An interview with Stacey Nottingham, Owner of Bombshell Digital Media chatting about her experiences to date in light of the COVID-19 Crisis in the UK and how it is affecting the Industry as a whole.

When asked..

We all know that we are in unprecedented times with the coronavirus Stacey. How has you work changed day to day as an online digital media professional?

I would say the work at Bombshell Design has changed to exactly that. We are having to adapt to be a more day to day team then by managing long term projects. Given the governments guidance in what is being deemed as Phase 1, people are uncertain of what “long term” will look like. Whilst we are all on lock down for 3 weeks initially, that may change and be extended. As such those longer term projects are harder to manage. As with all larger scale design and web work, small interim goals are set through the entirety of the work and this is having to change with the ever moving scale of uncertainty.

What effect do you feel this corona virus will have on your industry sector as a whole? Both negative and positive?

I’ll start with the negatives. Naturally business are having to cut back. The economy has taken a hit and understandably businesses are looking as to where they can cut costs. Often one of the first areas they look to reduce costs is in Marketing. Companies are feeling they have nothing to market and as such need to remove those costs. This in turn means that companies won’t continue with social media campaigns nor will they want to produce printed literature to promote anything. They also look to reduce carrying out SEO work.

Looking at the benefits of this crisis Stacey commented:

The positives are that some companies have been busier than ever throughout this pandemic. They on the flip side have needed to continue with these marketing strategies to let people know that they are available and the services they can offer.

What’s the most important thing small businesses need going forward in order to be self sustaining to come out of the other side of this crisis?

Finally Stacey advised

I would say that the most important thing that companies can do is still maintain a digital presence. I know that Bombshell design still are. As I have been in business for 14 years and I have a good reputation for cost effective solutions for SMEs. Due to the UK being on lockdown, the British public, now more than ever are browsing the internet and social media platforms as they have more time on their hands. Online sales have risen and companies ethically have an opportunity to raise their awareness. If you fall off their radar, someone else will fill the slot. If they are looking, you need to be there to be seen. I can’t stress enough, marketing should not stop now.

It’s great to see our small businesses which are the backbone of the United Kingdom looking positively at the crisis and doing all they can to prepare for the future! Keep up the great work Bombshell Design and let the future digital leaders of tomorrow shine through!