Stuck as we are somewhere in the middle, the pandemic tunnel seems long, dark and uncertain. It certainly feels like a stretch to say that COVID-19 could bring out the best of anything. But, as a business owner, you’ll know that success is often about achieving the impossible.
Hence why, rather than despairing at this sudden remote landscape, now might be the time to take this change by the horns. After all, experts have been touting this as the working way forward for years, and many claim this is the start of the “remote revolution.” What’s more, approaching current remote needs with a long-term plan will surely put you in a better position to cope.
The question is, how exactly do you implement long-term remote processes amidst a pandemic, and what does this mean for your company on the whole?
Don’t Be Afraid to Invest
If you’re anything like most, you’re only putting half your heart into this remote thing, and certainly aren’t investing in new software. It’s only temporary, after all, so why leave yourself out of pocket?
Well, there are two pressing reasons. For one, you have no clue how long the threat of COVID-19 is going to last. As such, ‘temporary’ is a loose term. Refusing to invest could, therefore, see your service lacking for untold amounts of time. What’s more, investing now means that you’ll be at the forefront of what’s starting to seem like an inevitably permanent shift. That means you’ll be able to bag the best program prices, while also guaranteeing that you don’t fall behind the curve.
Reassess Your IT Infrastructure
Your existing IT infrastructure is likely ill-suited to remote work, hence why you should either reassess yourself or outsource managed IT services that can do so for you. Now is an especially suitable time to do this as delays and even some downtime are pretty prevalent across the board. Rebooting and reshaping your IT processes will thus go largely unnoticed. Yet, it’ll ensure you can remain on sound remote footing, even once other workplaces are left considering where to go from lockdown.
Start Seeking Your New “Normal”
Finally, seeking your new and remote-focused normal can kick things off at last. This may mean new sales processes, new meeting layouts, and of course, changes to team communications. Again, now is the ideal time to do this, as business is likely quiet, and clients understand setbacks more. By taking this time to work through teething issues, you should find that you and your team have settled nicely into the remote working world once all of this madness starts to settle.
There’s no denying that these are challenging times, especially if you’re trying to keep a business afloat. But, looking for positives where you can is vital, and provides an opportunity to shift to remote at last is definitely one of them. Not to mention that focusing on the implementation of points like these will surely distract you from checking the news for the fifth time today!
