This is hardly the spring we expected, but it may still bring fresh growth. What are five things you can do, even during this quarantine, to spur your small business forward? We’re spending the month with a focus on small business, because let’s face it—whether you’re a company of one or 20, it’s still small potatoes compared to large retail chains. Many of them are on hold as well, so it kind of levels the playing field, doesn't it?

One great tip from Entrepreneur is to stepup your social awareness. Create a Facebook business page if you don’t have oneand post regularly. With time on your hands, learn to use the marketing toolsthey provide. Plan a week’s worth of posts and schedule them to touch everypart of your audience. Invite people to your page. Be planning a celebrationfor May or June. Entice your peeps. Go mobile!

Tip #2: Connect with other local businesses. Offer bundles.This is very sound advice and one of fivetips for surviving this pandemic with your business still intact. Thinkabout it this way: you have a tribe, another business has a tribe, reach doubleyour normal audience by collaborating. A bundle stimulating commerce offersmore appealing benefits for both of you.

Tip #3: Adhere to your regular email schedule. There hasnever been a more ideal time for capturing the interest of a bored public, forkeeping yourself on a client’s radar, for investing some equity into yourbusiness. If you haven’t been sending out emails, look at Mail Chimp, a freeand user-friendly medium. Enlist the help of someone who knows the ins and outsto promote the newsletter on all the social media. Build your business, don’thibernate!

While we’re on the subject of investing, invest some sweatequity. Tip number four involves searching out all the best books about yourbusiness. Use this hiatus to learn more, be more and offer more. Laura Fiebertin ListenMoney Matters insists that watching the pros and learning what they do isone of the most valuable ways to grow a small business. Someone in your line ismaking money. Figure out who it is and how it’s being done. Research. Dig.Discover. Learn.

Tip #5: SmallBusiness Trends offers a lot of sound advice, but I loved Write thankyou notes. A handwritten note to customers you treasure is a great way toconnect personally. “How are you doing? Are you enjoying this weather andgetting out? One new thing my family is enjoying…” It doesn’t have to besalesy. As a matter of fact, it shouldn’t be salesy. Ano-strings-attached and “I’m not selling you anything” note speaks volumes. Itcements your ties and wins hearts.

We’re all being hard-hit. Emergency businesses are running themselves ragged and non-essential busineses are rarin’ at the bit to get back to work. Weathering the time requires some ingenuity and a willingness to take a hard look at your usual modus operandi. Tweak the norm. This is a time for innovation. Feel free to list additional tips in the comments!