In recent months, the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak has spread to every corner of the world. No business has been left unaffected in its wake. Since it arrived on the global stage, it has shuttered stores, caused layoffs, halted sales, and dramatically shifted the way we think about online sales.

While we don’t know when things will return to normal, or if they ever will, we do know that this isn’t business as usual. For vegan business owners, not only has the change shifted the way they’ve normally operated, it has also affected their ability to serve their missions and how. Things that once may have worked may not be working as well, but this can also work in reverse.

In many ways, these changes provide the opportunity to look at problems differently and adapt. Here are some things we are noticing and advice for things vegan business owners to consider during this trying time to not only continue to serve their missions but also to try to make a difference in the current situation.

15 Tips for Vegan Business Owners to Consider During the COVID-19 Outbreak

No matter what stage your business is at, here are some things to consider as we all adapt to the new normal.

1. Increase online sales. We’re seeing a huge uptick in the number of people shopping online. People who never before considered buying things online now have the time and motivation to try it out for the first time. The online market is flush with a new captive audience, and they need to be catered to. This new audience has a lower tolerance for difficult ordering processes, janky e-commerce websites, long fulfillment dates, expensive shipping costs, shaky satisfaction guarantees, and low customer service support. Vegan business owners should consider improving their e-commerce websites and making the ordering process as easy and seamless as possible. Here are some things to consider:

   1. Update your website. The time has never been better to fix broken sites or update them to improve functionality and aesthetics.

   2. Increase product availability online. If there are products that you are able to fulfill but haven’t yet put on your online store, now may be the perfect time to do so.

   3. Launch or promote digital gift cards. If you can’t fulfill orders right now, gift cards are a great thing to offer to customers who are looking for a way to support you. You might want to consider offering a discount for gift cards to incentivize their purchase, for example: a gift card that costs $50 will have a $60 purchase power, so people can spend $50 now and save $10 in the long run. If you don’t have the ability to sell digital gift cards, consider switching your website to a platform that offers that integration. Gift cards allow you to continue to have a revenue stream.

   4. Offer discounts or promotions. In addition to considering offering discounts on gift cards, consider offering discounts and promotions on other products.

   5. Offer free shipping. If you’re not already offering free shipping for orders above a certain amount, figure out what that amount would be and offer free shipping. This not only incentivizes larger purchases, but can also save money for customers who are already buying large volumes without a reward.

2. Increase customer support. People are worried and anxious, and this carries over into all areas of life, including online purchases. If you don’t offer immediate customer support, consider ways to do that, either by listing a phone number and business hours on your website or through a chat function. Doing both would be ideal, in addition to offering either a contact form or email address for less urgent questions. Some businesses use Facebook messenger or direct people to message them through Instagram, too. Even if you’re not directing people to your social media for customer support, check those outlets frequently for messages and answer as quickly as possible. When people have a question, it’s best to be able to answer it right away before they become discouraged and navigate away from your website, especially for new customers.

3. Launch a new product. Maybe there’s a product you have been wanting to develop or release, but haven’t had the time or opportunity to develop. With the increased time and flux we are all currently experiencing, this could be a good time to try something new. After all, there are many people with lots of time on their hands looking for things to do, so the market acceptance for a new product might be higher than under normal circumstances. Even the most stoic of us need a break from the day-to-day trials of social distancing and self care to experiment with something new, so don’t be afraid to take a risk.

4. Promote subscriptions. If you can still fulfill orders, consider enabling quarterly, monthly, or weekly subscriptions. If you don’t have the ability to sell subscriptions, consider switching your website to a platform that offers that integration. Subscriptions enable you to build an ongoing revenue stream while also providing a better customer experience — after all, who wants to remember to go online to order a product to replace one that is about to run out?

5. Do pre-sales. If you can’t fulfill orders currently, consider offering customers the option of pre-ordering products that will be shipped later on. This also works to fund future product releases.

6. Get certified. If you’re not certified as a vegan business, consider taking this time to do so.

7. Partner with a nonprofit. Consider donating a portion of your online sales to a cause that’s working to combat the COVID-19 coronavirus. People are not only looking for a way to support businesses, but they’re also feeling helpless and looking for a way to help. By giving people a way to contribute to relief efforts, you’re not only doing a great thing for that organization, but you’re also enabling your customers to do a great thing, too. Consider 5%-10% of sales revenue of every item sold online until further notice. This should be announced on your homepage, on your social media, in your email newsletter, and in every product description.

8. Offer a way to buy gifts for others. During social distancing, many families are separated and friends are out of reach. Offer a way for people to buy gifts that are shipped to someone else. This could be in the form of forwarding a digital gift card to someone else, or by entering a different shipping address during the checkout process.

9. Offer a break to healthcare workers. Healthcare workers are not only on the front lines of this crisis, but they’re also frequently working longer hours under more stressful conditions. They are the heroes risking their lives to save others. Anything we can do to say “Thank You” is not only appreciated, but admirable. Consider offering a discount or free gift to healthcare workers. You can verify whether or not someone is a healthcare worker by asking them to provide a photo of their driver’s license along with proof of employment such as a photo of their security identification badge or a link to their LinkedIN profile. You’ll want to add a field in your online checkout process to explain the process like: “If you’re a healthcare worker and would like [a free gift included with your order / a 10% discount on your order (or insert offer here)] please check this box. We will follow up with you to verify your status via email after your order is placed and your order will be adjusted.” This should be announced on your homepage, on your social media, in your email newsletter, and in every product description.

10. Communicate. If you’re not already collecting email addresses on your website, start doing it. If you already have an email newsletter, use it to tell your customers and fans what’s going on. Social media is a great tool for this, too. Depending on your business, you may want to consider doing video content or live streams, too. People are scarred, and these are uncertain times. We all want to know what’s going on. Providing weekly or daily updates on what’s happening with you or your business shows not only that you’re human, but that you’re in this with the rest of us.

11. Say thank you. People may feel strange ordering from companies during this time. Consider easing these feelings by adding a personalized note as a package insert to thank people for their purchase and support during these times. If you’re worried about the labor of writing personalized notes, consider printing off standardized messages.

12. Practice self care. You’re only as helpful as you are healthy. Isolation can be hard on our physical, psychological, and emotional health. Don’t forget that you’re only human. Work if it feels good, but don’t burn yourself out. Remember to take the weekends as a true break from business to recharge and get ready for the week ahead. Exercise daily. Hydrate. Eat well. Sleep enough.

13. Build community. While we can’t physically gather, we can digitally gather. If you can offer a place or space online for people to come together, consider doing so. This could be in the form of a digital hangout, a Facebook group, or a live chat session.

14. Learn. You can learn from this. Take this time as an educational experience. Try to find the silver lining in the day-to-day problems that you’re solving. Be open to making mistakes, but try not to repeat the same mistake twice. Be flexible and adaptable; remember, insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results. Additionally, if you have the extra time and energy, delve into an area of your business that you need to brush up on.

15. Ask for help. If you or your business is struggling, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Your customers are here for you, just as you’re here for them. It’s important to lean on each other in these times, more than ever. There’s also an ever-enlarging vegan business community — consider joining a group or organization to get the support you need, or reach out to potential collaborators to help you fill in the gaps in your skill set.

Let Us Help

If you’re interested in learning more about how we might be able to help during this time, please contact us.