Monday, 20 April 2020
In response to overwhelming feedback, the South Australian Business Chamber will hold a free webinar next week to help get more small business owners online immediately.
The independent and local peak industry body says it is more essential than ever for businesses to have a ‘virtual shopfront’ during COVID-19, in order to survive the crisis.
The South Australian Business Chamber CEO, Martin Haese, said the global pandemic had changed the way business is conducted with face-to-face interactions with customers no longer the norm.
“In some ways COVID-19 has been a digital wake-up call for businesses,” Mr Haese said.
“It has prompted businesses to think twice, be creative, innovative and embrace technological solutions to create value and solve problems.
“Less customers are walking through the doors and in some instances, the doors are closed. Customers are shopping from their couches and kitchen tables. While stay-at home directives remain in place, businesses need to tap into this captive online audience in order to keep generating sales.
“If online transacting was not part of your service offering before COVID-19, we say that it must become a prominent sales channel moving forward.”
Owner of Adelaide city café, Coffylosophy, Harsh Mehta, said his business had acted quickly to add online ordering to their website following COVID-19 restrictions and had seen the benefits.
“Customers can now log onto our website, use the online order form and then click and collect all while maintain social distancing,” Mr Mehta said.
“Having an online presence has allowed us to expand our dining room to a much bigger audience online.
“It has allowed us to keep an income stream coming in to help pay our bills, keep our business running and keep what little staff we have on still employed. Going online has also allowed us to stay connected to our community who are going through this with us.”
Supported by the Small Business Commissioner, as part of the South Australian Business Chamber’s Business Resilience Webinar series, the free Creating an Ecommerce Platform for Your Business webinar will provide actionable practical advice and recommendations for business owners to pivot their business to sell online during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Free Live Webinar Will Be Held On Wednesday 29 April 2020 At 10:00am — 11:00am ACST.
