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Sonny Sultani launched his digital marketing business in February. A handful of weeks later a COVID-19 diagnosis left him quarantined in a master bedroom doubling as his C-Suite.
Sultani ate from the tray his wife set outside the door and could only safely text or Facetime with his young sons playing down the hall. Yet his business — named 120/80 for the desirable blood-pressure reading — was off to a relatively healthy start. With a rapt audience of potential clients sidelined by the pandemic and looking to divert the funds they would have used for trade shows and direct mailings, Sultani could steadily add new clients by meeting their marketing needs with more flexibility. In addition, the nation’s mass layoffs, frighteningly climbing into the millions, brought talent back on the market, allowing for more immediate partnerships for small businesses like his.
Priority No. 1 was overcoming the coronavirus. Sultani, who grew up in Chicago’s West Rogers Park neighborhood and now lives in suburban Evanston, visited area hospitals three times and was eventually diagnosed on April 2. He said the support of his family, friends and his religious community — Sultani is an Ismaili Muslim — was crucial during his weakest moments, with grocery runs by volunteers in that community and its care packages keeping the family going.
“ ‘For many days, even doing things like watching Netflix was a chore. Running a business and raising a family, you have limited resources and energy. You think you’re going to get better but you’re not sure. At many points, I did think I was going to die.’ ”
And now that the danger of contagion in his own home has passed and Sultani feels better, he has resumed in-person family time. His firm, on the other hand, is finding its fledgling strength in the continued demand for remote interactions between businesses and their customers.
For instance, one client has pivoted from trade-show design to construct 3D virtual reality display booths for its clients. Another is helping retailers switch to e-commerce through what Sultani says is an easy-to-use proprietary software. 120/80 has seen increased inquiries about helping businesses transact through TikTok, the platform for short-form videos; Quora, a question-and-answer sharing site; and Alignable, on which small-business referrals are posted.
“We are also finding people are open to taking on meetings now that their calendars are not full and it has helped our clients and our own company land some great connections we would have not had the opportunity to connect with,” Sultani said. 120/80, with up to 11 clients year to date, has added five new accounts in just the last two weeks, which shows that companies are looking for digital marketing services even with the economic uncertainty.
For Sultani and others, the workforce has changed dramatically, with some temporary factors likely becoming permanent features. The coronavirus pandemic has already cost more than 30 million workers their jobs at least temporarily since the U.S. began shutting down large parts of the economy in mid-March. Coronavirus could drive U.S. unemployment to 15% or higher.
“ ‘We have had the ability to hire and contract some really talented folks that otherwise would not have been available to partner with and this has had a positive impact for us as a small company.’ ”
The teutonic shift for the workforce has no doubt given the talent pool a significant churn. It raises questions about the future of health care and other benefits, but also revives hope for the flexibility that can come with working for smaller operators, often remotely.
From the business side, “we have had the ability to hire and contract some really talented folks that otherwise would not have been available to partner with and this has had a positive impact for us as a small company,” Sultani said. “I am seeing a lot of growth in our main product through LinkedIn MSFT, +2.44% Lead Generation, which targets highly qualified leads and attempts to engage those connections.”
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“ ‘My advice is to continue to market your products because your competitors may have gone silent and you will have the opportunity to get in front of clients who have more time to talk to you. Use this as a time to connect and build your network.’ ”
The pandemic has convinced Sultani to forgo formal office space for his own operation even as the country continues its recovery. “Time… is a currency we take for granted,” he says. “I decided we would not be returning to an office after the stay-at-home order is lifted and will continue to work from home. It allows people to build their space the way they like, adopt a puppy, live in an area with affordable rent, save time on commuting, saves the business money and doesn’t limit us to hire great talent in one location — I have become a big fan of working from home.”
Sultani’s relative calm also relates to the fact that he’s been in this position before. He once owned a company that focused on 3D computer graphics for hospitality-design clients. “I started that business around the 2008 recession,” he said. “I seem to have a way with timing.”
For sure, the severity of the pandemic will create winners and losers, and at the very least, lessons for all businesses.
“I think the one thing I will say to all business questioning their marketing is to continue to market your products because your competitors may have gone silent and you will have the opportunity to get in front of clients who have more time to talk to you,” Sultani advises. “Use this as a time to connect and build your network. I find the only security you truly have is in your network.”
As for 120/80, “I keep telling myself if I can withstand the next six months then my business model will be stable and I will have a great roadmap for the challenges ahead,” he says. “Every company has a brand narrative. It has components of luck, struggle, survival, victories. Mine will have COVID as part of that narrative.”
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