Excerpt from the webinar – Covid-19 Sales Strategies for Different Industries Categorised as ‘Non-essential’

  1. Generally we would recommend diversifying revenue sources. Digital business is a MUST at this time, even if it is just via watsapp. You need to offer your products or services through one online platform or the other.
  2. Offer parallel products or services and/or partner with people who have expertise in the parallel service or product – eg. If you are into accounting software sales, you can begin to offer virtual software training or even accounting services. If you are into Fashion, offer online training classes in fashion etc.
  3. Leverage credible networks of business owners in different sectors – you never can tell what business partnerships you can form and how much you can buy and sell from each other.
  4. Leverage network of distribution partners/ agents/ mobile distributors or freelancers to get your goods or service to the consumer where travels are banned
  5. Leverage your network of business partners or suppliers to help you ensure your goods for sale gets to your location.

Wholesale traders:

  • Use trade networks to market and sell bulky items like cars, spare parts etc.
  • Take orders periodically and in batches and distribute as such. Set dates for taking orders and accessing your warehouse/ stalls in the market. Recount stock after each batch of orders and record in your accounting software. 

Retail traders:

  • See if you can stock your goods at supermarkets and stalls that are into sales of essential commodities and are allowed to operate at this time – they will be willing to get supplies from you.
  • Use e-commerce platforms, social media, Watsapp, supermarkets and direct orders to sell fashion and other items. 
  • Sell on Konga or Jumia or any other popular e-malls
  • For those in fashion, you can also offer online training on how to make fashion items.

Manufacturing?

Manufacture essential services or partner with essential services manufacturers e.g. by leasing out your equipment to them or co-producing with them to meet their capacity at this time, if possible.

Security Companies?

Those dealing in security equipment would have ample opportunity now to secure places and businesses, essential commodity distributors and facilities.

Real estate businesses should look into:

  • Offering consultancy on how to carve out a suitable home office 
  • One on one consultations with clients on restructuring their homes to make it suitable for dual purpose – work and residential. 
  • Leverage business partnerships to provide internet and other work facilities for your clients in their residential apartments.
  • Relook designs of homes and offices going forward to accommodate such social distancing and remote working situations.

Catering or running eateries?

Offer online courses and consultations on those delicacies you sell. People at home would love to try new recipes to keep the family happy.

Hair salons, beauty, etc.

Make wigs and weaves and distribute to corporate people holding online meetings and needing to look good. Teach online.

Financial services/ Institutions

Very important now. Package accessible working capital loans for businesses, carry staff along, partners, customers, investors, regulators and agents.

Schools

Make money through online classes – use google meet, skype,  zoom platforms or pre-recorded videos.

Hospitals

Essential services – also do online consultations for some fee.

Hoteliers

Offer premises as quarantine or isolation centres or just a place of rest for people who are banned from travelling.

Entertainers?

Offer e-concerts and performances from your home studios and upload on their Youtube merchant account.

Petty traders, those without internet and who make money through daily living- partner with essential services and commodities manufacturers and trading. 

Going Digital? 

Leverage other established platforms first so you do not spend much money and resources on acquisitions and maintenance- use accounting software,  social media, e-commerce platforms like shopify, simple website builders where all the complicated infrastructure is managed by the host company- pay monthly subscriptions, offer online courses through Youtube, vimeo (if you want to sell your videos or courses) other  platforms like Udemy, teachable, wizIQ, Thinkific etc. (you get to share your revenues from the sale or view of your online contents with the host company).

In the long term, invest in mobile apps (do not forget to download our Tax Law Book app- it will help you with all your tax issues); web applications where people can perform digital operations to solve one problem or the other (also check out vi-mtalentassist.com, a total person website for talents),  full managed websites- you can purchase and install e-learning and online course plugins right into your website so you do not have to share your revenues from your e-courses with the host.