Opinion
How Muswell Hill businesses can adapt to meet challenges of coronavirus
Deanna Bogdanovic, Muswell Business. Picture: Deanna Bogdanovic - Credit: Deanna Bogdanovic
The best way to avoid getting coronavirus is to stay home and steer clear of social interaction - but what does that mean for a small business and employees in Muswell Hill?
Muswell Hill traders at their last meeting before the coronavirus outbreak. Picture: Muswell Business - Credit: Muswell Business
We are calling all our traders to respond to a drop in revenue as customers stay home by fundamentally changing the ways they work.
As the coronavirus spreads, we are urging our small business owners to rethink their strategies and adjust their services.
If you run a restaurant, consider offering more pick up or delivery options.
For example, restaurants in China are implementing ‘contactless’ pickups to keep people safe.
Muswell Business has called on residents to shop locally - and online where possible. Picture: Muswell Business - Credit: Archant
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Here, customers order via an app, website or phone call, workers put the orders in sealed bags, and they are placed in pick up spots where no human contact is required.
You can knock on the door, put it on customers’ doorsteps and walk away.
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Restaurants and cafes could also offer semi-finished dishes for their customers who would like to stay home and cook themselves.
If you have a retail shop think about increasing your online presence and offer more products to be delivered.
Or roll out an online promotion, so you still have a steady stream of revenue if social distancing becomes a reality.
As our high street is hit hard by the impact of coronavirus, this is not the time to double down crushing your competition.
It’s time to come together with your competitors and brainstorm ways everyone can get creative during this unprecedented time.
We need our community to embrace the idea so that we can still use our high street, just not necessarily in the traditional manner.
If you, the residents, have the means, you can support small businesses by buying gift vouchers, shopping local online, taking advantage of discounts and ordering in.
It’s never been so important to spend local.
For more information on Muswell Hill business and how to support local traders, visit muswellbusiness.wordpress.com or email muswellbusiness@gmail.com
For the latest coronavirus news from the Ham&High and across north London visit our live blog and join our Facebook group.
