A week ago, I saw a handful of posts on the Corona-virus while scrolling through my social media feeds, and to be honest, I didn’t think too much about it at the time.

While scrolling this morning, however, literally every other post I read is about the pandemic.

I went to the store today to do my regular weekly shopping. There was no toilet paper. There was no hand sanitizer. There were no antibacterial cleaning wipes. There was a limited amount of diapers. There was a limited amount of canned goods.

So, as your average citizen, I’m starting to feel as though, like it or not, this thing is going to have some sort of impact on my life.

And for those in the travel industry, that risk might be even greater. Major events are being canceled. Conferences are getting postponed. So, if you’re in the travel and tourism industry, you may be starting to feel seriously concerned.

While I can’t offer any advice that will have an impact on our economic situation, I can make some suggestions to businesses who are concerned about the virus’ impact on their operation.

Align with your community

Right now, more than ever, it is important to support and work with your local community resources. Area chambers of commerce are a great way to start. A chamber of commerce can help ensure your business name stays top of mind. They can also provide you with useful information regarding how to deal with your employees and operations during this time, as they are likely getting useful information passed down to them from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Keep your social media presence active

Your phones might be ringing less. You may have fewer customers utilizing your services. And you may be changing your hours of operation to accommodate these changes. But that doesn’t mean your online presence needs to take a step back, too.

You are an expert in your industry – make sure your customer base knows that. Regularly post on social media. Remind customers you are still a resource to them. If you do change your business hours, make sure to inform your customers of those changes. If you feel customers are concerned about using your services due to the virus, remind them what steps your business is taking to combat its spread.

Send out press releases with any updates. This will help your customers by providing them with useful information, and it will help you, too. It will remind customers you are still there, ready to serve them.

Stay calm

This advice is universal. Stay calm. Wash your hands. Stay at home if you’re feeling sick. Avoid large crowds where possible. And remind your customers to do the same.

Of course, if the idea of writing your own press release seems daunting, you can always contact us at On Your Mark Transportation, LLC.  Contact us a 615-669-0107.