The COVID-19 pandemic has hit small and medium businesses (SMB) the hardest. Entrepreneur Fito Salume certainly understands the pain SMBs have been going through.
His Mister Donut, a food chain, was shut down for four months. Even now, all the 36 restaurants of his food chain are running at 50% capacity. There is no easy answer to how SMBs can survive the turbulent times coming ahead, yet Fito Salume highlights some points that businesses can implement, at least for the near future.
This Too Shall Pass
The first and foremost thing Fito Salume advises SMBs is to stay calm, which, in turn, will keep their workforce efficient.
If SMBs are stuck in some tough decisions, Fito suggests taking the time and due diligence before making significant decisions.
Put Yourselves in your Customer’s Shoes
Amidst these challenging times, customers need empathy. Fito Salume reckons that SMBs must lend an ear to understand their customers’ problems, goals, and fears.
Fito believes that SMBs that walk the extra mile to create a deeper understanding of their customers will stay on top of every customer’s mind even after the COVID-19 chapter. This incorporates setting up a clear communication channel with customers that thrives upon honesty and transparency.
Upskill Your Staff
Fito Salume thinks the quality of its workforce determines the efficiency and capability of a company. He highly recommends SMBs to train their existing workforce on additional skills that could make them more efficient and productive.
Fito Salume runs over 50 businesses and is looking to expand further. These pieces of advice from him for the SMBs will surely help them stay in the race – even in these uncertain times.
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