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<\/div>\nThe Future is Digital<\/h2>\nMiranda Gahrmann<\/a> – Global SEO Manager At Randstad<\/h3>\nMany companies were hit hard by COVID-19, especially sectors such as tourism, events, and catering. Other sectors – mainly in the digital and e-commerce field – saw their business grow very rapidly as more consumers were staying home and browsing online. While the future is always uncertain for entrepreneurs, we want to build our companies so that they can handle any crisis and quickly adapt where necessary.<\/p>\n
To build a more stable future for your company, it\u2019s important to reflect on and learn from the past. Over the past year, we have learned that it is not necessary to work in an office, meaning we can hire anyone anywhere in the world. This opens a larger market of potential talent to work for you, as well as more competitive pricing for hiring skilled labor.<\/p>\n
With employee costs being among a company’s highest, the crisis also taught us that it is preferable to scale up flexibility in terms of hours or resources as needed but scale them down during a crisis. There is a fine line, however, between this and employee rights. Although hiring contractors or freelancers offers more flexibility, they might be less connected to the company than an employee. Therefore, it is desirable to find a good balance between employees and contractors.<\/p>\n
The COVID-19 era has also made it clear that an online presence is needed to reach an audience that doesn\u2019t visit your local shop or business. For shops, make sure you have an online shop that is easy to find. For businesses, optimize your website and Google My Business account.<\/p>\n
The most important lesson is to be flexible. The future will always have surprises, but it\u2019s how we deal with them that matters. With COVID-19, we saw local businesses starting delivery services and yoga studios starting online classes. That flexibility can save a business and even lead to further growth.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nModern Technology As A Silver Lining<\/h2>\nMark Hirst<\/a> – MD At BlueBeetle<\/h3>\nAs much as we’d like to think we’ll be getting back to normal once enough people are vaccinated. It’s more tha<\/span>n<\/span> likely that\u00a0<\/span>the world is forever changed<\/span><\/a>\u2014social distancing, masks, washing hands, etc. will be part of the new normal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nDigital transformation, therefore, is a must if you want to find business stability henceforth. There are some positive side effects to this, especially for our planet. Back in 2019, I outlined\u00a0<\/span>four things SME’s can do to help the environment<\/span><\/a>, and two of them (namely “Meet Online” and “Embrace Remote Work”) are now very relevant to finding business stability in a Post-Covid world too.<\/span><\/p>\nRemote working and meeting online rather than in person will go a long way to keeping people safe while at the same time improving work-life balance and boosting productivity. Rather than wait for the world to go back to the way it was before, make the required process changes and investments to keep you and your team productive, no matter where they are.<\/span><\/p>\nIt’s easier than ever to take your business online and if you’ve not done it already, now is the time to start. Think about which processes and procedures can be automated using digital triggers and workflows. Look for opportunities where contactless interactions can replace current physical touchpoints. Think online payments, digital signing, and QR code access and so on.<\/span><\/p>\nOf course, the aim is not to get rid of all human interaction, but instead to reduce it to a point where only the essential high-value, relationship building and nurturing interactions remain while the business process steps happen quietly and efficiently in the background.<\/span><\/p>\n
Many companies were hit hard by COVID-19, especially sectors such as tourism, events, and catering. Other sectors – mainly in the digital and e-commerce field – saw their business grow very rapidly as more consumers were staying home and browsing online. While the future is always uncertain for entrepreneurs, we want to build our companies so that they can handle any crisis and quickly adapt where necessary.<\/p>\n
To build a more stable future for your company, it\u2019s important to reflect on and learn from the past. Over the past year, we have learned that it is not necessary to work in an office, meaning we can hire anyone anywhere in the world. This opens a larger market of potential talent to work for you, as well as more competitive pricing for hiring skilled labor.<\/p>\n
With employee costs being among a company’s highest, the crisis also taught us that it is preferable to scale up flexibility in terms of hours or resources as needed but scale them down during a crisis. There is a fine line, however, between this and employee rights. Although hiring contractors or freelancers offers more flexibility, they might be less connected to the company than an employee. Therefore, it is desirable to find a good balance between employees and contractors.<\/p>\n
The COVID-19 era has also made it clear that an online presence is needed to reach an audience that doesn\u2019t visit your local shop or business. For shops, make sure you have an online shop that is easy to find. For businesses, optimize your website and Google My Business account.<\/p>\n
The most important lesson is to be flexible. The future will always have surprises, but it\u2019s how we deal with them that matters. With COVID-19, we saw local businesses starting delivery services and yoga studios starting online classes. That flexibility can save a business and even lead to further growth.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nModern Technology As A Silver Lining<\/h2>\nMark Hirst<\/a> – MD At BlueBeetle<\/h3>\nAs much as we’d like to think we’ll be getting back to normal once enough people are vaccinated. It’s more tha<\/span>n<\/span> likely that\u00a0<\/span>the world is forever changed<\/span><\/a>\u2014social distancing, masks, washing hands, etc. will be part of the new normal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nDigital transformation, therefore, is a must if you want to find business stability henceforth. There are some positive side effects to this, especially for our planet. Back in 2019, I outlined\u00a0<\/span>four things SME’s can do to help the environment<\/span><\/a>, and two of them (namely “Meet Online” and “Embrace Remote Work”) are now very relevant to finding business stability in a Post-Covid world too.<\/span><\/p>\nRemote working and meeting online rather than in person will go a long way to keeping people safe while at the same time improving work-life balance and boosting productivity. Rather than wait for the world to go back to the way it was before, make the required process changes and investments to keep you and your team productive, no matter where they are.<\/span><\/p>\nIt’s easier than ever to take your business online and if you’ve not done it already, now is the time to start. Think about which processes and procedures can be automated using digital triggers and workflows. Look for opportunities where contactless interactions can replace current physical touchpoints. Think online payments, digital signing, and QR code access and so on.<\/span><\/p>\nOf course, the aim is not to get rid of all human interaction, but instead to reduce it to a point where only the essential high-value, relationship building and nurturing interactions remain while the business process steps happen quietly and efficiently in the background.<\/span><\/p>\n
As much as we’d like to think we’ll be getting back to normal once enough people are vaccinated. It’s more tha<\/span>n<\/span> likely that\u00a0<\/span>the world is forever changed<\/span><\/a>\u2014social distancing, masks, washing hands, etc. will be part of the new normal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Digital transformation, therefore, is a must if you want to find business stability henceforth. There are some positive side effects to this, especially for our planet. Back in 2019, I outlined\u00a0<\/span>four things SME’s can do to help the environment<\/span><\/a>, and two of them (namely “Meet Online” and “Embrace Remote Work”) are now very relevant to finding business stability in a Post-Covid world too.<\/span><\/p>\n Remote working and meeting online rather than in person will go a long way to keeping people safe while at the same time improving work-life balance and boosting productivity. Rather than wait for the world to go back to the way it was before, make the required process changes and investments to keep you and your team productive, no matter where they are.<\/span><\/p>\n It’s easier than ever to take your business online and if you’ve not done it already, now is the time to start. Think about which processes and procedures can be automated using digital triggers and workflows. Look for opportunities where contactless interactions can replace current physical touchpoints. Think online payments, digital signing, and QR code access and so on.<\/span><\/p>\n Of course, the aim is not to get rid of all human interaction, but instead to reduce it to a point where only the essential high-value, relationship building and nurturing interactions remain while the business process steps happen quietly and efficiently in the background.<\/span><\/p>\n