At BizCom, we’ve been inspired by the way our clients have pivoted their businesses in response to the COVID-19 crisis. And we have made sure they continue to find ways to share their stories and messages as a way to inspire others.
Here is a sampling of stories they have shared in recent weeks.
School of Rock students didn’t miss a beat thanks to online classes.
School of Rock goes virtual
“Like most people, we had a seizure of terror,” School of Rock CEO Rob Price told USA Today.
But instead of fully shutting down, School of Rock took its lessons online, offering singing lessons and instruction on instruments including guitar, bass, drums or keyboard.
“You have tens of millions of people dislocated, with time on their hands feeling anxiety, grief, fear and dislocation,” said Price. “We know from 21 years of experience that music is one of the best natural antidotes to those conditions.”
School of Rock then took it one step further, offering students access to live Zoom sessions with members of bands such as Bon Jovi, Alice Cooper, Guns N’ Roses, Beyonce, Stevie Wonder, Slipknot and others. READ ABOUT IT HERE
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ComForCare Caregiver of the Year Beth Trivett.
Home caregivers rise to the challenge
For homecare brands like ComForCare, the crisis created new challenges and concerns for both caregivers and their customers.
“They’re like soldiers and it’s war time,” Best Life Brands COO and CRO Sean Kajcienski said about the franchise chain’s 13,000 caregivers during an interview with Franchise Times. “They suit up and go and they don’t even think twice.”
The franchise added pre-screenings for both caregivers and clients before every shift and provided extra training on how to use gloves, masks and gowns.
The franchise also played a critical role in lobbying the federal government to have homecare workers classified as “essential” healthcare workers.”As the outbreak really took off, we did have a concern that we’d have caregivers that would be less interested in going into the home to care for the patient,” Sean told Franchise Times. “We did not see that drop-off. It’s amazing.”READ THE INTERVIEW HERE
Local franchisees also appeared on their local news outlets offering advice on how to care for loved ones during the pandemic.
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Gary Findley and Restoration 1 were in demand by customers and investors.
Recession proof in more ways than one
Because of the essential services they provide, disaster restoration franchise Restoration 1 and bluefrog Plumbing + Drain were in demand as the pandemic spread throughout the U.S. But the brands were also in demand beyond the front lines, landing a majority investment from MPK Equity Partners and Princeton Equity Group.
“I think it actually helped us, more than it hurt us,” CEO Gary Findley told Franchise Times when asked about getting the deal closed during the COVID-19 crisis, explaining that since both franchises are considered essential businesses it added to their attractiveness to investors. READ THE STORY HERE
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9Round co-founder Heather Hudson discussed reopening sfatey plans on Yahoo Finance.
An exercise in helping customers stay in shape
Fitness brands Gold’s Gym and 9Round Fitness wasted no time in taking workouts online as a way to avoid adding “the COVID 19 (pounds)” while sheltering at home.
Gold’s Gym CEO Adam Zeitsiff discussed the future of the fitness industry prior to reopening.
As many states began reopening, both brands took a lead in making sure members had a safe environment when they returned. 9Round Co-Founder & COO Heather Hudson shared her plans with Yahoo! Finance while Gold’s Gym CEO Adam Zeitsiff discussed the future of fitness with podcaster Eric Malzone.
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Edible responded to shelter-in-home regulations by providing boxes of produce in addition to arrangements.
Delivering a fresh approach
Franchise brand Edible, best known for its fresh fruit Edible Arrangements, found multiple ways to respond to the pandemic and not only keep its locations open, but grow its business. With many customers sheltering-in-place, the brand began offering delivery of fresh fruit and produce boxes for those not able to get to their local supermarket.
For Mother’s Day, they partnered with a dozen global recording artists to create a compilation album honoring moms and all the extra hats they had to wear during the crisis. Then, recognizing that many people are rethinking their future careers but might not have all the resources needed to purchase a franchise, they launched a Manage-To-Own program making it easier to become a franchise owner. READ THE STORY HERE