The world came to a screeching halt in 2020 as we navigated a global pandemic. Lockdown orders affected businesses of all sizes and across all sectors. Many companies had to close their doors and reduce their workforce. Ever-changing health and safety protocols caused it to become increasingly difficult to anticipate and adapt to these changes. As the business landscape currently evolves even further with digital transformation and innovative initiatives to boost revenue, it’s clear that the pandemic has also had some positive effects on the landscape.
Some businesses were able to pivot their business models easier than others. A common thread for most companies who successfully navigate the pandemic has been robust e-commerce pursuits and technological integration. Along with these changes, intensified marketing campaigns also served a significant role in boosting awareness for their new business avenues.
Adapting to the new normal post-pandemic continues to be a slow process. Even as more businesses start to open up again, some protocols are still ensuring workplace safety. Let’s look at how companies have optimized their business models by using technology to continue operations and serve consumers better.
Working from home
Companies across all sectors pushed to transition their workforce to work from home during the pandemic. This caused many businesses to restructure their workflow and systems in place to accommodate a remote structure better. Remote working was initially considered as a temporary solution during the early days of the pandemic. As we look at the new normal, it looks like that might not be the case.
Businesses worldwide are showing that they remain efficient and productive while working from the safety of their own homes. This means that geographical boundaries might no longer restrict companies regarding their workforce. Various companies have also adapted hybrid models with reduced on-site meetings and limited them to problem-solving and client-centric concerns.
Technology has played a massive role in businesses being able to survive the pandemic. Cloud computing software, communications platforms, and other applications have made it easier to delegate, track and submit work for numerous companies.
Online learning
Schools were also severely affected by the pandemic. As schools shut down for the better part of a year, our children transitioned to online learning. Technology was no new thing to schools as online platforms were already in use in various levels of education.
However, this affected our younger generation the most. High school and college students were already used to using technology in their everyday learning needs. The challenge was adapting our younger students to be able to learn through virtual classes effectively. Technology along with dedicated educators were the main factors in successfully transitioning to online learning. Younger audiences required more guidance when it came to daily operations.
Virtual classes that required students to be present on camera helped educators successfully navigate this difficult situation. Education has come such a long way with the help of technology that there have also been schools developed to serve entirely through online classes and no physical location.
There has been an increase in preschool franchise opportunities that provide you with the necessary infrastructure and strategies to produce quality education for students. The younger generation has always been more malleable to change compared to the older generation. Raising our future generation to adapt and think on their toes only serves to better our chances at a better future.
E-commerce pursuits
Online retailers have been around for years. We’ve seen numerous brands thrive on completely online platforms with no physical locations. Pursuing more robust e-commerce avenues allowed businesses to continue to serve consumers and process sales even as we sheltered in place.
There have also been businesses that have chosen to ditch physical locations completely to lessen overhead costs and offer their products strictly online. Whether these pursuits come in the form of websites, applications, or other channels, you can’t deny the positive effect it’s had on businesses’ bottom lines.
Transitioning to new avenues also required firms to come up with innovative marketing campaigns to inform customers of any changes they had to operations swiftly. E-commerce platforms also offered better customer feedback loops that allowed companies to gather feedback rapidly, thereby making process improvement initiatives better geared to the market’s needs.
The changes we went through to navigate the pandemic are going to be hard to unlearn. It’s clear that when we refer to things going back to normal, it won’t look like what we had in the past. The changes are here to stay in one way or another. We’ve seen how creative ideas and adaptability help businesses continue to thrive in even the toughest of situations.
