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3 critical ways to handle any business crisis
The coronavirus is proving that crises are an inevitable part of life, so naturally, they’re an inevitable part of a business. Small businesses tend to have more at stake during a crisis.
Sometimes an order will ship late, threatening a relationship with a client. One lost client or customer can be the difference between making it to the end of the year and needing to cut staff or overhead. One bad computer could end an entire company when things are on a smaller scale.
Because seemingly small issues can make a huge impact on small businesses, it’s important to know how to manage crises as they come up. Thankfully, Dell Small Business can help.
Stay on top of things
When it comes to technology, you’ll want to make sure you’re prepared with the right people and resources to help you weather any storm. Small businesses have a real partner in Dell.
Dell wants small businesses to succeed and offers special deals on its products, along with an entire department — Dell Small Business Central — to help small businesses with technology-related questions and issues.
Check out tips gleaned from Dell’s Inside Sales Director Burt Powers. He explains how to skillfully manage a small business crisis below. These three suggestions should help you in the majority of situations. But if you want to speak with an advisor today, call 877-Buy-Dell and help your business flourish.
1. To get through the crisis, stay calm
When a person panics, they’re not thinking clearly. Fear takes over and decisions can be made haphazardly or with missing information. In a crisis, the need to make the source of the panic stop can overtake rational thought.
One of the best things you can do in a moment of crisis is taking a deep breath and remain calm.
Don’t focus on what could go wrong. Instead, focus on what you can do moment-to-moment. If customers are calling to complain that a big shipment had a glaring flaw, set your best staff on the phones and decide what you will give customers as an apology gift or deal.
Burt Powers believes the better you are at keeping your cool, the faster you’ll be out of the crisis. Powers explains Dell works hard to keep focused during outages and other crises with its equipment to help small business owners maintain control as well.
2. Plan ahead
Some crises can be anticipated. Not necessarily to the exact time and affected customer, but some businesses come with some predictable difficulties or risks.
In a small business that hand-wraps each of its products before sending them out, it’s possible to run out of packaging materials or encounter incidents when employees accidentally break the products while wrapping them.
What can a small business do in a moment like this and what can it do to prevent it? If a small business owner considers the possible issues that could arise, they’ll be prepared for worst-case scenarios before they manifest.
Powers gives a three-point piece of advice to all small businesses for planning ahead.
First, when a business works with Dell, he makes sure Dell doesn’t just provide businesses with immediate technological needs. He plans for future needs as well. It’s good practice to make a similar plan with your own business.
Second, think about the security of your tech and the data your business accumulates. Your data is important and valuable, not just to your business but also to others.
A small business is less likely to have expensive resources to keep data safe, so think about what your business is able to accomplish with its security methods.
Third, think about ways to make sure your small business has immediate capital available. Dell has business credit and leasing options for its products, allowing for small businesses to have some financial flexibility.
Thinking about how and when to spend money requires planning ahead, so make sure to always look on the horizon and have a contingency plan at the ready for serious incidents.
3. Have an expert IT partner
We live in a digital age. Entire businesses exist solely on the internet. Computers aren’t just a helpful office feature, they’re the No. 1 necessity. You need good, reliable tech to work well in this day and age, and you need people who know how to work it and fix it.
Make sure the place you get your tech has a reliable reputation. A reliable company will be right at your side during a crisis — which benefits small businesses that can only afford so many risks.
Dell keeps its focus on problem-solving with the application of its technologies, finding gaps in a company’s needs, and also planning for what comes next. On top of that, Dell is there to answer your questions and provide assistance through its ProSupport and ProSupport Plus services.
Support specialists are always available to help with any tech-related problems and issues customers might have while working with Dell.
Powers boasts there’s actually an individual in Dell’s small business team whose only job is to help navigate customers through the steps of care, tech and ownership experience resolutions.
Dell knows both technology and small businesses. You can worry a little less during a crisis with an expert IT partner on your side by calling 877-Buy-Dell and speaking with an adviser today.
Don’t forget to check out Dell’s business deals and get started on your journey to optimizing your business for whatever life throws your way.
Get tech advice and a one-on-one partnership to help your business grow with Dell.
Tags: Dell Small Business, internet, partnership, security, small businesses, technology
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