It was a week ago on Monday, March 16th that Nova Scotians started to get really serious about flattening the curve of  Covid-19. 

Here at Forward Creative we are extremely thankful to those who have stayed on the front lines supporting healthcare and essential services. We continue to be inspired by many compassionate acts in our community and we are dedicated to contributing our energy during these difficult times. 

We decided to create free e-stores for as many businesses as we could within our capacity. We posted this on social media last week. Since then Atlantic Business Magazine, AllNovaScotia.com, MLAs, influencers, and community members have helped to spread the word. Everyday we are having interesting conversations with entrepreneurs to discuss potential e-stores, current business dilemmas and marketing initiatives. 

We are currently fully engaged to help several diverse small businesses navigate and adapt to e-store/delivery transactions. We are wait-listing as we work through these projects, so please don’t hesitate to reach out still. 

For those of you wondering how your business can adapt and thrive during these times of social distancing, here are a few common questions we are asked:

• What if my business space is too small or has too many employees to allow for safe social distancing? Health and safety comes first. If you cannot operate your business online while responsibly social distancing and allowing your employees to work from home, it is time to close. Take this down time to re-evaluate your business and look for new sustainable solutions. 

• What if my business service is largely performed in-person? Now is the time to reach out to an online audience and show them your creativity. Can you offer consults online? Can you use an online platform for networking? Can your website be equipped with Live Chat?

• How can I get the word out there that I’m online? There are many avenues to market your online business. Engage consistently on social media platforms. Start learning what SEM and SEO can do to make your business grow. Engage with local influencers who will share your business updates.

• What if I don’t know how to operate an online store? Talk to industry specialists and do some research online. Talk to other businesses that have already taken this step to learn what is working well. Start a small online store with your most popular items. You can build on this. Before launching you will need to consider your terms and conditions and payment portals. Then let your customer base know where to find you. Engage and communicate to make yourself visible in the marketplace.

It is our passion to help and promote local businesses to keep our communities strong and thriving.  We look forward to sharing updates on this free e-store project and the businesses we are working with in the coming weeks.

Stay home and stay healthy!