How Entrepreneurs Thrive With E-Commerce And Flexible Business Plans

“Creativity and innovation are about finding unexpected solutions to obvious problems, or finding obvious solutions to unexpected problems.”

Throughout history we’ve seen unexpected events such as economic recessions and pandemics change the trajectory of governments, economies and businesses.

Before COVID-19, the SARS pandemic of 2002-2004 was the catalyst for the meteoric growth of then-small online marketplace, Alibaba which aided in it becoming one of the world’s largest e-commerce companies. This growth was fueled by underlying apprehension around traveling and human contact in Asia, similar to what we see with today’s coronavirus.

The financial crisis of 2008 powered the popularity of the gig economy, sparking the growth of startups like Airbnb and Uber. People were open to change by realizing the financial benefits of carpooling and sharing assets such as spare rooms. Out of necessity social norms began to change, and individuals learned how to overcome financial deficits and earn more money. 

Where Uber was birthed out of the gig economy, its subsidiary UberEats has found its footing in the online delivery upswing and Uber Connect has rolled out its new package service initiative to meet the needs of the current pandemic.

These black swan events have caused businesses to respond to the demands of anxious, worried and isolated consumers in creative and direct ways. And today, from bulk-buying to panic online shopping, people continue to change what, when and how they buy.

Digital entrepreneurs continue to think outside of the box to sprout big ideas that offer assurance and confidence to their customers.  

According to several studies, products that fit into the lower level of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (health, wellness and safety) have become top priority purchases while non-essential items like apparel, luggage and electronics have fallen to the wayside.  Brands that don’t fit into those immediate needs need to alter the way they communicate and look for opportunities to capitalize on changing consumer preferences.

E-commerce continues as a key channel for business. Online grocery shopping and tele-medicine, for instance, are helping to avoid in-person contact and reduce the risk of new infections. Video conferencing, movie streaming, and online education make physical distancing measures more tolerable. We’ve witnessed the success of video chat service, Zoom skyrocket to 200 million daily users from 10 million in a matter of a few months.

For many restaurants, online delivery has become a new lifeline. Other retailers embracing online are seeing growth. Target’s digital sales grew by more than 100% in March and are up 275% in April as consumers ordered more essentials and groceries for delivery and curbside pickup. 

At the same time, e-commerce has helped employment during the crisis. Walmart and Amazon pledge to hire 150,000 and 75,000 new employees respectively, and Target announced measures to hire 80,000 workers for its Shipt grocery delivery service. 

Will consumer behavior, specifically the shift from retail to online stay strong after the health crisis?

One entrepreneur (and Forbes8 Mastermind) believes consumer behavior will continue to grow and thrive online.

Kris Christian is paving her own lane when coffee shops around the country are closed by offering an online coffee subscription service. Her company, Chicago French Press is meeting today’s convenience-focused coffee consumers by providing fresh, organic coffee roasted to order and delivered to their doorstep. Her company has seen a spike in sales of over 393% compared to the period prior to COVID-19.

“Coffee is considered essential for so many people and while they’re accustomed to buying per cup on-the-go, I’m sure they are witnessing quite a bit of savings and an even better coffee experience by brewing it themselves at home.” Kris explained.

Chicago French Press customizes various coffee grind types to match the brewing methods customers prefer (French Press, Keurig Machines, Espresso Machines and Pour Overs). The company also provides coffee education to teach customers how to make better brews at home and how to use their freshly grounded coffee in unconventional ways such as baking recipes, spice rubs and facial scrubs.

Kris isn’t new to adapting to change. In 2008 while at Howard University, she received an offer to work at Lehman Brothers – the same month the company filed bankruptcy. She quickly learned how to adjust to the unpredictable nature of the economy. 

Fast-forward to 2020, Kris is reminded that change is inevitable and pivoting is necessary. While Kris was preparing to open the doors of a new coffee flagship location in Chicago, the pandemic shifted her focus primarily to an e-commerce business model. Kris attributes the pivot to solely focus on catering to her customers’ preferences online to being the best decision she could have made this year, fueling the massive growth to the company’s bottom line.

Here are Kris’ tips for today’s entrepreneurs to meet the rapid demands of an online business during the current pandemic: 

•  Revisit and refine your company’s value proposition based on the current times.
• Continuously learn what your customers need and customize your products and services to evolve with their preferences.
• Stay as nimble and lean as possible while growing with the demands of your business. 
• Ask for constant feedback to improve your online user experience.
• Be flexible and learn to iterate your existing online platform and internal processes.
• Consider how you can improve your operations for the future so that you can continue to thrive after the pandemic.

With online retail sales estimated to reach $6.5 trillion by 2023, there’s no question that e-commerce will continue to rise. A flexible game plan for how founders will adapt is what will help them reach their full potential post-pandemic.