In March of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on businesses across the board. While many businesses were forced to close their doors, others pivoted, adjusting to strategies that prioritize digital media in lieu of traditional workspaces. More than one year later, it’s safe to say that how we work has changed for the long term. Whether it’s a real estate agency scheduling showings or an online marketing company providing social media and branding guidance, COVID wasn’t without its takeaways.
It’s important to look back at the business lessons that company owners, CEOs, executives, and professionals have learned over the past year and counting. Not only will these help businesses moving forward, but they will paint a strong picture of how far we have come since COVID-19. Here are the top 5 business lessons to be learned.
The traditional office environment isn’t always necessary. When discussing the business lessons to take away from COVID-19, the traditional office environment is a good place to begin. Specifically, the past year has shown that said environment isn’t entirely necessary. Granted, there are certain industries, such as retail, that will require employees to be on site. However, for businesses that specialize in digital media, remote work has become that much more of a possibility. Remote work has been experimented with in years past, whether in marketing, information technology, or entertainment, just to name a few examples. However, with the rise of COVID-19, businesses with the capabilities to do so needed to shift to remote work. Simply put, as beneficial as traditional offices are, they aren’t as mandatory as they were pre-COVID.
Establishing a digital strategy, at the onset, is vital for any business. It would be wise for a business to futureproof itself in any fashion they can. One of the ways to do so is by establishing a digital strategy, whether they plan to work remotely for a few days, a couple of months, or even indefinitely. There are multiple steps involved in this process, too. Such steps include, but aren’t limited to, setting up regular meetings among staff and developing an IT system in the event that an employee encounters technical hiccups at home. The sooner that a digital strategy is established, the better a business will fare when employees work remotely.
Workplace productivity can be maintained, if not improved, in different ways. One of the cornerstones of a business’s success is productivity. In other words, staff should be able to produce results on a routine basis. Remote work may pose a challenge, in this regard, but there are a few ways that productivity can be maintained, if not improved. For example, it would behoove a business to adopt an agile strategy, allowing employees to not only better understand their tasks but complete them more efficiently. Another way to focus on workplace productivity is via cross-training, allowing workers to become involved in other areas of business. In addition to boosting productivity, this will allow said workers to become more valuable to the companies they’re part of.
Business owners should always look toward the future. The future isn’t certain, so it’s vital to predict or anticipate change. In this regard, one of the most important components is technology. In the mid-2000s, Facebook was launched, and while it took many companies time to make their way onto the platform, others saw its influence at the onset. As a result, they created presences on Facebook early on. The same could be said for other digital platforms that followed, including Instagram, TikTok, and others that social media agencies have been known to utilize. As stated earlier, businesses should develop digital strategies as early as possible, especially with remote work becoming more commonplace for companies where it’s applicable. No business should move forward without a long-term strategy in place.
Whether remotely or from the office, health and wellness matter. There’s something to be said about the importance of health and wellness following COVID-19. Since the pandemic, people have become more inclined to take care of themselves, which businesses have recognized as well. Regardless of where an individual works, they must consider their own wellbeing, whether physically or otherwise. To begin, take regular breaks during work hours. Furthermore, if one feels ill, to the point where they struggle to work, they should consider taking that day off. These are just a few examples of how employees can promote health and wellness when working, regardless of where COVID-19 has them completing day-to-day tasks from.
About fishbat: fishbat is a full-service digital marketing and website design agency located in New York. Utilizing the latest technologies and forward-thinking strategies, fishbat is able to create marketing plans that are tailor-made for specific needs and goals. The services that fishbat provides include, but aren’t limited to, social media management, search engine optimization, content marketing, email marketing, and branding. With these, businesses will be able to market directly to their audiences, increasing traffic, engagement, and ultimately, revenue.