Whitewed Advise: Thinking ahead for 2022!

Here at Whitewed, I work with engaged couples, wedding venues and suppliers alike, and 13 years in the industry and many thousands of contacts means I have a true and realistic view into how both sides of the industry react, perform, cope, and what their processes, challenges and wins are.

Whilst not welcomed, this second lockdown period should be flipped on its head and seen as a great opportunity. Never in our lives do we get a reset opportunity – and we’ve been given two in the space of less than a year!

It’s a time for reflection, and a time for planning for 2022 and beyond.

Let’s think back to March when the first lockdown was announced, we didn’t know what to expect; we panicked; we had to make a series of quick and difficult decisions; we had to deal with the deluge of postponements and cancellations that followed…and we had to pivot and find new ways to make money, and quickly!

It was tough, we hadn’t experienced anything of this nature before and our mental health took as much of a battering as our businesses…but we’ve come a long way, and this time there is definitely an air of calm. We’ve done it before, we know what to expect, we’ve built up our resources, reserves and resilience and we’re ready to bounce back as soon as we can re-open.

So, let’s take advantage of this calm, let’s flip it to a positive and use this time as clear headspace to plan ahead before Christmas is upon us and our time is not ours.

Never again will there be an opportunity for you to completely re-evaluate your business, for you to make changes for you rather than for your clients – and this is the silver lining of Covid.

Positive vaccine news is on the horizon, but I would still err on the side of caution for next year and be prepared for your diary to potentially change again – so start to concentrate on your plan of action for Summer 2022 onwards – which let’s face it, is only 18 months away.

In light of Covid’s impact, you will have made a great many changes to your business already – these measures may have been intended as temporary ‘fixes’ to see you through when put into place – but now is the time to evaluate them and decide where they fit in your business going forwards, question whether they have turned into new passions or are to be cast aside, and work out how profitable they really are, as headless chickens we are not!

Below are my top 5 actions for the here and now:

Evaluate

If you pivoted, or developed new ways of delivering your existing products and services during these Covid times – high 5!

These changes will have seen you through the pandemic rollercoaster – but now is the time to evaluate how successful they have been.

We are 9 months in, and your changes have had time to bed in, so it’s now time to work out if they should stay on your product / service list, be adjusted or discarded.

Are they profitable, do they work for you, do you enjoy them, how do they fit within your existing business model?

Training

Evaluating your products and services and the way that you run your business will always highlight your training needs. Perhaps you haven’t been able to go virtual due to having no experience or understanding of the virtual world. Perhaps you haven’t sold your new products or services as much as you would have liked because your social media and marketing skills need brushing up.

Now is a great time to do some learning! Normally there is no time, but now is perfect – and there are soooo many great courses out there, many of which are free.

Whatever your training needs are, go and look up some courses and get cracking!

Branding

Does the visual brand that you have created for your business still stand up to the level of your products and services that you are offering now? Is it still relevant? Do the colours still work? Does it feel like it will appeal to your current consumer? Has your business evolved and the two no longer fit?

On average, most businesses rebrand every 7 years – however I feel that a review of your brand every 5 years works well. In 5 years, it’s very likely that your offering will have developed and changed (you will have too), and in order to stay passionate about how your business is seen by the world, regularly considering a refresh is a good thing to do.

It’s likely that your business has had to change during the pandemic period – for some it may just be behind the scenes processes, for many it will be a completely new set of products and services – whatever those changes are, a brand refresh could take your business up to the next level…and if nothing else, it will mentally set you up for a positive revival post Covid.

Remember, rebranding must be done right – it has to show progression from where you started, it must be done professionally and rolled out properly across all of your platforms. No re-using old leaflets and banners with an old logo on please!

…and don’t forget that your branding applies to you too. Have you considered a brand photo shoot? Professional images are so powerful in the business world, and they will ensure that you always put your best ‘you’ out there…and first impressions really do count, especially online right now!

Services Explanation

All too often, it’s easy to get busy with your new products and services as a result of quick social media updates and word of mouth BUT that doesn’t sustain your business long term, so don’t forget to update your website and your directory pages with your latest offering.

Potential customers go on a journey, and if you’re not fully showcasing your offering on your website then you’re missing a trick as you have potentially lost a sale…or an upsell to an existing customer!

It takes time, but it’s a quick win to getting more money in the bank!

Accounts

Now more than ever, you must prioritise your accounts and keep them totally up to date. It’s been a difficult year and for most of you the accounts won’t look healthy – but knowledge is power so give yourself that control and keep them up to date and plan for the future.

Look ahead into 2021 and consider your potential income and expenditure for the next year, and set yourself targets for not just meeting them, but breaking them! In my experience, a target set is a target achieved!

Also, 31^st January will be here before we know it, so get your self-assessment done and submitted ahead of time and get it off your list!

Times are still tough, and the rollercoaster is real – but taking control and reassessing where you are in your business is the key to keeping the passion and the ‘why’ ignited. You can do it. You can get to the other side. It will be worth it

That's it from me and please do take this time for reflection in order to grow in the long-term.

Kindest, 

Natalie Lovett, Director of The Whitewed Directory