8 Tips To Keep Your Business Afloat While In Lock Down

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It is a challenging time for business owners. Those of us who rely on our loyal customer base to keep our households up and running are either having to adapt to the changing times or floundering and failing, wondering what to do next.

Worrying about losing sales and a loyal customer base are thoughts that weigh heavily on our minds. It is quite easy to get caught in a downward spiral and become overwhelmed with increasing financial obligations, loss of business, and the changing face of business that is now adopting the “new norm” as dictated by society.

How to survive and thrive while in lock down

Those business owners who are meeting challenges head-on and adapting to constantly changing circumstances are the ones who will see their businesses thrive through lock down and beyond. If you want to be one of those to rise to the top, even amidst changing circumstances, follow these simple tips to stay ahead while in lock down:

  1. Think about consulting

If you happen to have a bit more technologically savvy than other business owners, consider becoming a consultant for others. Some will need help with automating systems; others will need help transitioning their business transactions to online activities. Think about offering this aspect of your experience to others, and you may find a profitable “side business” that can grow with the times.

  1. Take on digital marketing projects

Traditional marketing practices may be a thing of the past; we need to look at the here and now, and what options are available to us to ensure that our businesses stay afloat. Learning to digitize our marketing strategy will help your business be more visible to the millions of potential customers who are now online all day. Take the opportunity to embrace change and see what marvelous results await.

  1. What about online teaching?

Surely there are other business owners out there who are so firmly ensconced in brick-and-mortar operations that they don’t see how to survive during this time. Share your expertise and offer short courses to others that can help them move forward as well. It’s a win-win situation for all.

  1. Begin freelancing projects

More than ever, there is a massive call for jobs related to translation, writing, graphic design, marketing, and sales. If you find your business lagging a bit, consider taking up some freelancing projects in your wheelhouse of expertise and making some cash to get you through to the next phase of business development.

  1. Connect to your customers

You might not be having face to face conversations with customers right now, but there are ways that you can connect with potential customers and even attract additional ones by increasing your online presence. You can do this by:

  • Sending out blast emails
  • Increasing your quality content via blogs and social media posts
  • Offering information of value in exchange for email addresses

Stretch your skills, share your stories, and connect with customers in a way you hadn’t previously done before. Customers value authentic, real communication with you, and you’ll inspire their loyalty—and their business–by continuing to communicate with them regularly.

  1. Fancy yourself a “YouTuber”

How about marketing yourself on YouTube? You’ve seen thousands of videos from influencers who are selling products and services via this platform, and they are doing it well! Changing up the way you reach people will inevitably expand your customer base, even in these trying times. You CAN teach old dogs new tricks; upload a few simple how-to videos and see what it can do to bring in business.

  1. Focus on your blog

Quality content sells, especially when it can drive your SEO rankings. Sites like Google, Yahoo, and Bing have a very strategic process of looking for keywords. The more keywords you can provide relative to what people are looking for, the more likely you’ll rise to the top on search engine pages. You’ll want to be on the first page of any search engine, as most customers don’t float past that one as they look for products and services relative to their search. If you have a quality blog, you are not only providing customers with information of value; you are ensuring that you can be found by those looking for your wonderful products! Not too savvy with writing? Hire someone to seamlessly provide blog content, and that will be one aspect of marketing that you can take off your plate.

  1. Take care of your employees

These are uncertain times, and if your employees feel insecure about where they stand with you, they may jump ship. It is now more important and essential than ever to let your employees know that they are valued, heard, and respected. Look for opportunities to give them extra training, opportunities for connection, ways to keep making money even when the future of your business seems uncertain. If you let them know how important they are to your business’s future, they will be more likely to stick with you in hard times.

While no one knows what the future of our economy really looks like, it will be essential to maintain flexibility, adaptability, and a positive attitude in the weeks and months to come. Rise to the challenge, embrace change and growth, and see what marvelous opportunities unfold before you. Best of luck to you in all of your business endeavors!

12 Simple Home Workouts To Keep Healthy

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Content Written & Provided By: Derek Gauthier – Managing editor at Surf Hungry

Woman wearing shorts and top doing pushups near sofaIf you don’t have the time or energy to hit the gym, there are still indoor exercises to stay healthy. Whether you have a busy schedule, it’s a winter month, or a worldwide pandemic is keeping you inside the house, there are tons of workouts you can still do at the comfort of your home.

There are simple and cheap ways to get fit and toned without going outside the house.

Indoor Exercises to Stay Healthy

There is no reason to skip your exercise and workout routines if you can’t go outside. Here are ten of the best yet simple indoor exercises to stay healthy. You don’t even need to have a complete gym room at home to do these things.

#1. The Plank

Toning your core is something you can do at home or even in your bedroom. It doesn’t require any expensive gym equipment to do as well. One of the best indoor exercises to stay healthy is planking. It’s a great exercise to boost your core muscles in the cheapest way possible.

All you need is to get in a push-up position, but instead of bending your arms to do a couple of push-ups, just hold yourself in that place for a couple of seconds or until you can. Rest and repeat. Do that every day and add at least ten seconds each day, and your core will start building up before you know it.

#2. Push-Ups

If you want to work on increasing the strength of your upper body, doing push-ups is one of the fundamental exercises you can do. It doesn’t need any equipment as well, plus, you can perform it anytime you are free.

Push-ups can work a couple of your muscles, including the triceps, anterior deltoid, and pectoralis major. Start with five repetitions every day, and that would be enough, but if you can do more, much better.

#3. Lunges

If you are looking for some indoor exercises to stay healthy and to strengthen your legs, making lunges is one of the best options.

You don’t have to go to the gym during leg days when you can make lunges at the comfort of your home. If you want more challenge in your workout routine, you can also hold a couple of weights while making lunges. Your legs will feel the intense burn the next day, but making lunges every other day will boost your leg strength in no time.

#4. Dancing

Dancing can be very active, which makes it one of the awesome indoor exercises to stay healthy. You don’t need any equipment to start dancing, but good music in the background will do you good.

Staying fit while inside the house doesn’t have to be boring and repetitive, and dancing is the perfect solution. It’s a great exercise to burn calories while you remain to have fun. Pick your favorite music and start dancing until your heart’s desire.

#5. Jumping Rope

If you have a jump rope at home, that will make a great companion in doing one of the simplest indoor exercises to stay healthy. Even kids can do it. A jump rope would do a great cardio workout at home with the entire family.

It’s effortless to do but can make you out of breath after a couple of minutes.

#6. Jumping Jacks

If you don’t have a jump rope, there’s no problem. You can always do jumping jacks. It’s a simple but awesome cardio workout like the jump rope, but without any equipment needed. Plus, you can do jumping jacks anytime and anywhere in the house, even while you are watching your favorite sports game or reality TV show. It’s a great workout if you don’t have a lot of time as well.

#7. Crunches

Another one of the simple and no-cost indoor exercises to stay healthy is doing crunches. It’s a great exercise to build up your core, and very easy to do as well.

To do crunches, lie down on your back with both your feet planted on the ground. Then, place your arms behind your head or across your chest and start lifting your upper body. Make sure you are keeping your neck and head relaxed, and don’t forget to breathe while doing a couple of repetitions.

#8. Weights

You don’t have to go to the gym for back, shoulder, and arm strength training. There are tons of indoor exercises to stay healthy, such as lifting weights. If you have dumbbells or kettle bells at home, those will work great. However, if you don’t have any of those, there’s no problem too. You can make water bottle weights at home by filling those empties with water.

You can also top up the amount of water each time you workout.

#9. Balance Boards

Another one of the excellent indoor exercises to stay healthy is using a balance board. This workout has tons of benefits. For one, balance boards help increase your functional strength, which ultimately minimizes your risk of developing injuries. It also helps reduce back pain and improve your posture.

Balance boards are also excellent if you are looking for exercises to boost your body awareness and coordination. You may look like you’re playing while using a balance board, but it helps in burning calories too. Plus, they’re great for learning how to balance on your fish surfboards.

#10. Squats

One of the simple indoor workouts you can do is squats. This fundamental move provides one of the best payoffs when it comes to strength improvement and burning calories. Doing squats can work your quads, hamstrings, and glutes.

If you need more challenge in doing squats, you can also use any resistance while doing the routine.

#11. Power Punching

You don’t need to go to the gym to do power punching. It’s one of the easiest indoor workout routines that can help tone your shoulder and arms while also improving your circulation. Power punching is a great way to burn calories too.

#12. Stair Stepping

Going up and down the stairs can be a great exercise to do while indoors. It’s another simple way to get active and stay healthy inside the house. Even without stairs at home, you can still create a platform where you can step up and down, like a sturdy chair or a layer of large books.

Being cooped up in the house doesn’t mean you need to forgo being active and staying fit. These are 12 simple but great indoor exercises to stay healthy and toned even without going to the gym.

Author Bio: Derek Gauthier is an avid surfer living in Southern California and likes to spend his free time biking along the Pacific Coast Highway and reading up on the latest outdoor magazines. He is also a managing editor at Surf Hungry.