Sonya Janigian | Sonya’s Clothing owner
Being in the retail sector for over 38 years, we have faced many challenges.
None has been as impactful as the COVID-19 pandemic.
We’ve had to reinvent, redirect and dig deep to keep the passion alive.
Setbacks such as this can deflate or fuel your business – the choice is yours.
Small business is the backbone of our state; resilience is the backbone of small business. Here are some things we’ve learned:
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Strategize your budget. Each expense should be analyzed with a frugal eye; from the phone bill to inventory. Scrutinize each dollar spent.
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Maintain what you’ve built. Being the mainstay of our business, loyal clientele retention is the goal. Consistent communication is the key. Direct mail, texts/email, loyalty programs and purchasing incentives can all yield results.
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New business. Stimulating new clientele is challenging, especially during an economic downturn. We’ve incorporated social media outlets to compensate for a limited advertising budget.
Fortunately, the dive into Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok has been well-received. Word of mouth works – let your customers speak for you.
What works at first, may not down the road.
Whether a Facebook video or Instagram post, test the response, the algorithms will surprise you.
Analyze what works best for your audience. These platforms are constantly changing, so flexibility is imperative.
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E-commerce. Redeveloping our website has been a demanding task. Though difficult, the efforts have proven beneficial. Slow growth is expected.
Funding is essential to compete with the vast competition; however, it is better to be in the arena than not.