{"id":8523,"date":"2020-08-10T19:11:40","date_gmt":"2020-08-10T19:11:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/small-business\/blog\/?p=8523"},"modified":"2025-07-03T04:43:37","modified_gmt":"2025-07-03T11:43:37","slug":"small-business-school-case-studies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/us\/en\/blog\/small-business-school-case-studies\/","title":{"rendered":"10 pandemic-ready strategies to keep small businesses thriving: The Small Business School Challenge"},"content":{"rendered":"

The pandemic has had a major impact on businesses, especially small ones.<\/p>\n

LifeWork, a startup on a mission to make self-employment a more sustainable career path, created the Small Business School Challenge to help. Over 450 MBA students from the top business schools all across America including Yale, Stanford, and Vanderbilt, joined the RingCentral-sponsored virtual event.<\/p>\n

In a 48-hour hackathon, students were partnered up with 150+ small businesses to create a solid strategy to pivot through the COVID-19 crisis. The small business owners received support and guidance not only from their MBA team, but also from 100 business mentors and the judges of the competition.<\/p>\n

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Pssst! Applications are now open for the 2021 SBSC, taking place virtually April 8-10. This event is FREE, so apply today!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\tApply for the 2021 SBSC <\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n

\t<\/span><\/p>\n

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We\u2019ve rounded up 10 of those business plans that stood out:<\/p>\n

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  1. Fort Orange General Store<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Green Gate Farms: New Farm Institute<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Cuisinett, French Comfort Food<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. Smiles Over Somerville<\/a><\/li>\n
  5. TFA Signs<\/a><\/li>\n
  6. CREATE Community Studios<\/a><\/li>\n
  7. Blue Ridge Pizza Co.<\/a><\/li>\n
  8. Incasa<\/a><\/li>\n
  9. Troy Waterfront Farmers Market<\/a><\/li>\n
  10. Julie Allen Bridals<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Let\u2019s dive in.
    \n    <\/a><\/p>\n

    1. Fort Orange General Store: retail<\/h2>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"fort<\/p>\n

    Fort Orange General Store provides a handpicked selection of home goods and gifts, with an emphasis on high quality and great design. It focuses on all things local, showcasing local makers in upstate New York and holding creative workshops for the community in store.<\/p>\n

    The challenge<\/h3>\n

    Since having to shut their brick and mortar and shifting to strictly online sales, the Fort Orange General Store has seen a drastic decrease in revenue. Most of their income had come from in-store events and sales, both of which aren\u2019t possible anymore because of mandated store closings during the pandemic.<\/p>\n

    The solution<\/h3>\n

    Expand Fort Orange General Store\u2019s online presence to funnel more traffic to their online store.<\/p>\n

    Their main focus would be Instagram, where they already have a strong community of over 12,000 followers.<\/p>\n

    By creating and publishing weekly IGTV videos on Instagram, Fort Orange General Store could keep their consumers connected to the brand while sending them straight to the online store using Instagram\u2019s \u201cSwipe Up\u201d feature.<\/p>\n

    To further strengthen the connection with their online community, someone from the store would be chosen as a spokesperson for the brand. They\u2019d act as the face of the company and create a more personal connection with the store\u2019s Instagram followers.<\/p>\n

    Fort Orange General Store\u2019s online expansion would also include creating a blog and a newsletter to engage the community beyond just Instagram. These new online spaces would continue on through and past the pandemic, maintaining online traffic even after the store reopens.<\/p>\n

    This strategy builds on the trust and loyalty Fort Orange General Store has with their followers, helping with short-term sales growth as well as long-term revenue.
    \n    <\/a><\/p>\n

    2. Incasa: retail<\/h2>\n

    \"incasa<\/p>\n

    Incasa is a local home decor and furniture store that\u2019s been open for about a year in Astoria, New York. They offer handcrafted products made either locally in Queens or by artisans in Mexico. The founder, Eduardo, goes above and beyond with the in-store experience, offering customers free design advice along with curated products.<\/p>\n

    The challenge<\/h3>\n

    Due to shutdown measures, Incasa has had to close their brick-and-mortar store. With 90% of their revenue coming from in-store purchases, they need to figure out a strategy to recoup their losses.<\/p>\n

    The solution<\/h3>\n

    Launch the Feel Good Incasa campaign, a virtual campaign focused on connecting with existing customers to provide a personalized experience and offering Eduardo\u2019s design skills to them virtually.<\/p>\n

    The Feel Good Incasa campaign is made up of three components.<\/p>\n

    First, the Virtual Decorating Service would provide customers with tailored design recommendations and product customizations that would bring the most to their home.<\/p>\n

    \n
    \ud83d\udca1 Pro-tip:<\/b><\/div>\n

    A video conferencing tool like RingCentral Video<\/a> would come in handy with the personalized experience here. Incasa would be able to get a proper look at the room that\u2019s being redecorated, getting a sense of the space and how it fits in with the rest of the home:<\/p>\n