Member Article

Northwich firm is teaching businesses how to ‘keep calm and trade on’ during COVID-19

A Northwich based award-winning virtual PA service franchise company which has offices around the country is supporting business owners by offering alternative ways to continue trading whilst COVID-19 puts normal business on hold.
Pink Spaghetti PA Services was set up by local mums Caroline Gowing and Vicky Matthews ten years ago to support small businesses with a range of services from social media to project planning and management. Each local Pink Spaghetti business, (45 in total) is run from home making them ‘home working’ experts. They are now reaching out and advising worried businesses owners on how to reach customers during these uncertain times of social isolation.
The service has been putting together emergency ‘communication packs’ for clients who need to ‘keep calm and trade on’; and demand for their services is growing. Only 2% of businesses normally operate from home but this number has skyrocketed in the past few weeks. Most businesses do not know where to start. They do not know how to set themselves up, what systems to use or how to maintain a team environment, run meetings and engage with customers from a distance. Vicky Matthews of Pink Spaghetti comments: “I am not at all surprised that business owners don’t know where to start. We are experts at working from home. This is the cornerstone of our business and as result we are really well set up to help others during periods of self-isolation. “Although this is a worrying time for us all it’s also an opportunity for businesses to reinvent their customer service and help keep some normality in our everyday lives.” Pink Spaghetti teams are also supporting clients in harnessing the power of social media to engage with customers so they can ‘keep calm and keep trading’. A children’s entertainer is being helped to diversify the delivery of their service and is now holding virtual birthday parties using video streaming technology.
Vicky comments: “By thinking outside of the box, business owners can not only retain their existing customers but may also find new ones. Now that schools are closed, children will still want to celebrate their birthdays despite being home alone and this is a great example of how to adapt your business to these extraordinary times.” Pink Spaghetti is also advising clients to stress the importance of vital COVID-19 customer communication - mentioning deliveries that will be left without contact, hygiene procedures and how to get in touch. Vicky adds: “Our pickup and put down service can support worried business owners now. From online order forms to newsletters, we’re keeping our customers trading by putting a COVID-19 communications plan in place - leaving them time to do what they do best.” Pink Spaghetti has also drafted an online guide for people who are now finding themselves having to work from home.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Charlotte Gribbin .