Is There a Silver Lining from COVID-19?

Take the positive lessons learned from the pandemic and apply them to your business

BY KATHY WALL

After months of self-quarantine—working and teaching our kids from home, eating nearly every meal at home, binge-watching Netflix at home— we’ve come face to face with some ugly truths: the flaws in our homes.

The dining room table works fine for sending a few emails, but now we need a truly functional office space—one with enough style to keep us inspired for eight hours a day. Our range has gotten us through many a Taco Tuesday, but it’s sadly not up to the task of baking the ultimate sourdough loaf. Our living space feels comfycozy for the latest episode of “The Crown,” but shape-shifting between family game time and streaming 317 straight minutes of “Tiger King”? Please send blackout shades.

The laundry list of problems sounds painful, but in this brave new world, no one is going to be defeated by little things like fading paint or last decade’s window treatments. We’re ready to fix our home’s flaws. And that’s good news for the design industry.

The rush to redo, redecorate and refresh can be seen in the packed parking lots of furniture stores and home centers. It can be heard in the renewed ringing of interior designers’ telephones. But it’s not quite business as usual. People are still rightfully concerned about their health and well-being. There are lessons to be learned from quarantine times—things retailers, designers and window covering shops may want to consider as they fine-tune a business model to flourish in these unprecedented times.

Stay Engaged on Social Media

With nary a social event on their calendars, people had more time to spend perusing Instagram and tuning into live chats with designers. They’ve been rewarded with loads of inspiration. Home furnishing and interior design companies that have increased their social media promotions and advertising budgets are also reaping the benefits—with a significantly higher percentage of new followers than those that aren’t pursuing this avenue to grow their business. Social media advertising continues to be a lowcost, efficient tool to reach targeted audiences.

After endless Zoom sessions, webinars and the like, our first impulse is to end the e-meetings. But don’t be hasty to abandon technology that’s working for your business.

Many consumers are still hesitant about in-person interactions, and some just like the convenience of learning, shopping and buying from home. Tech—Zoom, Google Hangouts, FaceTime—has a place in today’s business arsenal. Even with some restrictions lifted, it might make sense for shop owners to continue doing video walk-throughs of their displays and responding to questions in live chats. Designers may still want to offer video consultations and eDesign services.

Make It Easy

In the Instacart era, we expect things to come to us. Shops are giving customers the convenience of picking up their prepaid purchases at the curb—or having them delivered to their homes. Designers are mailing samples to clients for review, allowing homeowners to see true colors and feel luscious textures without the need for a showroom visit. Some design firms are even turning to the project-in-a-box approach for smaller endeavors, talking through a project remotely and then shipping everything the client needs right to their doorstep. Whatever you can do to simplify life and reduce stress for customers in these harried times will be appreciated and pay dividends for your business. V

Kathy Wall is president and ringleader of The Media Matters, an agency in the Triad area of North Carolina offering marketing, advertising and brand strategy to a roster of international clients. Kathy has shared her talents with the home furnishing industry for over three decades and formed her own business 18 years ago. Her motto? “We don’t work with jerks.”

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