Thread by @greaterbayo

Re-think Products, Processes & Services

My wife has a friend who sells fabrics. She has an array of very good fabrics in her store. She also has a good online presence especially on the gram. Her store's name was well crafted- an indication of good thinking.

But then Covid 19 happened. And with it the lockdown.

So nobody bought fabrics again during the period. Her very busy outlet was shut just like other businesses. Yet, her rent was running. She couldn't sell on the gram. There were no hits on her page.

People were interested in only essentials- things necessary for survival. No sale was closed. Yet there were bills to be paid.

She had a period of introspection. What else can she do? How can she re-invent herself or her business?

When you're down, it's the ability to think on your feet that is often crucial. That capacity to think without the box is often the key to turning failure around to success.

This evening, my wife shared the news. She just took delivery of a lot of pepper, tomatoes and the likes from Mile 12 without going to Mile 12. You see, her friend who sold fabrics reached out to people on her contact list. She told them she can do their shopping for them.

Brilliant idea though not exactly nouveau. But the catch? Avoid body to body contact during this pandemic. Stay safe while doing your shopping. Get everything you want from the comfort of your home without exposing yourself to any risk.

So she shopped for her contacts- strictly pepper, tomatoes, onions and the likes for now. She's a Personal Pepper Shopper (PPS). She added her mark up. Her clients took delivery via Uber which they willingly paid for.

A little extra for comfort, avoiding traffic and the usually bustling Mile 12 market. She not only met their physical needs- she touched something at the very core of her clients: their health and safety.

My wife got her order via Uber on the island.

A satisfied customer. Madam Personal Pepper Shopper, who stays on the mainland, is excited at how she re-invented her business. She even dispatched orders to several clients today- in Ketu, Magodo and other areas. She never has to bother about the poor fabric sales again.

One door closes and another opens. Every crisis provides an opportunity.

The take-aways?

This pandemic is not necessarily what should destroy your business. We just need to re-think our products, processes and services. Do you need to tweak your products?

Do you need to review your processes? Do you need to overhaul your services? Do you need to change your focus? Re-invent your business. Think on your feet. Most times, you don't even need complex ideas. The problem is that many ideas are too simple that we simply ignore them.

Look out for the critical needs around you and think of how to meet them. See how you can leverage on the concerns of your immediate contacts. Offer to solve problems and your money is in providing solutions to those problems. Look for a small niche and start.

The growth might be slow but ensure it's steady. Be consistent in delivering value so you can get referrals. And for those who think lack of capital is their major hindrance to setting up a business? A lack of clear thinking will hinder you more than a perceived lack of capital.

The greatest capital you need is a thinking capital and not financial capital.

Stop doing a pity party about how the pandemic has affected you. It only affected your business and not your brain.

Re-think!

© Bayo Adeyinka

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