• Why maintaining the business’s media and marketing tools will enable growth even in challenging times • And why long-term, loyal clients are your best ambassadors • A business consultant from the Center for Financial Growth, the owners of a surf school and an event management and indoor playground company, and a Bank Hapoalim branch manager explain how to cope with the challenging situation— and even emerge from it stronger
Alon Goren
Support from Malls Helped us to Survive
“I was very young when I founded an event management company, and it is still active today. We organize fun days and team-building events for companies, trade unions and municipalities, as well as children’s parties to celebrate holidays, birthdays, starting first grade and the like. We also have a chain of indoor playgrounds, PlayPark, with climbing walls, Ninja Warrior obstacle courses, soft play and more. We currently have branches in Kiryat Ono Mall and the More Mall in Harish, and additional ones are planned. We also run the Adventure Forest center in the Renanim Mall in Ra’anana, which is made entirely out of wood, with exciting and unique apparatus around the shared theme of fairytale stories.
“The malls shut down as soon as the pandemic started, we had no activity whatsoever, and for a few months our revenue was stuck on zero. I furloughed my 40 employees, looked for another source of income, and found it—preparing special gifts for the holidays for organizations and for our clients. When we came out of the first lockdown, we managed to fit in a bit of work during the summer months, but then the next two lockdowns came along and halted any momentum. Our ability to adapt and adjust our business model to changes in circumstance allowed us to survive, along with the government grants and of course, the support we received from the malls where we operate our playgrounds.
“As soon as the third lockdown ended, essentially since Passover, work came back, but still not like a regular summer. At the moment, our focus is on expanding PlayPark as a national chain. It’s an inexpensive and convenient option for parents; one that doesn’t attempt to compete with family trips abroad. We are back to our pre-COVID staffing levels, but half of them are new workers who required training from scratch. But we are constantly evaluating which way the wind is blowing and adjusting our course accordingly, because the threat of another lockdown over the holidays is still hovering over us. Despite that, I am optimistic and I believe that it will end sooner or later, because human nature is about more than just survival, it is also about celebration and enjoying life.”
The writer is the owner and manager of Dream Group Ltd., PlayPark and the Adventure Forest Playground. Tel: 054-4484856
Idan Marom
Suddenly Everyone Has Discovered Surfing
“I opened the surf school seven years ago in the Old Train Station center in Tel Aviv. The activities themselves take place on the beach to the west and include fitness and sea sessions, mental conditioning and everything else necessary for the sport of surfing. During the summer months there are camps for children that take place from the morning to the early afternoon, with an instructor for every five children. There are also different surfing groups that take place throughout the year, including for 30- and 40-year-olds who meet here every morning for a session before going to work, and a group for female surfers called FEM. We also have a competition group of 13 surfers who we take to suitable beaches around the country to challenge them with different waves.
“When the first lockdown began, our activity came to a complete halt for three months. I furloughed the employees and brought them back when we reopened ahead of summer. It was a good season because there were no summer camps and surfing was pretty much the only sport that was permitted. Suddenly everyone—young and old—began to take up surfing. But then the lockdowns returned and we noticed the decline. On the one hand, the waves are higher during the winter. On the other hand, it’s difficult to bring new people into this sport during the cold months, and it was a big challenge for us. We worked through social media and had to adjust our training programs in order to bring back old clients.
“Throughout the entire period, we continued to work and to pay salaries despite the fact that we had no income, just to keep our names out there. Since the end of the third lockdown four months ago, there has been a noticeable improvement, and activity has shifted back into high gear. This period has taught me that we are a branch that sways in the wind; we are not seen as a sport, despite surfing becoming an Olympic sport for the first time in Tokyo. It’s a shame it lacks investment, because Israeli surfers have a really strong reputation around the world.”
The writer is the owner of the Salty Group surf school. Nachum Goldman 31, Tel Aviv.
Tel: 050-3213222
Shlomi Lahana
Create and Manage a Loyalty Program
“PlayPark’s digital assets are well maintained; both the Facebook and Instagram accounts are up-to-date and with a clear visual appeal. The idea of an inviting café so that the grown-ups have a place to sit while their children run around is a good one. I would recommend to Alon to take feedback left on Google Reviews as seriously as if it were being submitted to his own website. More and more customers are looking at the reviews there before they decide whether to come. It is also very important for the business to have a loyalty program, gathering data about the clients at the same time. That will enable it to generate and deliver steps that appeal directly to them. It’s also important to praise Alon’s flexibility in shifting the focus of the business during the crisis to companies and private customers, leveraging the connections he has made.
“For Idan, I would recommend trying to expand further into the older demographic, because at the moment his website is very much targeted at children. Expanding to older audiences through short courses might also attract company CEOs and HR directors looking for fun days for their employees. Idan’s treatment of his employees and the fact that he continued to employ them throughout the pandemic demonstrate the value he ascribes to the human element of his business.”
The writer is a strategic marketing consultant and a lecturer at the College of Management and the Bank Hapoalim Center for Financial Growth
Orna Cohen
Identifying and Reinforcing Relative Strengths
“The current climate demands business owners demonstrate flexibility and adaptability from one moment to the next, by strengthening those unique aspects of their business that meet the current needs and thereby maximize its potential. For example, there is a clear hunger among target audiences for outdoor activities and for physical activity that also builds up mental resilience and encourages social gatherings in small groups. Another option is to encourage fun days, birthdays and unique concepts that appeal to the relevant segment of the population and that help a business to grow and thrive.
“It is very important to reinforce the business’s media and social media presence through collaborations with other businesses in the same field. At the same time, it is important to keep building and developing a relevant and loyal client database. These will serve as ambassadors of your business and assist it in expanding its income through offers such as referrals, discounts on more advanced courses and opening courses for new target audiences. Identifying the relative advantages of the business, adopting a creative approach and maintaining social media and marketing tools will enable it to grow, even during times of crisis.”
The writer is the manager of the Lev Holon branch of Bank Hapoalim
As the economy continues to tackle the challenges resulting from the pandemic, Ma’ariv and Bank Hapoalim are running a special feature, sharing and following stories of businesses in different regions and sectors and offering insight and support in coping with the current crisis and uncertainty. Every week, we will share practical tools, as well as offering insight and guidance into opportunities for financial and business development and growth in this challenging environment. The information contained herein is accurate as of the day of publication and should not be understood as an alternative to professional consulting services that take into account the specific circumstances of the individual and are tailored to meet their needs. The aforementioned should not be understood as an offer for credit, loan provision and/or deferred repayments, subject to the terms and conditions and approval of the bank. Inability to keep up with payments may incur charges on interest in arrears or repossession proceedings.