Addressing Covid-19 Impacts, Challenges and Opportunities for Small Businesses

https://management.pamplin.vt.edu/announcements/covid-19-impacts.html

Topic: Addressing Covid-19 Impacts, Challenges and Opportunities for Small Businesses

Date: Friday, May 29, 2020

Time: 2pm EST

The Webinar Session is to be interactive and here are some of the planned topics to be covered:

Customer [Re]Discovery.   "I'm open again, where are my customers?" Businesses reopening without the availability of a vaccine [or even a proven treatment] may still struggle to attract customers, given both healthcare and financial concerns. How can small businesses rethink how to reach and support customers?

Addressing Small Town Trauma. What ways can Main Street businesses deal with the loss of key events [e.g. graduation, football games, academic conferences] that have historically provided a disproportionately high amount of revenue? What steps can small businesses take to manage cash, human capital, and other key assets in the midst of a prolonged downturn?

Persist or Pivot?  One of the most important attributes of a successful business owner is the ability and willingness to persist through ups and downs. However, it is sometimes absolutely critical for an entrepreneur-owner to "pivot" to alternative decision logics and new business strategies, as well.  In the current environment, what are good ways to think through persisting or pivoting?

Ally to Defy!  Large firms often work with other companies to complement areas of weakness, but smaller businesses do so far less often.  What lessons can small businesses learn from large company alliances that could prove to be decisive in navigating the Covid-19 challenges?  Where are there opportunities to defy those challenges by allying in new ways with complementary and even competitive businesses?

https://virginiatech.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_iufEgFFRTO-lke9x-LXKMw