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Pivot Your Business To Run Online: How Jenny Did It

Mar 15, 2020 | Business Skills

Challenging times can mean it’s time to look at how you run your business, and often a great solution is to pivot your business to run online.

I’m going to share a little story that I hope will give you all a bit of hope today:

My good friend Jenny runs kids activity classes and dance classes – they’re all in-person, group classes that parents/carers come to enjoy with their kids. Great bonding time, messy play, singing, fun classes that kids love, and they’re great for the parents too, always with such a lovely, welcoming, friendly atmosphere for parents and kids. (If you’re local, you know exactly who I mean! ❤️)

I’ve been to lots of the classes over the years and would meet up with friends before/after classes for a cuppa and a catch up, they’re often a bit of a lifeline for parents that are struggling with family life in all honesty!

The dance classes are amazing too, lots of groups of all ages doing really cool street dance funky routines – with 160 kids!

And she also does THE most amazing themed kids birthday parties!!

Poor Jenny was feeling crushed on Friday night and really worrying that the business she’s built up over the years was quite simply not going to make it through Coronavirus.

Here’s part of what she wrote on her FB page:

“Aside from health worries I then look to the business I’ve literally put blood, sweat, tears and more into over the last few years. The next few months could see it all wash away! And no I’m not being dramatic! Isolation, which of course will have to happen to keep our loved ones safe means no classes, which means no revenue, no business, no wages. This of course impacts my staff (which breaks my heart) and my family.”

On top of that, Jenny has an autoimmune condition to deal with every day that means she has to difficult decisions to make when it comes to going out and about right now.

I completely relate, and I really feel for Jenny, her family and her staff too.

As business owners, we’re all worried about our futures right now.

As parents, we’re worried about our kids and ourselves.

As adults, we’re worrying about our parents, friends and families.

But here’s the thing, as desperate as Jenny was feeling on Friday, she knuckled down and started focusing on what she CAN do to pivot her business to run online, right now.

Over the weekend I helped Jenny learn how to transfer her teaching to run online so she can deliver loads of great content – videos, downloads, entertainment for kids that also helps them learn and flourish.

We’ve set up her online course tech, and Jenny’s been busy creating and adding content – much of it she had files for already, so just needed to add some video content and upload everything – in much the same she would plan a class or a party, turns out it’s really just the delivery that’s different.

Jenny’s now adding resources to help kids with mindfulness and anxiety, something I think is really important for kids and adults alike right now!

She’s focused on all the amazing skills she has that can really help families right now. (Here’s the list of some of the training Jenny’s done: baby massage, baby yoga, kids yoga, Babysign, level 2 fitness instructor with post/ante natal qualification, ddmix dance instructor, Relax Kids instructor). Loads of skills to offer!

Even though in person classes might need to go on hold and things like play might not seem like a priority in the grand scheme of things, Jenny is feeling confident that even if we do need to be self-isolating or quarantined, she can help families function, bring a sense of normality, fun, and smiles to what is ahead.

Kids need to make sense of why their world is changing right now, and we need to help them do that, and we all know play and self-expression are so important in helping kids make sense of their world.

So, from desperation and fearing business collapse on Friday night, in just a couple of days Jenny can see that the classes she runs in person have built up a huge amount of knowledge and expertise that can work online. I really want to stress this isn’t a way to capitalise on Coronavirus, but it is a way for Jenny to do what she loves (helping kids and families to have fun together).

It’s also a way for her to keep her business afloat and give her a focus that she can build on for the future, this was always on the plan but now is the perfect time to start that process. There’s no reason why you can’t do it too, you can absolutely pivot your business to run online too.

Jenny has pivoted and adapted MASSIVELY in just one short weekend!

CLICK HERE to take a look for yourself at the brand new Bambeenies Academy!

Friday night – it all felt hopeless, scary and frankly, Jenny thought this was the beginning of the end.
Saturday morning – Jenny opened her notebook and started focusing on what she could do right now.
Saturday teatime – Jenny had opened her new Facebook page – it’s at over 150 page likes in 24 hours.
Sunday afternoon – first product launched online and already has people signing up.
Monday – the next product is launching.

And there’s lots more to come – Jenny has so many ideas to offer online now! Amazing!

So, if you’re fearing the worst right now, take a lead from Jenny’s example, step back and think about the skills you have and what you can put out in to the world to be helpful right now. I know not all businesses can adapt to offer something online quite so easily, but I bet you’ll be surprised at the skills you have that you can do something with. I’ve seen lots of local businesses over the weekend start offering takeaways, delivery services and introducing ways to connect with them online. Let’s start thinking about how we can all do more pivoting to online.

Think how you can adapt and pivot.
Start mapping out your Plan B.

As scary as the world might feel right now, we can all choose to start thinking positively about the good we can do.
It’s easy to feel it’s just too overwhelming, but how about we all start from our corner of the world and focus on what we can do to be a positive force? Put your energy in to that.

If you’re looking for help to set up systems and work out the best tools to use so you can move your business online, drop a comment or DM and let me know what you do and what would help you.

I help businesses with online tech, systems and online selling all the time!

We all need to be generous with our skills and knowledge right now, and I’m more than happy to help, wherever I can.

A massive well done to Jenny – it’s early days and there’s still uncertainty ahead for all of us – but Jenny has found a clear direction and made a huge leap in just one weekend and has a real focus now and time to continue that pivot to running her business online.

We can all follow on with the same drive, versatility, passion and inventiveness.

I’ve got every faith that you can do it too.

Allison x