The COVID-19 crisis might be far from over, however, there is only so much time you can afford to spend closed to your customers and clients before you start losing too much money. The reality is that the second coronavirus wave is probably going to hit the world in next few months, but right now, the focus of the global business sector as well as the global governments is to kick-start the economy. Now that you’re finding yourself able to reopen your doors and get back to work, there are several key challenges that you will face.
After all, the risks are still present, and your job is to help minimize the chance of spreading the virus in your community, while at the same time rebuilding your company. As a business leader, you have to ensure financial well-being as well as the well-being of your employees and their families. With that in mind, here are the best tips on how you can safely reopen your business in the “new normal”.
Put safety at the forefront
First and foremost, you can’t hope to reopen your business with minimal risk if you don’t invest in employee and customer safety. In fact, health and hygiene should be the two foundational pillars of your strategy, because if someone gets sick under your watch, chances are that you will be forced to close your doors once more. This could lead to irreversible financial damage, so best to take all precautions right away.
Start by investing in employee hygiene and safety. The best thing you can do is to start checking their body temperature when they come to the office in the morning, and be sure to introduce a disinfecting booth at the entrance to the office. Double down on morning and evening cleaning and pay the cleaning staff a little extra to come by during the day as well.
Adjust your business plan
Now that you have your office hygiene needs in check, you can start analyzing the post-COVID-19 market and industry trends. This is one of the essential steps towards total business recovery, because analyzing the prevailing trends will help you ascertain your position in the market, and what you need to do in order to thrive in the new normal. Chances are that your original business model simply won’t yield the same results in the new market, and you will have to adapt your strategy to accommodate the new needs of your customers.
One of the key changes you might need to adopt is the integration of Ecommerce into your business model. Now that the Ecommerce industry has experienced a boom due to the fact that people are buying more online than ever before in order to minimize the spread of the virus, you should look into Ecommerce as a viable long-term way to rebuild your cash flow and even help your company thrive in the years to come.
Maintain a productive digital workplace
Whether you’re bringing all of your employees back to the office or if you’re keeping some of your team members home to minimize the risk of contagion, there is no denying that you have to have a strong communication strategy in place to elevate productivity and output, and improve operational efficiency in these trying times. This means that you need to have a comprehensive phone infrastructure in place, preferably a cloud-based VoIP system instead of a traditional phone system in order to capitalize on digital features.
Some of the best VoIP solutions for small businesses will allow you to run a seamless operation no matter how many people you have in the office, how many are working remotely, and how many you have stationed across the globe. This is achieved through numerous important features like video and audio conferencing, screen sharing and call forwarding, full mobile optimization, and more.
Cut all extraneous expenses
One of the most important elements of a successful business revitalization strategy is to eliminate all unnecessary expenses from your life, which includes the things that are making you waste money over the long term. To do this, you have to create a detailed financial report in order to discover the areas where you might be leaking money. This report will also help you identify the processes that you should invest in immediately in order to generate better financial returns in the following months and years.
Re-evaluate your business objectives
Last but not least, now is the time to re-evaluate your long-term business objectives and assess how they hold up in the post-COVID-19 world. While there might not be anything wrong with pursuing the same key goals, chances are that there are even better prospects in the new normal, and that you could stand to gain more by altering the course your business is taking. Be sure to work closely with your analysts and core team members to uncover the hidden market opportunities and invest in business innovation and growth.
Wrapping up
Reopening a business after the COVID-19 pandemic is not just about ensuring employee health and safety, it’s also about ensuring financial stability and paving the road to growth in 2020 and beyond. Use these tips to achieve both and set your business up for a thriving future.
