Reinvent Yourself During Covid-19
Part 4 of 5 of my blog series titled How to Thrive as a Small Business During Covid-19 has a lot to do with the word REINVENT.
[Keep reading..…business brand planner printable below as well as examples of how 2 businesses have reinvented themselves during Covid-19 times.]
Sixty days ago these words weren’t used in everyday vocabulary…
Has this time in isolation inspired you to start that business that you’ve always dreamed of? Have you thought about a new business model or a way to do your job in a new and different way? This Great Pause could be just the thing that you needed to boost your creative juices!
It’s also a great time to think about future branding and what that may look like, whether you do it with a professional or DIY it yourself! Below are some general guidelines to help you do your own Flatlay or your own shoot so you can have plenty of content!
For your own photos, use your cell phone and use a tripod with a remote like this one, or a selfie stick like this one. Another option is to crown someone else in the family photographer for the day!
DIY Branding shoot
Turn off all overhead lights and find the best light in the house. Have your face looking outside but play around with the angle.
Switch from Normal Mode to Portrait Mode.
Switch from Natural Light to Studio Light.
Click the ‘f’ on the top right corner and bring the background ‘blur’ down from 4.5 to around 2 to 2.8 or so.
Select your timer and choose 3 or 10 seconds which will just give you a few more seconds to get camera ready.
Hit the shutter button and get ready to smile!
Consider adding a prop like a coffee mug, or even a kiddo.
You can edit it right in your phone’s software, or download Lightroom on your phone.
DIY Flatlay
Find a white base (tablecloth, poster board etc).
Choose your location with good light but play around with the right time of day depending on the location. Open your front door or go near your slider and have the elements facing outside so the light shines to the side or straight onto your products.
Pull some props, taking into consideration texture, depth and composition. Additional ideas are your business card, a laptop, planner, coffee mug, office supplies or a blanket. There are so many ideas and there is no right way to compose it.
Choose Normal Mode so you don’t cause additional blur. Hold your phone right over the top and snap away! Don’t forget to clean the lens.
You can edit it right in your phone’s software, or download Lightroom on your phone.
Business Spotlight: These businesses have reinvented how they do business during Covid-19.
Heart & Hair
One company who has evolved their business model is Heart + Hair who provides alternative hair loss solutions for women (i.e. wigs & top of the head extensions). Like many other businesses impacted by the “shelter in place” mandate, business slowed way down. Heart + Hair launched a weekly Happy Hour via Zoom https://heartandhair.com/happy-hour/ which brings the hair loss community together for sisterhood and education. This has been a wonderful way for them to stay relevant and in service to women with hair loss.
Kombucha On Tap
Another example of how a local company has reinvented themselves during these times is home delivery of cold brew and kombucha. When the economy closed, Kombucha On Tap’s kombucha keg delivery business dried up. After quickly getting a separate website up, they are managing to stay afloat by offering free doorstep delivery! They even have a program where you can gift growlers of kombucha or cold brew coffee to local healthcare workers and first responders. Doorstep delivery ordering here: https://orderkombucha.com/
On another note, Deanne has a Podcast called In Happier News and has a few awesome podcasts regarding only positive stories surrounding Covid! How wonderful is that?
