It cannot be denied that the spread of the corona virus has forced world citizens to make many adjustments. Life patterns have changed drastically, from work, worship, to socializing. Everything is done to prevent further transmission. A number of countries have even implemented a number of measures such as locking down (locking entry and exit), dismissing school children, mass detection of virus transmission, working from home, and social distancing so that the wheels of life and economic activities continue to run. In Indonesia, the government has also started implementing the same thing. Work from home and social distancing are enforced to minimize the spread of the virus.
This change in lifestyle also inevitably has an impact on the economy. In January 2020, The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) recorded that there was a decline in the trade section. Indonesia's economy also experienced a slowdown of 0.23%. The country's tourism sector is also sluggish. It is feared that this problem could result in a lack of state income and foreign exchange reserves, even though foreign exchange reserves are important for maintaining the stability of a country's currency. To anticipate the impact of the corona virus on MSMEs, the government has reduced the benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 4.75%.
The corona virus outbreak that is currently hitting the country is also having an impact on food and beverage or food and beverage (F&B) entrepreneurs. Many people choose not to leave the house, causing their business income to decrease. The director of PT Fast Food Indonesia, which owns the KFC brand, Justinus Dalimin, as reported by Bisnis Indonesia (12/03), confirmed that the corona virus outbreak had affected his restaurant's turnover. In this case, Justinus said there had been a decrease in turnover of less than 10 percent since the corona virus outbreak broke out.
For F&B business owners, this situation is indeed a challenge in itself. On the one hand, the spread of the virus has had a significant impact on the decline in the number of customers, on the other hand, the wheels of business must continue to run. If you are one of the F&B entrepreneurs who is experiencing similar problems, don't panic, here are some tips so that your business can continue to run amidst the corona pandemic, which the Qasir Team has collected from several F&B entrepreneurs in Jakarta.
1. Take advantage of the delivery facility
Social distancing makes people reluctant to travel, however, please know that the need for food and drink never actually decreases, whatever the conditions. This could be an opportunity for your business. For this reason, you can use delivery services via GoFood or GrabFood. If you are not connected to a delivery service, consider having your own delivery fleet.
2. Make it interesting
Give special discounts or packages with attractive menus and prices. However, you need to remember to continue to maintain quality so that your consumers are not disappointed and continue to order again from your restaurant or outlet.
3. Pay attention to hygiene
It is EXTRA important to maintain the cleanliness of the restaurant/outlet regularly. More often and deeper (deep cleaning). If necessary, update store and staff cleaning SOPs. Don't forget, always provide soap in the sink and hand sanitizer in your restaurant/outlet.
4. Set the distance
Manage the crowd in your restaurant/outlet. Referring to WHO recommendations, the maximum distance between people is 1 meter from each other. If this means you need to reduce the number of tables, it seems like you have to do it like it or not.
5. Opening and closing hours
Reset opening and closing hours. For this one, you need to make an announcement to your loyal customers. If your shop is usually used as a place to hang out or gather, for the time being limit the opening hours to just after dinner time.
It is very natural for entrepreneurs like you to feel worried if your business experiences losses due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, responding to this problem with excessive anxiety and panic will not provide any solution. On the other hand, if you face it with a cool head, it is possible that you will find new opportunities from the current conditions. Stay alert by doing what we can to protect ourselves from the corona virus (COVID-19), but don't forget that you still have to do your best to keep the wheels of your business running. Rest assured, entrepreneurs, that every problem will always be accompanied by a solution.