{"id":7583,"date":"2020-05-13T10:00:08","date_gmt":"2020-05-13T09:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/?p=7583"},"modified":"2026-01-29T10:15:35","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T10:15:35","slug":"coronavirus-adapt-your-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/coronavirus-adapt-your-business\/","title":{"rendered":"Coronavirus: 5 tips to adapt your manufacturing, wholesale or distribution business"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/category\/strategy-legal-operations\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Strategy, Legal &amp; Operations<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCoronavirus: 5 tips to adapt your manufacturing, wholesale or distribution business\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2020-05-13T10:00:08+01:00\">13 May, 2020<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"Coronavirus: 5 tips to adapt your manufacturing, wholesale or distribution business\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/coronavirus-adapt-your-business\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/author\/tedmellor\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/03\/Ted-Mellor-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"Ted Mellor\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/03\/Ted-Mellor-350x350.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/03\/Ted-Mellor.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 40px) 100vw, 40px\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Ted Mellor<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>At the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, hundreds of thousands of employees moved from working in offices and workplaces to working from home in a matter of days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the future, business historians will cite this as one of the best examples of business agility in the modern era \u2013 and businesses can be rightly proud of what they have achieved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unlike the services sector, product businesses \u2013 manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors in particular \u2013 can\u2019t necessarily <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/help-employees-work-from-home\/\">send their employees home<\/a>. Production lines cannot be set up in a living room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet in challenging times, manufacturers are an ever more important part of the economy \u2013 delivering the supplies to keep the country and its businesses going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So how can you adapt your business and make the most of new opportunities? There\u2019s no single playbook but you are by no means without options. Here are five tips to follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-work-on-the-business-not-in-it\">1. Work on the business, not in it<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Forbes Burton is a Lincolnshire-based business rescue and recovery consultancy. Rick Smith is the managing director and his job is to find solutions when business owners can\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He says: \u201cI think the key to adaptability is understanding your operation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen I go into a business, I\u2019ve got no blinkers on. I&#8217;m not emotionally attached to the business and I don\u2019t know the staff, so I approach it with an open mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGathering basic management information is sometimes quite problematic. Owners often don&#8217;t have a bird&#8217;s eye view because they spend too much time working in the business, rather than on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cStep back from the coal face and look at it from a broader perspective. Only then can you assess a business logically, go back to basics and sacrifice the sacred cows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe most dangerous thing I hear is \u2018well, this is how we\u2019ve always done it\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEvery business must adapt and the best way to achieve that is to allocate management time. Delegate other people to handle the day-to-day running of the business, while you solve the big problems with logic, clarity and honesty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2-make-adjustments-where-you-can-because-there-will-be-plenty\">2. Make adjustments where you can because there will be plenty<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Amazon is both the poster child and the b\u00eate noir of the retail and logistics industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It clearly has the deep pockets to make dramatic adjustments to its operations \u2013 something most manufacturers and logistics businesses could only dream of \u2013 but the speed and breadth of its response is also admirable and wide ranging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Amazon has been posting <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.aboutamazon.com\/company-news\/amazons-actions-to-help-employees-communities-and-customers-affected-by-covid-19\">daily updates<\/a> about its response to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/coronavirus\/\">coronavirus<\/a> and, alongside plenty of noble initiatives, is the fact that the company has implemented no fewer than 150 process improvements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These include day-to-day adjustments such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Handwashing stations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Provision of gloves, hand sanitiser and wipes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Social distancing (and the allocation of \u2018social distancing ambassadors\u2019)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>An enhanced area cleaning regime<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Alteration of layout of break rooms and kitchens<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Meetings replaced with text messages and signboards.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>All of these keep the business thriving \u2013 and none are so expensive that only an Amazon could afford them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Manufacturers can learn from Amazon\u2019s obsessively granular approach: every process in its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/supply-chain-contingency-plan\/\">supply chain<\/a> is monitored and optimised, whether in good times or bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you think you\u2019ve found every opportunity to refine your business to safely keep the lights on, you probably haven\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-pivot-to-new-activities-or-business-models\">3. Pivot to new activities or business models<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To keep things moving, one answer might be to change the business completely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Overnight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Sausage Man, based in Dartford, Kent, is one of the UK\u2019s leading importers and wholesalers of specialist German sausages to the catering trade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jorg Braese, the company\u2019s sales director, says: \u201cOur customers are pubs, restaurants and events. So when the world changed, on the day of lockdown, our revenue literally dropped to zero.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI thought about targeting residential customers and discounted the idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;But then I went to the supermarket to do my weekly shop and went down the sausage aisle. The shelves were absolutely empty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the space of a week, Braese\u2019s team had added consumer-facing \u2018packs\u2019 to their website \u2013 batches of sausage products that are large enough to profitably deliver but small enough for consumers to want to buy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(His WordPress website with a WooCommerce back end is now also integrated into business management software for easy back office administration.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A Facebook advertising campaign is bringing in a steady stream of business, including repeat buyers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Braese says his consumer side will continue to be a focus when his wholesale business returns to normal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He adds: \u201cResidential will definitely one of our ongoing markets \u2013 people are referring us to their friends, so it would be a shame if we didn\u2019t carry on. We need to keep refining the offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPreviously, we didn&#8217;t have the infrastructure, the packaging materials or the pricing models for smaller orders but we\u2019ve managed to make it workable in a crisis, so now we can refine and expand it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-4-reconnect-directly-with-customers-because-everyone-is-a-consumer\">4. Reconnect directly with customers because everyone is a consumer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The direct-to-consumer (D2C) model is not an option for everyone. However, recognising consumer behaviours will still yield important benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The irony of digital technologies is that we are more connected than ever, yet we are all much more isolated and individualistic in our work lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We read more sources and reviews than ever but spend less time sharing our opinions with our peers and plenty of decision-making happens in isolation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Smart marketers have realised for many years that, even in a business to business (B2B) setting, we are all consumers and we can all be targeted as individuals, not just as representatives of a business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The coronavirus situation has served to accelerate this isolation. Strengthening the digital connection must therefore become a renewed priority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dept, an international digital agency, helps businesses envision digital success. Indeed, it\u2019s a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.deptagency.com\/en-gb\/download\/whitepapers\/how-b2b-manufacturers-can-quickly-launch-d2c\/\">pioneer of D2C<\/a>. But a key component of Dept\u2019s D2C advice applies to everyone: put effort into communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jonathan Whiteside, principal consultant at Dept, writes: \u201cAs COVID-19 continues to affect businesses, companies are losing the face-to-face contact that creates a personal connection between the client and the business. Field sales teams are restricted to working from home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWithout these contact points, your digital operation, in particular the company website, can become a primary source of contact with the existing client base, and with any potential customers that are looking for a solution to the challenges they are currently facing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAny on-site visitor is a chance to boost brand affinity, to upsell and cross-sell, and to learn more about the needs of your business\u2019s audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s lots of opportunity to be found in optimising the functions of your site.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whiteside suggests re-evaluating your website as a communication tool, adding live chat functionality (which is now available off the shelf), for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But even if email is the pinnacle of your online reach, there has never been a better time to invest in deepening your customer relationships digitally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nobody expects your business to stay the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The advice available from your customer communities will ensure that the future direction continues to meet their needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-5-reimagine-what-your-business-could-be\">5. Reimagine what your business could be<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The hallmark of our discussion so far has been a rigorous and granular reassessment of processes in the business, with no ideas or approaches off limits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But big challenges enable big changes and coronavirus is a justification to make fundamental alterations to your operation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Analysts <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mckinsey.com\/industries\/advanced-electronics\/our-insights\/coronavirus-five-strategies-for-industrial-and-automotive-companies\">McKinsey says<\/a>: \u201cThe organisations that reinvent themselves will emerge much stronger than those that simply work to reclaim their pre-COVID-19 position.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Among McKinsey\u2019s opportunities for transformational reinvention are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Co-operation and alliances<\/strong>\u00a0as \u2018frenemies\u2019 work together to promote technology innovation while reducing the funding burden.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Workers\u2019 roles<\/strong>\u00a0as businesses further automate warehouses, plants and facilities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Geographic footprint <\/strong>as global <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/supply-chain-contingency-plan\/\">supply chains<\/a> increase the exposure to health impacts, disruptive trade dynamics, and an uneven global recovery.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sourcing<\/strong>\u00a0as the incremental costs of redundant sourcing outweigh the hazards of sole sourcing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Costs<\/strong> as a shift from fixed to variable cost enables a lower break-even volume in times of high volatility.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The effort required to refashion day-to-day operations to survive the present circumstance is of course important. But the most forward-thinking businesses see disruption as an opportunity to restructure for the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Coronavirus and your business<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>We\u2019ve gathered information and resources to help navigate this situation, including tools and webinars, to help you understand what financial support is available.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/coronavirus\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tid=\"cta-id-7408\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-button-location=\"cta_box\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Find out more<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1064\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/04\/GettyImages-595348199_super-1064x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/04\/GettyImages-595348199_super-1064x810.jpg 1064w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to the Sage Advice newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Join more than 500,000 UK readers and get the best business admin strategies and tactics, as well as actionable advice to help your company thrive, in your inbox every month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-b1a63862-3fa0-4a5e-bb67-c76b88bbc6b8\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe now<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, hundreds of thousands of employees moved from working in offices and workplaces to working from home in a matter of days. In the future, business historians will cite this as one of the best examples of business agility in the modern era \u2013 and businesses can be [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1035,"featured_media":6719,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[191,155,159],"business_type":[3],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[56,61],"persona":[68,70,71],"imagine_tag":[98,95,165,96],"coauthors":[525],"class_list":["post-7583","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-strategy-legal-operations","tag-business-continuity","tag-manufacturing","tag-midsized-business","business_type-medium-sized-business","industry-distribution","industry-manufacturing"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-gb","author_name":"Ted Mellor","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2019\/08\/Lykki_2018_CA_X3_31625.jpg","imagine_tags":{"98":"Business continuity","95":"Manufacturing","165":"Medium business trade","96":"Medium businesses"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice UK","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7583","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1035"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7583"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7583\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/6719"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7583"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7583"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7583"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=7583"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=7583"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=7583"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=7583"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=7583"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=7583"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=7583"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}