Adversity does not build character, it reveals it - James Lane Allen

The coronavirus was the crisis that none of us asked for. It threw many small businesses directly under the bus and rattled the foundations of prior pathways to success. At best, it was a seismic calamity the likes of which we'd never experienced before. At worst, it was an existential catastrophe that questioned the continued viability of many small businesses.

Yet it is often in these moments of crisis that ascendancy takes seed. In crises like these, opportunity sprouts. In challenging times, cream rises to the top. Such outcomes are not accidental and don't just happen by chance-they are the purposeful products of discipline, diligence and ingenuity.

As Winston Churchill famously said. Never let a good crisis go to waste.

This crisis represents an opportunity to step-up your game. It represents a chance to address all the imperfections in your business that you've continually avoided up till now.

Now is the time to revisit old assumptions and see if there's a better way of doing things. This unique moment represents an excuse to consider previously non-existent opportunities that align with new operating realities.

Many things are outside your control, but many things still remain within your control too.

In this book, we explore hundreds of immediately-implementable strategies to revive your business in the wake of COVID-19, covering topics that span.

MARKETING AND SALES
• Understand Your New Customers With Buyer Personas
• Target Customers With Inbound Marketing Tactics
• Expedite Results With Pay Per Click Advertising
• Reacquaint Yourself With Your Sales Pipeline
• Develop Repeatable Results With Sales Playbooks

PRODUCT
• Optimize Your Product Mix
• Maximize Profits With a Product Pricing Strategy
• Re-Build Your Brand
• Improve Your Offering With Better Customer Feedback
• Cost-Effectively Differentiate Yourself on Quality

GROWTH
• Go Deeper and Broader in New and Current Markets
• Win New Customers Through Referrals
• Increase Share of Wallet Through Cross-Selling and Upselling
• Optimize Your Website to Win, Grow and Retain Customers
• Growth Through Partnerships and Strategic Alliances

OPERATIONS
• Update Your Business Plan to Reflect New Realities
• Improve Your Processes to Achieve Efficiency Gains
• Revise Your Organizational Structure for Smooth Operations
• Make Meetings Matter
• Improve Internal Communications to Recognize New Realities

TEAM
• Improve Results Through Better Performance Management
• Drive Employee Engagement With Reward and Recognition
• Become a Business Your Team Enjoys Working For
• Maximize Productivity With Flexible Work Arrangements
• Motivate Through Non-Financial Incentives and Benefits

ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE
• Prepare for the Future With Budgeting and Forecasting Tools
• Stay on Track With Key Performance Indicators
• Build Sustainability by Managing Your Cash Flow
• Understand Debt Finance Options to Carry You Through
• Government Assistance Measures to Help You Out

Now is the time to recalibrate focus from crisis management to business re-building.

The business owners most likely to succeed will be those that are looking towards the horizon and preparing for this voyage.

Whilst COVID-19 was the crisis that nobody asked for, it stands to become the trigger for your future growth, profitability and prosperity.

If you're a small business owner searching for answers, the task of re‑building can appear daunting and disheartening.

Don't let the enormity of the challenge suppress your potential.

With a modicum of patience and a wealth of good guidance; you and your business can return to better days of sustainable growth, profitability and prosperity.

Adversity is simply opportunity, in disguise.