Online entrepreneur Matt Purcell explains why now more than ever it is crucial for businesses to connect online with their customers

I was adopted from South Korea when I was a child and raised by Novocastrians. Friends have memories of me practicing guitar for hours, making soundtracks, little short films and drawing - so the arts have always been a big part of my life. As I matured I really wanted to help youth in the mental health space and provide mentors and role models to them. My father influenced me a lot from an early age to use my skills in an entrepreneurial way. I've found once you get proficient in a skill there are many transferable qualities that can be carried into other industries. Growing up in a good church community instilled some good disciplines and a desire to use my skills to give back.

Why did you open The Green Room, offering coaching services, in Warners Bay in 2013?

In music terms, a green room is where the artist prepares themselves before they go on stage to perform. That's exactly what my wife and I saw that there was a need for. I had discovered through tutoring youth in music as a sole trader, speaking in schools to hundreds of youth that there was (and still is) an enormous need for youth to find mentors in the three key areas of their life: creative arts, academics and life's challenges. I partnered with my wife, a qualified school teacher with degrees in environmental science, to create a service that would meet these needs in our local area and have mentored hundreds of youth.

How has COVID-19 affected it?

The uncertainty of income and employment has resulted in many families having to tighten their belts which I understand. Our numbers have been effected quite significantly. We are doing the best we can to keep costs lean and be as flexible as we can with families to assist with their situation to keep providing our services.

Last year you set up a new business, Mentored Media, in partnership with Mentored Platform with businessman Mark Bouris. How did you two meet?

I interviewed Mark on my podcast a few years ago and we remained in touch. I loved The Mentored movement he started, which is all about helping businesses, and he reached out to me to see if I could manage his social media and we quickly found it was a really good fit. Being in business you have to have an online presence because in my view if you're not online you're invisible. It's fast moving, it's ever changing in terms of marketing your business and that's why Mentored Media exists.

You have designed social media templates for businesses. Many companies offer social media - what is your point of difference?

People want to connect with the human side of a businesses and brands, especially if you're a local business. As a society we are less trusting of faceless and nameless marketing campaigns and have a desire for real stories, real results that are relevant to us. Businesses need to take social media seriously. It's where people across most demographics converse and refer business and values. There are key strategies and tactics that help you create engagement, get positive reviews and generate enquires; a way to create content that best represents the stories of businesses. Content is king and engagement is queen. It's not always about making something look pretty, the messaging and the create need to be clear, sometimes emotive and most importantly, relevant.

What are your hearing from SMEs right now?

It's inspiring to see their resilience. One of the major things we've seen work well for our clients is to keep communication very high online and in-house. People want to know that you're still open. People want to know how they can help and if your service has changed. You've got to let people know what is happening.

Many SMEs may not be in a position to afford social media services. What can they do on their own?

Post regularly. Commit to a social media calendar. This ensures that your business is posting something regularly as quantity is really important with working with the platforms algorithms. What do you want to focus on Monday - Fridays? Who in your team can take some photos of customers and behind the scenes? Make sure you post and share articles to your audience about your industry. What are some tips and tricks you can share to add value to your audience? There is so many things you can do, but it requires time.

How has the pandemic affected your outlook?

One of the true magnifiers of character is when some comfort and freedom is taken away. Events like this brings an element of humility in us all. As a business person, you realise how much you've invested in your business and care about your clients, staff, your legacy. You think about providing for your family and what you need versus what you want. It's a waste of time to think about all the "what if's" and "should haves" in life - focus your energy on the limited things you can do. Talking things out with trusted people is an antidote to our anxieties. Empathy in the Greek literally means "to see through the eyes of another". There needs to be empathy toward everyone from a employee, employer, land lord, tenant which brings understanding and respect.