Plan Your Pivot

Gamer Centric Business Planning

5 Steps To Re-boot Your Battlefield Business After Lockdown

Introduction

Battlefield Operators across the nation, and around the world, continue to show resilience in challenging times by pivoting to new ways of doing business.

As lockdown restrictions continue and, eventually, ease Operators need to consider their stakeholders.

It is an opportunity to talk to the owners and investors of the business, the staff, their customers, and even to government representatives. Yes, in 2020 things have been, and for many still are, tough.

But many operators have been fortunate to apply for Government assistance or other support.

Wage subsidies, small business loans, and other forms of financial assistance have given some businesses the opportunity to reassess their business model.

Now is the time to be agile.

Being proactive will offer your Battlefield business a better chance of surviving, if not thriving in this new normal. It is time to re-build and re-think.

To help your find your path towards the pivot, here are five key actions you may want to consider as lockdowns wear on, or once they begin to ease.

The five steps to reinventing your business:

Re-do your business plan
Adjust your business model
Adapt your sales & marketing strategy
Integrate the new tools & technology
Keep learning new things

Step 1: Reconsider Your Business Plan

No matter your current situation, before you start, consider a holistic view of your battlefield business and the direction you are headed.

Take the time to step away from the day-to-day management of your battlefield business, to get a clear insight into your current performance, for example, consider your current cash flow, as-is your profit and loss, think about likely future sales over the short and medium-term.

That old adage from Benjamin Franklin: â€œIf you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!â€ stands true in 2020.

If you have some timeout due to lockdown then take the time to consider your business plans and goals.

Most Battlefield businesses are at least somewhat seasonal. But finding the time can be challenging as many small businesses have lost some of their employees on furlough.

And, of course, the current economic situation has created turbulence in the sector. But if you re-envision what your business will look like in 12 months or 2 years then you are more likely for you to bring that reality to fruition.

Step 2: Adjust Your Business Model

Ask yourself: can you pivot towards a new business model? For instance, if you have been running indoors with high leasing and rent costs, can you move outdoors? Or are their limits to the number of gamers you can entertain at one time? Perhaps consider adjusting your opening hours. Or asking your landlord for a rent haitus. Are there clever ways you can re-configure your battlefield for social distancing?

Ask yourself: if you have been running a full-service, hands-on business outdoors, can you switch to a rental service instead?

An appraisal of your plans may trigger tweaks in the way you are operating your battlefield business.

Discover what other Battlefield Business operators have done. This might save you time and money by learning by other's mistakes.

Step 3: Adapt Your Sales & Marketing Strategy

If you have been running your battlefield business for a while, then you most likely have a sales and marketing strategy. But ask yourself, how can it be improved.

Your customer's purchasing habits have changed, particularly throughout the pandemic. Consider if can you move your bookings online? Should you move to a "time session" ticketing system? If you haven't already when now could be a terrific time to jump into social media such as creating a Facebook group for your customers and prospects. Or try retargeting visitors with new offers.

Try and understand where your customers' head-space is at. Customers are likely to be cautious when returning. It is important to communicate what COVID-safe plans you have in place. So you can rebuild confidence in your business.

Don't get overwhelmed. Just focus on one thing per day. As Arianna Huffington says, "real change happens by starting small. Even smaller than you think!"

Whatever you decide to implement in your refreshed sales and marketing plan, ensure you have allocated budget for it.

Step 4: Integrate New Tools & Tech for Your Future

Grabbing the attention of your prospects and building a tribe of loyal customers is no easy task. If your tribe doesn't book today, then they may tomorrow, if you maintain communication. Keeping in touch either by retargeting advertising, social media, or messaging will mean that your battlefield business is top-of-mind when people start to plan events again.

Having good customer records, such as using the Battlefield HQ software, means you can reach out to past customers and like them know about your grand re-opening. Asking for information, like the name and age of the birthday person is key. That way you can personalize your invitation, "Johnny celebrated his 13th birthday last year, here's a special incentive for him to return to celebrate his 14th."

Tap into the zeitgeist: what's important to the people you serve in your local market? Are they still playing video games like Fortnite? Ensure you have the latest live gaming technology.

By tapping into what your customers really want for their next birthday party, or summer camp, or corporate team-building event then you can encourage them to spend their money.

You can future-proof your battlefield business by getting the latest live gaming technology. Being able to deliver live gaming experiences that thrill and inspire your gamers will hold you in good stead as the customer buying cycle eventually restart.

Step 5: Keep Learning New Things

The world is continuing to change. Battlefield Operators are, by definition, optimistic.

Battlefield entrepreneurs rarely have time to devote days on end to pivot and reinvent their business. But savvy battlefield operators know that in order to succeed they need to keep improving their offerings and keep upskilling to stay ahead of their competitors.

This may be the most important thing to keep in mind through all the uncertainty weâ€™re facing at the moment: things change â€” itâ€™s up to us to figure out how to cope with that.

Summing Up

The sudden lockdown of many parts of the economy has been a shock, particularly in the live gaming and entertainment sector. Once restrictions are lifted, people will want to restart recreation.

"If there is one thing that COVID has taught, it's the importance of lateral thinking, of peripheral vision, of holistic thinking... you have to think about the consequences of what youâ€™re doing to a company or an investor or a government," said Gillian Tett, Editor-at-large and Chair of the Editorial Board, Financial Times.

This year has brought about many changes. Some say that the pace of change is accelerating. And our past business plans and business models may not be optimum for our future success.

So by pivoting and planning, you will hold your battlefield business in good stead to surviving and thriving in the future. In the end we all need to focus on the comebank not on the set back.

Source: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/06/covid-great-reset-gillian-tett-abiy-ahmed/

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