Coping with life once business returns to pre-lockdown levels.
When the COVID-19 pandemic started in early 2020, it’s safe to say that no one predicted how much impact it would have, and for how long. Times have been pretty challenging for companies, employees, and individuals alike. Around the world, businesses have started to resume operations, but in a very different context as we all adapt to the “new normal”. For example, many retailers that were reluctant to use digital marketing channels have now embraced this technology.
So, how can you make these new standards feel more normal for your business, you employees, and your consumers? There is no denying that every business has to make certain adjustments to embrace the new reality, but what can be done to make everyone more comfortable but make things feel more normal? In this post, we walk you through a few easy tips for adjusting your business to the new normal. Let’s get started.
Revisit Your Business Plan
It’s important to keep your staff up-to-date with the latest news on the virus, its impact on your industry, and how it affects your customers’ buying decisions. A data-based approach works wonders for all sizes and types of businesses. This 
will also help you to resume your business operations in a more secure way. If you haven’t had time to make changes to your business plan in 2020, now is the best time to revisit your business goals and update them according to the current situation.
Your business plan should comply with the latest regulations. Additionally, it must support a more flexible and above all safe work environment for your employees. Schedule a meeting with your internal team, discuss your business goals, and make changes to your business strategies as necessary in the context of the pandemic.
Offer a Safe Working Environment to Your Employees
As your employees are returning to office environment, employers need to make necessary adjustments to their workplace to make it worker-friendly. It’s become more important now than ever for businesses to implement robust safety protocols. Basic requirements include face masks, hand sanitizers, and social distancing.
Start with limiting your online team’s exposure to third parties and external members. Embrace digital tools to allow people to work remotely. Unless your employee’s presence is an absolute necessity on-site, let them work from home.
Prepare Your Team for Change
The pandemic has led to many innovations that can streamline manual operations, and can continue to do so even after the crisis. Chances are many businesses will want to stick to these new standards for as long as possible. If you too are planning to implement changes in the business operations, then organize a meeting and share your ideas with your staff. It’s important to prepare your team before you introduce any big change to the way you do the business. Whether it’s the marketing strategy or your business plan, your internal team needs to be familiar with the innovations in the industry to adapt to these changes seamlessly.
If there’s one thing that this crisis has taught us, it’s that the business world in unpredictable. People never though that the pandemic would continue into 2021. The COVID-19 crisis has given us the experience to handle future pandemics in a better. It’s also taught us the importance of incorporating sudden crises into future business plans.
Invest in Technology
The restrictions on transportation and on-site operations have wreaked havoc on the day-to-day operations of small and large-scale companies. If you haven’t invested in automation technology yet, now is the perfect time to embrace these tools and automate as many manual operations as possible. The sooner you embrace automation, the easier it will be for you to support a large number of customers in the best way possible.
One such example of innovative business tools that can streamline management is cloud apps. These allow your workers to handle their routine office tasks from the comfort of their homes while updating work status on productivity apps. You can use tracking software to get a clear picture of your employees’ working hours as well as their progress.
Go Green
The pandemic has also taught us the importance of sustainability. What could be a better time than now to make your business more environmentally-friendly? Indoor plants can help transform your workspace and change the whole feel of your office.
A few pots placed strategically are all your employees need for improved productivity and better wellbeing. If you don’t know where to start, hire a professional service like PHS Greenleaf to prepare your workplace for reopening.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a black swan event – something that was hard to predict but had a profound impact on nearly every industry. Heed the above tips and create a COVID-proof workplace that will make the “new normal” feel more normal.
