your perspective. This text can be a classic novel, a magazine, or maybe historical fiction.

The primary purpose of this activity is to broaden your point of view. Think of something new and create something different!

Journal about your business

Typically, I keep a journal and jot down notes about my small business throughout my day. So, this can be a long-form narrative or a short bulleted list when I say journal.

Recently, I’ve been noting things about the structure of my business and how I can be more clear about my market. I’m a reasonably big Donald Miller fan and refer to his books, Business Made Simple and Building a StoryBrand, regularly.

When I’m fixated on these concepts, I like to free note my ideas into one space to refer to them later if I can’t flesh them out at the moment. Using this method lets me have a stream of consciousness when I’m taking notes instead of starting and stopping my thought process.

Write out Thank You cards to your clients

A few weeks ago, I received my first thank you card from a small business owner. I had bought a graphic design contract for my business from The Contract Shop and didn’t think anything of it afterward. Later, I received a card from Christina and was utterly flabbergasted.

This little act made me appreciate my purchase so much more. It also helped me build a connection with The Contract Shop brand. If this small act can influence your clients to feel better about their choice of working with you, wouldn’t you do it?

Now, don’t panic if you have your clients backed up on your computer. Try to write any that you know off the top of your head. Plus, it might take you a few moments to find Thank You cards in your home.

Think of alternative revenue streams

One of the things I’ve been learning in Donald Miller’s Business Made Simple is to find multiple revenue streams for your small business. You might be focusing on making a product or products, but diversifying your income will help you reach more people in different ways.

So, if you’re a service provider, you might diversify by offering multiple services. Differentiating your revenue might also mean you create a course, teach a class, or learn a new skill to add to your services.

While making a list of ideas is excellent, you’ll have to hold yourself accountable once to power and the internet come back on. You might not be able to act on those ideas presently but see which ones appeal to you and how you can work on them.

Sort through your closet and drawers

Sorting through your clothes and belongings might not seem productive to your business, but hear me out. One of the most significant ways to succeed in your life and business is how you see yourself. It’s essential to show up and be clean and collected, even if you’re only sitting behind your computer most of the time.

I’d start with your clothes. Go through everything, one by one, and determine if your clothes represent who you want to be to your clients. You don’t need to get rid of all your t-shirts or more unprofessional wardrobe. Still, consider donating your ripped jeans or any threadbare shirts, especially if the clothes don’t fit or are considerably older. 

Next, you can tackle any drawers or cubbies with any hobby supplies or other collateral that might be useful to organize. I’d stay out of the kitchen or family rooms. You don’t need to collect or sort through your whole house, just enough to make things clearer from your perspective.

There are many aspects of your small business that you can work on while stuck in your home, but when you’re limited on power and the internet, here are a few tips to keep you on track.

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