We are about halfway through 2020 and no one could have predicted the events of this year. From a nationwide pandemic to important political and social movements, 2020 for better and worse has not been what we expected.

What we know:

• Customers appreciate honesty and facts. Your consumer wants to be able to go into your store or onto your website and know what you stand for, your values, and company mission. Be open about your brand and the customers you value will reward you by shopping your products or using your services. 
• Communication remains incredibly important. Along with honesty, communication has never been more important. Being silent is not the answer during a crisis. Customers want to hear from you. This is a good time to update your customer database so you have an up-to-date email list to use to talk to your customers on a regular basis.
• Loyalty is more important than ever — especially to brands. Even when money is a little tighter, customers vote with their dollars. Being a brand that your customers can be proud of will encourage loyalty. Consider rewarding your customers who have stuck with you these past few months with specials, coupons, or some sort of token of gratitude.

What we don't know:

None of us can predict the future. A pandemic that basically shut down the world was never on anyone's list of possible scenarios for 2020. But just because the future is unpredictable, doesn't mean you can't be prepared. 

So how can you be prepared for the next thing to come?

• If you haven't already, define your brand. This includes everything from your values to your brand colors. Determine these things so your customers can recognize them in the future. 
• Build your base. If you rely on walk-in traffic to a store, a shutdown like we have been experiencing can hurt. Gather email addresses, engage on social media, run digital ads for brand awareness. These small things can really pay off later. 
• Be smart. Know your business and your consumers. It's important to understand what marketing and other business practices work best for you. Do your customers like to get weekly short emails from you? Or maybe you are better off with a longer format newsletter every other month.

2020 has been a year like no other so far, but we feel like every business can take lessons from the past six months to continue to grow.