COVID-19 Guidance: Resources for SMBs

As champions for small businesses, we at Volusion are committed to providing you with helpful information and resources for navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. In this post, we offer a complete resource guide to help SMBs survive the outbreak.

A Message from Volusion’s CEO

Dear Employers & Business Owners,

As COVID-19 has impacted health and businesses around the world, companies have been making tough, yet necessary decisions to protect the health and safety of their employees. As a leading software cloud provider, we have been actively working on new processes, policies, and procedures to ensure the safety of our employees while also delivering the same level of support and service our customers expect.

With the growing health concerns, we have implemented some new guidelines for our employees, including virtual meetings, rescheduling non-essential travel and events, and working remotely. We are also closely coordinating with third-party vendors to ensure that there will be no disruptions to our services. We want to assure you that our platforms are at full functionality with the services and support you are used to receiving from us.

We understand that as business owners yourselves, you may be facing certain challenges during this outbreak. We wish for the health and success of your business and workforce during this trying time. We want you to know that we are committed to doing whatever we can for you and have put the following guidelines in place:

  1. Service & Communication. As a customer, you can expect the same level of service you have received. We have implemented systems that will allow for communication with our team members to remain fully operational.
  2. Availability. Customer, partner, and business meetings will be available and conducted virtually. For most of our customers, this is no different than what you’ve been used to in the past.
  3. Management. Our executive team will meet daily to evaluate any issues or concerns that may arise, opportunities for improvement, and will adjust plans accordingly. We will also continue to monitor guidance from local, national, and worldwide authorities daily and adjust our policies and procedures to ensure that our teams are safe, healthy, and effective at helping all of our customers.

As new updates regarding the COVID-19 virus emerge or if there are changes to our procedures, we will notify you promptly.

Sincerely,

Bardia Dejban, CEO

The State of Online Retail

Source: March survey of 304 U.S. retailers conducted by Digital Commerce 360

Statistics

  • 47% of retailers expect some downside in revenue
  • 58% say the virus will impact consumer confidence
  • 44% of retailers expect product delays
  • 40% of retailers expect inventory shortages
  • 32.7% of respondents said they were avoiding physical stores, and more than half said they’ll avoid them if COVID-19 spreads
  • 34.9% Increase year-over-year in share of consumers reporting online retail purchases

Industry News

Issues SMBs May Face

Source: Jersey City, March 3, 2020 | The Dallas Morning News

1) Financial Hardships

Statistics

  • 27% of U.S. Small Business Owners Believe Coronavirus Will Impact Revenue
  • 52%  of U.S. Small Business Owners say they are taking measures to prepare for an economic slowdown
  • 30% of U.S. Small Business Owners expect the virus to have a moderate to high impact on their supply chain

Industry News

2) Workers, Staff, and Personnel

Industry News

U.S. Chambers of Commerce

3) Supply Chain & Inventory Disruptions

Statistics

  • 74% of small businesses say they are not yet impacted by the pandemic
  • 23% say they are being negatively affected
  • 3% report positive impacts
  • 42% reported seeing slower sales
  • 39% were experiencing supply-chain disruptions

Industry News

4) Brick-and-Mortar Store Closures

Industry News

5) Marketing & Demand Changes

Industry News

Recommendations for Business Owners

Volusion merchant Antonelli's Cheese Shop in Austin, TX

1) Financial Aid

Industry News

Small Business Administration

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

Local/State Government Assistance to SMBs

Ad Credits & Grants

2) Protocol for Workers, Staff, and Personnel

Industry News

U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Legal & Employment Issues

3) Workplace Cleaning & Sanitation

Industry News

United States Department of Labor

4) Mitigate Supply Chain Disruptions

Industry News

5) Maintain Your Online Business

Ecommerce Tips

6) Marketing & Demand/Strategies & Spend

Strategies

Tips

7) Planning for the Future

Industry News

U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Funding & Credit

8) Avoiding COVID-19 Scams

Industry News

Organizational News

9) How to Support Small Business Right Now

Industry News

Charitable

10) Free Work-Remote Tools

Business

Communication

Content & Project Management Systems

Online Productivity Tools