Because of the struggles caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we craved for things to go back to “business as usual.” We wanted things to go back to normal before the pandemic happened. “Business as usual” entails that. It means that workers and employers get to do what they usually do to maintain their businesses’ success.
But, despite the damages that the COVID-19 pandemic caused, it did teach us one thing about the way we run our businesses. Our perception of “business as usual” is no longer enough to sustain a business. It made us reconsider our priorities and how we work towards success. It influenced the way we develop “the new normal” that comes after a crisis.
Valuing Life Above All Else
When the pandemic was still fairly new, there’s this one unhealthy thing that people did. And it’s following the number of COVID-19 cases around the world regularly. People watched the numbers keep going high as the cases spread in their communities and countries. This made them reconsider how fragile human life could be when there’s as big a threat as COVID-19. They called their estate-planning lawyers just in case they contracted the coronavirus and didn’t survive. They made sure that their families are well-taken care of if they passed away.
This helped business owners realize or remind themselves of the value of their employees’ life and welfare. And this spurred them on to help their workers cope with the pandemic safely. They helped them transition to remote working. If they could afford it, they provided the proper equipment to help them work at home. The top priority was to stay healthy and safe from the coronavirus.
When the pandemic inevitably passes, businesses may return to normal. The owners will open up their stores again. They continue with their goals for expansion. They’ll continue working to meet their quotas. But the change is that they’ll prioritize the employees first. They’ll make sure that their employees are properly cared for.
Improving Relationships with Customers
As the pandemic continued, people’s priorities changed. Of course, the most important thing is ensuring that there’s always the proper food and medical supplies for communities. We learned this from our experience at the start of the pandemic.
Such events made businesses rethink their priorities. They started recognizing what their communities needed. Restaurants started donating food to frontline workers instead of prioritizing their revenue. Companies that provide medical equipment made sure that they produce enough supplies. And that they’re properly spreading their supplies to communities. All of these actions aimed to help each other out in communities.
This influenced business owners to rethink their relationships with their customers. They started shifting their perspective. They prioritize how they can help their communities instead of how they can benefit from (and even exploit their) customers.
Keeping Up with Technology
The stay-at-home orders caused by the pandemic forced businesses to adapt. They were forced to get creative and reimagine the way they conduct their business. They needed to find ways to reach their customers in a way that would still ensure their safety from the coronavirus. This is why they started adapting to the advancements of technology.
They developed websites and mobile apps. They improved their social media presence. And these things made them realize how they can permanently shift the way they market their business, make sales, and deliver goods and services.
Taking advantage of technology helped them adapt to the changing world. It helped ensure people’s safety by avoiding any mass gathering in physical stores. But when the pandemic passes, it would help businesses keep up with the times. It would make them more competitive. And it would help them become successful amid the changing world.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world, it speedily changed many things. For business owners, these changes included having to close off their doors to their customers to help keep the spread of the coronavirus at bay. They also meant that the employees had to take home tapered salaries or be laid off due to much-needed budget cuts. They also led to the worst cases: business owners were forced to close their establishments for good. This is due to the damaging losses caused by the pandemic.
But because of such struggles, we’re forced to change our perception of “business as usual” as we pave the way for “the new normal” in the inevitable post-pandemic world.
