Photo by **Amina Filkins** from **Pexels**

Starting your business in a post-pandemic world can feel a little like you're the first person who ever tried learning how to swim. What guarantees do you have that you won't step in and sink clear to the bottom of the lake?

Fears of this nature are common when you consider the instability the pandemic forced on so many people (financial, emotional, and personal relationships). Pushing past all that to the business itself, there are three common fears likely to hold you back, and they must be dealt with.

Here are seven tips on starting your business in a post-pandemic world.

What’s Holding You Back

Fearing Relapse

It's entirely possible that COVID-19 or variants of it are here to stay. Even if they aren't, the abrupt cancellation of life-as-you-knew-it is liable to keep you from taking certain risks that you should be taking.

Risk tolerance is necessary for any business owner. Without it, you'll never get started.

Overextending On Brick and Mortar

You need a physical location in which to do business but are afraid another pandemic lockdown could keep away the foot traffic you need to survive. That's an intimidating thought when you're looking at a commercial real estate lease.

Adopting Online Strategies

For many, running an online business is still a little like witchcraft. The terminology, the metrics, the fear of a negative review: all these things can prevent you from dipping your toe into the waters. As a result, you end up leaving a lot of opportunity on the table and spending way too much on outdated modes of marketing.

How to Overcome Your Fears

Now that we've dealt with the concerns that are likely to persist in your post-pandemic business, let's talk about the strategies that will help you push past all that. Follow these seven steps, and you'll be prepared for anything.

1. Get a Digital Strategy

Having a digital strategy for your business was a great idea before the pandemic, but in this post-pandemic world, it is essential. You have to be out there with your website, social media channels, e-commerce systems, and email lists.

Furthermore, you have to find ways to use your digital strategy to improve the lives of your customers, specifically how they interact with and purchase from your brand. Starting your own business today requires a budget for digital strategy, but don't think throwing money at it is the answer either.

You need to get your hands dirty. Figure out what your audience is saying, and engage with them. That goes for the positive and negative comments.

2. Prepare Geographically

Most businesses were unprepared for how the pandemic would affect their overhead when it first broke out in the US in early 2020. Large office buildings went empty as most workers had to dial in remotely.

Some companies found office space to no longer be necessary. There was a lot of scrambling that a post-pandemic business no longer has to do. Now you can plan for it.

If you're starting your own business now, take some time to really assess how much of your geographical needs are necessary. Restaurants might still find specific locations (and location sizes) to be advantageous while other types of businesses might enjoy the work-from-home environment.

Photo by Tracy Le Blanc from Pexels — Photo by **Tracy Le Blanc** from **Pexels**

3. Develop a Communications Business Plan

For new entrepreneurs, communication is everything. It's central to consumer education, timely announcements, customer service issues, and business adjustments. Developing a clear communications strategy is more necessary than ever before because your customers could be anywhere, whether it be:

Facebook
TikTok
Twitter
Pinterest
LinkedIn

It doesn't stop there either. They can find you walking by your brick-and-mortar location or seeing a billboard, watching an interview on a local news station. The possibilities are endless, and you have to be prepared on all fronts.

4. Stay Plugged Into the World Around You

The funds for a business can come from many different places, and you have to keep your ear to the ground to make sure you don't miss out on any of it. Stay abreast of current events and congressional bills that might affect businesses in your position. Currently, the American Rescue Plan provides some small business funds that might benefit you.

5. Be Benevolent

One thing the pandemic has highlighted in communities and social media groups across the country is the need for kindness and self-care. People are still feeling the effects of the pandemic, and it could be years before they ever have the same sense of security and comfort that they once did.

Businesses that give back to their communities aren't just good corporate citizens. They're the types of businesses that the people in your community will want to do business with.

Photo by Pixabay from Pexels — Photo by **Pixabay** from **Pexels**

6. Look For New Opportunities

While the pandemic closed some businesses, it also opened up opportunities for others. Many distilleries were able to stay afloat during the height of the pandemic by making hand sanitizer, assessing their abilities and overcoming difficult times.

The world faced dramatic change at every level in 2020, and no location or sector was left unaffected. This can be a good thing if you leave your business open to the new opportunities that will inevitably arise as a result.

7. Leave No Demographic Behind

While it takes innovation and foresight to stay ahead of business trends, you can't afford to forget about the demographics that are out there. And newsflash: they're not all Millennials or Generation Z.

In fact, Generation X has just surpassed Boomers in wealth, according to Insurance Journal. They also stand to benefit from the transfer of wealth from the Boomer generation as the latter population grows older and begins to die off.

The lesson here is clear. Make it easy for every generation to give you their money. Be willing to shepherd older generations into new e-commerce systems, but continue to embrace traditional methods of growth.

Starting Your Business Now Brings New Opportunities

Starting your business in a post-pandemic world is an exciting time because you have a chance to capitalize on existing trends. You also can let go of any baggage that might have accompanied older business practices in your community or sector.

When you're ready to get on your way, focus on your digital strategy as well as bringing along the traditional business practices that work for your location or market. Always look for new opportunities, whether that be revenue or charitable giving.

Ready to get going, but feel like you need a little extra insight along the way? Tamika Stewart has been helping business owners succeed for more than 17 years and can guide you as well. Contact her today to schedule your appointment.

7 Tips on Starting Your Business in a Post-Pandemic World