Almost two years in, many people think that the global COVID-19 pandemic is bleak and distressing. There are some bright spots, though. News about COVID-19 variants may dominate your social media feed, but vaccination rollouts continue. And in other news, there has been a significant increase in pet adoption, less pollution in some parts of the world due to changes in mobility, and better conversations on mental health. Even some business owners have found a silver lining in a crisis.
From socially distanced fitness classes and online concerts to teleconsultations and touchless tech, many products and services have found their way to be part of the “new normal.” Several brands have made brilliant moves that have kept them stay afloat. Some even made great strides to become first-movers.
How can you emulate the same success? What can you do to find your silver lining amid a pandemic?
Maximize your now
The fast-paced environment before the pandemic turned into a hustle-and-grind culture. But now that you have the time to slow down a bit, it’s the perfect time to finish that project you’ve been putting off for a while. Perhaps it’s a website overhaul or new product development. Or maybe, it’s time to experiment in reducing your staff’s workload and try outsourcing to reduce overhead costs.
Also, see what has worked in the past two years. If your team has been successful in getting clients online in the past year, maximize that by solidifying online marketing channels. YouTube is so big now. Why don’t you create a channel to offer engaging content while entertaining and attracting an audience?
The future may still be unclear. But look at what has been happening in your business in the past two years. That can give you an idea of how to move your business forward. Maximize your now to improve your tomorrow.
Change your perspective
The biggest thing you have to do now to implement any experimentation is to change your approach to today’s biggest global health crisis. Instead of viewing the situation as a short-term and necessary evil that you can leave behind soon, use the situation to speed up long-overdue changes.
Take flexible working arrangements, for example. Many organizations have been tinkering around this idea to suit the changing behavior of modern employees. The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the shift to work-from-home setups, establishing the flexible working arrangement as a suitable option. Once we return to our offices after the pandemic, work-from-home requests will no longer be frowned upon. Giving employees more freedom to choose how they complete their deliverables works, after all.
Embracing flexible work arrangements and other long-overdue changes in the way you work or do business can help keep your business thriving. Once you achieve that, it will be much easier to innovate processes and explore new ideas that can give your brand an edge amid a crisis and even future-proof it.
Upskill to offer more
Another way to focus on the silver lining of living through a global pandemic is to upskill. You’ve witnessed how the world has changed in the past year. You’ve also seen what has helped most people survive. It’s technology and innovation. At the height of lockdowns and travel restrictions, many people relied on apps, chatbots, video conferencing software, and other tech solutions to stay connected and keep doing business. Don’t waste the opportunity to hop on the bandwagon by upskilling.
Want to incorporate AI and machine learning into your processes? Learn the fundamentals of this growing industry. There are many free AI courses online right now. And as tech solutions blurred the lines between countries, try your hand at offering your business on a larger scale. If you need to enhance your communication skills, you can always enroll in online programs like what ESL Tutoring Services offers.
When you upskill, you can offer more to your customers and the world. That means more business opportunities will open to keep your business stay afloat or even thrive amid a global crisis.
The Bottom Line: Always Search for the Silver Linings
Finding hidden business opportunities within a crisis is the best way to stay relevant now and in the future. Maybe, all you need is to change your perspective, maximize your now, and upskill to offer more. But as you go through those explorations, make a conscious effort to take care of your team and customers. Remember, your employees are your assets, and your customers fuel your business’ growth. Finding silver linings won’t matter if you lose them along the way.
