Nobody could have expected that, at one point, the world would come to a complete stop. Nevertheless, company owners had to become creative and think outside the box to overcome this obstacle.
How do you work without workers? How do you stay close while being apart? How do you keep customers satisfied?
Remote work, for better or worse, is here to stay, and for many, the shift could be permanent. If we want to adjust to the new work conditions, we need stable software that enables the communication between all the databases within the firm.
Let’s look at a few business lessons you can do to keep your business running smoothly for the next couple of years.
Use the perks of living in the modern era
During the pandemic, the communication between companies and their customers was limited to the virtual environment. The same applies to the employer-employee relationships in companies. Skype, Zoom, Google Meets, and other video call software became the key to keep companies up and running with successful staff meetings, company events, and more.
They allow for fast and effective communication between people on the opposite sides of town or even the world, which is a true life-saver! There is never a good time for a pandemic, but at least now we can stay in touch even in worst-case scenarios.
Secure your transactions
Since the pandemic started, physical contact between people has been severely limited. As a result, delivering became insanely difficult. However, online and credit card payments made at least one part of distribution easy.
Delivery people would simply leave packages in front of customers’ doorsteps and use mobile phones to verify whether they have received the goods. If the customer didn’t use any online means of payment, they would leave the money in front of their doors for the delivery person to take to avoid close contact (the less safe and more complicated way of payment).
Delivery was done by a single delivery person, therefore reducing the chances of spreading the virus.
Stay in contact despite social distancing
Even the smallest companies with few workers were affected by newly formed regulations, and now even they were not encouraged to be in the same room. Regular PCR tests and body temperature measurements helped but still didn’t solve the problem since the virus can stay in the human body for days without causing any symptoms.
Therefore, employees needed to stay at least two meters apart (6.5 feet). Many small companies didn’t have the necessary space for their workers to stay in the prescribed safe zones.
That’s why only a small percent of the workforce was physically present at the work facilities, while the other employees resorted to digital work from the comfort of their homes. However, that required constant interaction of the main offices with their branch locations.
Think ahead
Unfortunately, for companies in industries like construction, catering, nursing, it was impossible to transfer all aspects of their work online. Therefore, employers needed to ensure that their employees were protected.
People had to wear masks and gloves to stay safe. Consequently, in case of physical contact and human proximity, the chances of spreading the virus were reduced to a minimum. However, for businesses where people needed to work together, financial loss was inevitable, but it could be controlled with proper workforce distribution, careful planning, and scheduling.
Even in these economic branches, the use of online software came in handy because every employee could obtain necessary information online, which guaranteed smooth management.
Protect your privacy
Since most of the payments were now conducted online and all the work was done over the Internet, websites and apps needed to be effective, efficient, and reliable. Customers needed to feel safe while purchasing and the payment process needed to be simplified (for customers who don’t use the Internet every day).
Businesses improved their websites and enhanced cyber security to avoid unnecessary problems and earn the trust of their customers. However, websites and apps were overloaded due to the increased number of customers, so you should always choose verified and reliable applications for managing your business.
After you buy a domain name, your first order of business is to make sure you purchase an SSL certificate. But you should also go the extra mile to protect the integrity of your site, particularly if you collect payments and sensitive customer data. For example, one of the most secure ways to ensure the communication within a company and enable secure access to the cloud is to go with modern software solutions like the open-source SD-WAN & SASE. If you’re unable to hire an internal IT team, consider outsourcing your security efforts.
Nobody was prepared for the pandemic, but we all had to manage the situation as best we could and find ways to overcome the limitations that came with it. Following these five business lessons guarantee success and control over your business and customers.
Effective planning and the correct strategy is the key in maintaining a company’s position in the market. Moreover, transferring your business to an online platform and simplifying and enhancing online communication is the first step towards stability.
