BUSINESS

INS & OUTS

BY ROBERT DEVANEY

Due to the coronavirus crisis, most retailers have temporarily closed or limited their services. For details, check our business directory on georgetowner.com.

OUT: BROOKS BROTHERS SKIPS TOWN

Another sign of our COVID-19 times on March 29 and 30, as large moving vans were filled with the remains of the Brooks Brother store at 31st & M Streets NW. Its sign at 3077 M St. NW was removed. Brooks Brothers did not respond to press inquiries. Neither landlord EastBanc nor the Georgetown Business Improvement District was alerted to the exit by the company.

IN: SOME RESTAURANTS STILL OPEN FOR TAKEOUT

While a few businesses remain open on M Street, such as Thunder Burger (takeout and delivery only), Moby Dick, America Eats (meals for the needy) and even Georgetown Tobacco, another reopened for takeout: Boulangerie Christophe on Wisconsin Avenue.

Contact your favorite eatery for details — many are still open — and support local businesses with real cash.

Brooks Brothers at 31st & M Streets NW packed up and skipped town without telling anyone. Photo by Robert Devaney.

Daughter and mother bicycle pass the boarded up Club Monaco at 33rd and M Streets NW. Georgetowner photo.

Dwayne of the Georgetown Business Improvement District’s Clean Team on K Street at the waterfront. Georgetowner photo.

Your 5-Step Tool Kit to Taking Your Business Virtual

BY DANIELLE MARTIN-TAYLOR

If you’re finding yourself taking your business online in a new way, you’re not alone. With an unprecedented pandemic taking over our world, every sector of life is being upended. We’re seeing businesses shut their doors and lay off employees, while many are seeking new, innovative ways to successfully bring their business online.

Transitioning your business from in-person to online can feel like a whirlwind. But with the right support and the right knowledge at your fingertips, your business can stay running, albeit a bit differently. Whether your business has always been virtual or you’re being forced to get creative, we’re outlining five ways to keep your brand and business alive during this trying time ... and they’re right at your fingertips.

STEP ONE: REASSESS YOUR BRAND

Before you begin going virtual, take a step back and reevaluate your brand. Your brand identity is the face of your business. It’s you, your purpose, your business, your services, your team and your message. A successful brand is cohesive and shares your message, indicative of the “why” behind your business and the service or product you provide. Your brand is what will attract the right audience, build awareness and develop trust and loyalty with your customers, especially during an unprecedented time like this. Now that you’ve taken a step back to look at your business from a new perspective, it’s time to take it virtual — confidently!

STEP TWO: CREATE CONSISTENCY

When it comes to going virtual, consistency is key. Consistency is important to maintain recognition and visibility amongst your customers, as well as making it clear to people who you are and what you offer. This is especially important as you communicate important changes, such as new hours, new services or other big announcements. As you begin going virtual, ensure that your message is consistent and clear across all your platforms, especially if your business looks different than usual. This includes wording on emails, social media, your website, mailings and more. Consider this a way to set yourself up for success and get rid of any potential confusion.

STEP THREE: EVALUATE YOUR WEB PRESENCE

Think of your website as the first impression that you give potential customers. That being said, it’s important to make it a good one. In this day and age, online first impressions can make or break businesses. Before people see your shop, salon, firm or office, they see your website. A high-quality website can make that good first impression you’re striving for, but it needs to be set up for success.

A good website is well-organized, easy to navigate, clear and concise, modern in terms of style and layout, functional and branded. Most of all, it should attract and motivate the visitor to want to do business with you. Websites should clearly communicate information such as current offerings and contact information. Don’t make people hunt for this ... make it easy to find. If you have social media profiles, buttons linked to these profiles should be present to increase your connectivity to visitors as well. People want fast solutions to their problem or instant answers to their questions and it’s your job to make it easy for them to find. Use your website as a tool to propel your business forward. While you’re at it, make sure that tool is high-quality, efficient and does all you need it to do.

STEP FOUR: GET THE RIGHT SYSTEMS IN PLACE

With new technology coming and going faster than we can keep up with, it can be difficult to know which systems are the right ones for your business. You may already have systems in place, but are they really doing the job efficiently and at a satisfactory level? Especially while you’re making the switch to doing business virtually, now is the time to figure that out and automate, automate, automate! Trust us, you’ll thank us later.

The right business system should give you the ability to make faster, more thought-out decisions as it automates common processes and helps you do your job more efficiently. A CRM, a Customer Relationship Management tool, can accomplish this and make your life easier throughout this transition to going virtual. Whether it’s sending emails out at certain times in the customer relationship or billing clients, CRMs keep it all in one place. Best of all, they connect you with your customers in a way that can mean the difference between profitability and instability.

STEP FIVE: GET SOCIAL AND GET CREATIVE

More than ever, we’re seeking connection virtually as we stay holed up in our homes during this pandemic. Use your creativity when it comes to what to post — maybe even taking the opportunity to share tools of the trade or helpful quotes and information to your audience. Have too much to share in a social media post? Give blogging a try. Whether you’ve blogged before or not, blogging can be used to educate others, keep website and social media content fresh (which helps with your SEO) and even bring in some extra money if you can monetize it.

Get creative and promote your business through freebies, email newsletters and other helpful yet personal content that keeps your audience engaged and connected. While it might not seem fruitful to market yourself on social media during a time when your doors aren’t physically open, consistency and visibility is key to staying seen and sticking around.