Retail expert from Havant urges businesses to 'think outside the box' to survive coronavirus

John Dyer, from Sirius Concepts, a marketing and signage firm in Havant, said that while business is uncertain, many are already thinking of ways to relaunch.

He said: ‘Running a small business or being self-employed has challenges in the best of times, let alone in the current situation.

‘The world has been paused and overnight, particularly in retail and leisure, people are spending little or no money and there’s no end in sight. Through no other reason than Covid-19, I’ve had live projects postponed, with no date penned to go live again.

‘Probably for the first time in business history, the usual suspects of politicians, world leaders, banks, budgets or global power house companies can't be blamed for the economic downturn, so we have no choice but to adapt.

‘I’ve seen many pubs, restaurants and shops coming up with new ways to keep their business going and their brands alive by offering deliveries, collections, online blogs and all manners of creative ideas.

‘My business has also had to quickly adapt. Instead of fabricating and installing signage, we are making safety screens for hotel reception desks. Instead of printing internal branding, we are supplying safety information posters and floor graphics to encourage social distancing.

‘I’ve received more rebrand enquiries this month than all of last year combined, so businesses can make the most of the lockdown time, plan and launch fresh when this is all over.

‘Small or large, companies need to find a way to survive and I believe these testing times will make businesses think outside the box like never before and consider new ways to start, build or even maintain a business.

‘When else are we going to have time to sit at home, brainstorm, build ideas and indeed save lives in the process? We need to make the most of this free time as it will (hopefully) never happen again.’

John has more than 20 years experience working within the retail and leisure industry. He now designs and manages interior projects, predominantly for Hilton plus independent bars and restaurants.