Post Pandemic Strategies for Business Growth

Now more than ever, is the time to make critical decisions that will help support businesses going forward. The coronavirus pandemic impacted the entire world globally, no one can say for certain what the future holds. The economic uncertainties caused by the pandemic, should be motivation enough to make us take a second look at how to maintain and still grow your business. No longer is it “business as usual”.

People’s routines and lives have been greatly impacted, some are now feeling insecure and financially threatened. In times of crisis, it can be hard to stay calm and be optimistic, fortunately for entrepreneurs and Business Leaders, staying calm is part of the job description, however, unless we re-examine our marketing strategy, the ability to grow and expand business will be under siege.

By taking proactive steps now, you can put your business in a more secure position to stay strong and recover faster once the crisis subsides. Good companies are thinking of how to survive the pandemic; great companies are planning on how they are going to thrive once they are out of the woods.

Before we can come up with strategies, we need to ask ourselves some questions, like:

• Does our business have a reputable online presence and a relatable interface?
• Does our business have a strong presence on social media, and do we make good use of it to access clients and customers as well as promote business?
• Is our website up to date and easy to use and access by the users?
• How will life change for our customers and suppliers?
• What will happen to our current competitors?
• Who might be our new competitors?
• How can we cut cost?
• What are our key monthly forecasts and key milestones?

For most countries and organizations, it is not typically easy to return to business as usual after a pandemic. It is usually a slow and gradual process; however, the business must continue as it is one of our economic means of survival. Below are some of the things we can do to grow our business after answering the questions above;

Online learning will continue to expand: With schools and universities shut down around the world, more students are learning online. An article from the World Economic Forum states that online learning has been shown to increase retention of information, and take less time, meaning the changes COVID-19 have caused might be here to stay.

Businesses are more reliant on technology: Businesses around the world are diving into the digital pool and implementing digital accessibility as a business practice. Zoom video conferencing, MS Office suite, executive communication skills etc. should be effectively used.

Continue upskilling yourself: The job market has changed drastically since the start of the pandemic. When this crisis is over, the job market is going to be competitive. By making the most of your time while indoors, you will showcase real initiative and stand out from the competition. Continue to upgrade your skills and competencies with training and courses and webinars online.

Aggressive marketing and sales: Know that once all these is over, all organizations will have one objective and goal in mind, to recover all that they have lost and of course increase profitability. Organizations must go the extra mile to achieve this.

Stay Safe: You can only achieve all that is stated above if you are alive and healthy. As the saying goes health is wealth. Even when the lockdown and other measures imposed by the government and other health bodies have been lifted, try to safeguard yourself by continuing to obey all the directives long after it is over.

Omobola Oropo

LA/LI QMS, EMS, OHSMS