Tips for Southwest Florida businesses to stay open during Coronavirus pandemic

Tips for Southwest Florida businesses to stay open during Coronavirus pandemic

At Fox 4, we know many Southwest Florida businesses have had to change the way they do business during the Coronavirus pandemic to stay in business.

We know many business owners and workers are worried about their health, their families, and making ends meet.

So we want to help.

A LINK TO THE NEW WEBSITE ANMORE INFORMATION IS ON OUR FOX 4NOW APP..

AND AT FOX4NOW.COMFOX 4 HAS SHOWN YOU HOW WE’REDEDICATED TO SHOWING HOW SMALLBUSINESSES ARE ADAPTING DURINGTHE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, WITHOUR NEW SEGMENT "WE’RE OPENSOUTHWEST FLORIDA."WE KNOW, MANY OF YOU HAVE HAD TOCHANGE THE WAY YOU DOBUSINESS... TO STAY IN BUSINESS.WE KNOW -- YOU’RE WORRIED ABOUTYOUR HEALTH.

YOUR FAMILY.

MAKINGENDS MEET.AND WE WANT TO HELP.

SO I’MSHARING SOME TIPS FROM AMARKETING EXPERT... TO HELP YOUSTAY OPEN DURING THIS CRISIS.:52-:58(PKG)"it’s really difficult.

Itreally is difficult" 2 secAND HONESTLY, TO MANY OF YOUSMALL BUSINESS OWNERS ORWORKERS, THAT MAY BE ANUNDERSTATEMENT.AND WE WANT TO HELP.J-P HERVIS IS THE OWNER OFBRANDSTORY COMMUNICATIONS.LISA"we are trying to do what wecan to save these businesses" 5secIN A VIDEO CHAT, HE GAVE MEIDEAS TO BOOST YOUR BUSINESSWITHOUT SPENDING MORE MONEY.STEP 1 - WHEN IT COMES TOCOMMUNICATION, HE SAYS -- THINKOUTSIDE THE BOX.JP HERVIS "do more than you weredoing before on social media andemail marketing" 5 secondsRIGHT NOW, WE DON’T GET THECHANCE TO MAKE PERSONALCONNECTIONS.

SO HE TELLS MESOCIAL MEDIA AND EMAIL MARKETINGHAS TO RATCHET UP 5-TO-10 TIMESMORE THAN USUAL.JP HERVIS "it could be as basicas just telling people whatyou’re doing that day or ifyou’re a restaurant just showingyourself opening up your kitchenor going through your cleaningprocedures before you startgetting your takeout set up.having just a nice personalconversation about what it takesto stay afloat and serve thecommunity" 17 secondsSTEP TWO -- PICK UP THE PHONE!JP HERVIS "So much of smallbusinesses in our community isabout saying hi to the customerwho is there every week, thesame person who comes in andgets the same coffee, the personwho comes this time of yearevery year to do taxes at youroffice.

Call them and just seehow they’re doing.

Work thosephones.

It’s not a sales calit’s a keep connection call" 20seAND J-P SAYS IN TIMES LIKE THIS,THERE’S REALLY NO SUCH THING AS*OVER-COMMUNICATION." Sharing more of a message isbetter than pulling back at atime like this when you can’tshake hands you can’t hug youcan’t wave to your favoritecustomer when he comes in, andyou can’t say thank you when hegoes out" 11 secHE ALSO SAYS, BE REAL -- BUT TRYTO BE AS POSITIVE AS POSSIBLE.JP HERVIS "we want to give offthat message hey look we’restill fighting, we’re stillstaying afloat, we’re going tobe here when you guys areallowed to leave your house" 9secSTEP 3 -- TURN TO US.

SHARE YOURSTORY WITH YOUR LOCAL NEWS TEAM.JP HERVIS "every business has astory.

Every person has a story"4 secJP HERVIS "What’s going on inthe local economy has never beenmore important.

Your station hascommitted its self to doing thatand I applaud that so that thenbecomes another way to connectwith folks" 11 secRIGHT NOW, WE ARE *ALL CONNECTEDBY CORONAVIRUS.

AND WE NEED TODO WHAT WE CAN TO HELP EACHOTHER.JP HERVIS "all of us asconsumers, we like our smallbusinesses or our local shops weknow are Fort Myers or CapeCoral because they are ourneighbors" 10 secJP HERVIS "it’s about people.That human connection has neverbeen more important and we anot physically connecting ashumans right now in the way weneed to" 8 secI’LL POST ALL OF THISINFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE, FOX4 NOW DOT COM, SO YOU CAN GOBACK AND TAKE A DEEPER LOOK.AND IF YOU KNOW OF A BUSINESS WESHOULD HIGHLIGHT IN OUR NEXT"WE’RE OPEN SOUTHWEST FL