Your Business Made it Through COVID – Now What?

As published in “Southwest Florida Business Today” December 2021

We cannot completely put COVID in our rear-view mirror, but just maybe the worst has passed.  Now, we can all get back to normal, right? Not so fast! COVID changed the way we do business in so many ways that there is no “normal” anymore. This is the time to reflect on how you made it through, what worked, what didn’t work, and what you will do to ensure continued recovery and success.

I observed three common, critical actions that businesses took to survive COVID. First, they stayed in touch with their customers, suppliers, and employees. They told everyone “We are still here!” in as many ways as they could – signs, letters, emails, phone calls, advertising and word of mouth. They maintained visibility so their customers didn’t forget them or assume they were closed. Second, they adapted quickly to the conditions and stayed flexible. The initial changes weren’t always correct because experts were still learning about the virus. As a result, more and different changes were required. The successful were nimble. The key was not just meeting the ever-changing COVID requirements, but changing things in ways that made customers feel safe. Third, successful businesses went above and beyond to take care of their employees. This helped with morale, loyalty, and retention (that’s looking pretty good right now, isn’t it?).

If you did enough of these things to survive, congratulations! What next? Simple – do it again. And again! Observe, adapt, and communicate. And be quick about it! The current challenges of supply chain and employment shortages could be just as debilitating as COVID. Look hard at ways to change, transform and work with your suppliers and employees. Find new ways to work in the current environment. Be creative and stretch borders. Most importantly, keep communicating with everyone!

Copyright 2021 Sea Breeze Associates