6 Services Your Local Business Can Offer Work-From-Home Employees

Work-from-home positions are here to stay, providing a huge opportunity for local businesses. Not only is shopping local more convenient, but studies show that 76% of consumers want to support local businesses. Here are six services that cater to employees working from home.

Delivery

A local delivery service is a great way to increase sales and provide better customer service. This service allows customers to place an order online and have you deliver it to their homes.

You can build a stronger connection to your community and increase customer loyalty when you offer local delivery. Plus, it’s a great way to avoid lengthy shipping delays.

As you set up your local delivery service, you’ll have to figure out which postal codes you’re willing to deliver orders to. And you’ll need to think about other logistics, like the delivery cost and when you’ll deliver orders during the day.

Pre-ordering

If you run a restaurant or cafe, your business can boost sales by taking advantage of pre-ordering. Many customers want to eat out on their lunch break but don’t want to wait long.

With pre-ordering, a customer places their order on your website or app, so their food is ready once they get there. You can even allow customers to specify when they want their order to be ready.

Pre-ordering makes it easier for your employees to manage their time more efficiently. They can anticipate when orders need to be ready and when to prepare to have a large number of customers in the restaurant.

Curbside pickup

Curbside pickup became popular during the pandemic, but it continues to be an in-demand service for many businesses. With curbside pickup, customers can place their orders online and pick them up outside your brick-and-mortar location.

If you decide to offer curbside pickup, choose a pickup location that is easy to find and access. And make sure to send customers clear instructions on how to pick up their order.

“If you run a restaurant or cafe, your business can boost sales by taking advantage of pre-ordering.”

A quiet space to work

Although most employees prefer remote work options, staying home all the time can get boring. That’s why businesses can benefit from offering quiet spaces for their customers to work.

For instance, coffee shops, bakeries, and restaurants can offer a quiet seating area with free Wi-Fi where customers can get their work done. Customers will enjoy the change of scenery and will likely order food and drinks while working.

Contactless payment options

A contactless payment is a transaction that doesn’t require any interaction between the customer and merchant. There are many examples of this — mobile wallets, QR codes, contactless kiosks, and tap-and-go payments.

Implementing contactless payments can help you start to attract a younger customer base to your store. And over time, offering contactless payments will speed up the checkout process.

Before implementing contactless payments, you’ll need to review your company’s current payment process. It may also be necessary to upgrade your current POS system and train your employees on using the software.

Self-checkout

According to one survey, 73% of customers prefer self-service technology when shopping in retail stores. Self-service checkout is more commonly found in grocery stores, but it’s also starting to pop up in other retail locations.

If you can’t invest in self-service kiosks, there are other ways you can offer self checkout. For instance, a customer could purchase through an online shopping portal or via a payment link the merchant sends them.

Self-checkout is more convenient for customers and a more cost-effective option for businesses since you’ll need fewer employees on hand to operate your store. And self-checkout can be an excellent way to upsell your customers on other items that might benefit them.

CO— aims to bring you inspiration from leading respected experts. However, before making any business decision, you should consult a professional who can advise you based on your individual situation.

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Story by Jamie Johnson, CO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce