ALL CONTENT AND PHOTOS WRITTEN AND SUBMITTED BY NIALA RAMKALLAWAN
On an international scale, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the face of how we do business, maintain relationships, extend networks and foster international trade. One thing for certain is this virus has taught us that we need to acclimatize to our environment in order to survive and with this, we also need to be equipped to make effective and productive decisions in a timely manner. As such, it is pragmatic that we develop a new mindset geared towards this transition into ‘The New Normal’.
What Is ‘The New Normal’?
According to the popular Urban Dictionary, the new normal is defined as, “the current state of being after some dramatic change has transpired. What replaces the expected, usual, typical state after an event occurs. The new normal encourages one to deal with current situations rather than lamenting what could have been.”
The New Normal when it comes to business has no hard and fast rules, set routes or ways to success. With this in mind, the New Normal can take several different approaches, but the fundamental guidelines are the ones that should guide us in our everyday practices and in creating established business policies and procedures.
The New Normal calls for us to transition from traditional ways and transform our operations to adapt to our ever changing economic business climate, while at the same time regarding the instructions of policy makers and keeping our stakeholders, whoever and wherever they may be satisfied.
This outcome and change triggered by the Novel Coronavirus, or as we know it as COVID-19 pandemic has impacted change within the global climate and refocused our attention on navigating through this unforeseen paradigm shift.
What Should We Expect?
As Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise owners (MSMEs), it is vital that we are aware on changes in the economic and international landscape, as it may directly or indirectly affect resources utilised within the business. It is vital to be mindful of any and all changes, and keep abreast of news from reputable sources when considering changes to daily operations, current policies and existing processes.
With a paradigm shift, numerous changes can occur, which can affect you minimally or have a more significant impact on your existing resources, infrastructure and networks. Typically, the areas affected in both the long run and short-term embraces the need for:
- Employing creative, diverse, non-conventional and game changing strategies
- Extending our reach further via online marketplaces
- Modifying sales activities in a more convenient and accessible way with delivery services as opposed to in-store purchases
- Upgrading payment facilities to allow for online advice, sales and service
- Placing more emphasis on customers’ needs, wants and expectations
- Ramping up Marketing and Advertising as competition and new rivals seek entry into your consumer markets
- Outsourcing, this will allow you to spread your resources elsewhere, even focusing more on product quality, additional output and introducing an after sales service
- Capitalising on technology and automation to cut manufacturing time and finish more products
- Focusing on continuous learning and kaizen for survival, success and longevity
- An innate change in our business culture, and the need to ensure all team members are on board with new structures implemented
What Should We Do?
As Entrepreneurs and business owners the onus is on us to get creative, make changes and prioritise strategies to ensure our business is in accordance with proper safety, sanitation and hygienic practices.
The new normal calls for immediate attention to update our current procedures and practices, and implement new policies. You can either be reactive, standing by waiting to see what happens, which will cost you more in the long run or have a faster reaction time, be proactive and a make the necessary budget allocations to Health and Safety for your business. The choice is yours. You should be mindful that the new normal encompasses changes of a:
1. Physical nature. The norm now takes into account:
- Distancing between persons of at least 6 feet in queue
- Mandatory wearing of face masks and face shields prior to entry into business places, high-traffic areas and public spaces
- Installation of sneeze guards or shields for employees
- The provision of sanitization stations furnished with antibacterial soap and rinsing facilities
- Staff equipped with sanitizers to ensure personal sanitation of visitors
- Trained personnel at entrances to use non-contact Infrared thermometers
- Proper signage and markers in clearly visible areas to reduce physical interactions, highlight procedures of the establishment and offer guidelines to conform to when conducting business in the space
2. Virtual setting.
This approach geared towards the physical disconnect is unavoidable and thereby encourages increasing digital connections. Entrepreneurs are now required to find new ways to adapt business operations, interact with stakeholders, improve our online infrastructure and continuously seek new ways to improve processes. This can be done through:
- Online shopping in marketplaces via social media handles and also through e-commerce facilities
- Electronic advertising online and via mobile apps
- E-payment facilities and delivery infrastructure
- Online training in virtual classrooms or chat rooms
- Employing the services of virtual employees
- Expanding your team by employing online screening and interviews
- Virtual meetings, made possible by avenues such as Skype, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams, which have now made these interactions straightforward, easily accessible and hassle-free.
Who Does It Impact?
As responsible and informed trendsetters, pioneers and game changers, our role as an Entrepreneur is quite diverse, but precedence to protect our stakeholders, families and most importantly ourselves, while ensuring our business’ survival and continuity must be high on our agendas.
Our internal stakeholders encompass our Manager/ Directors, Shareholders, even our Employees and teams, who are our valued and significant assets.
Our external stakeholders, Suppliers, Competitors and Customers, in addition to the local community, regulatory agencies, and the Government though impacting the business at times indirectly or very little on a daily basis are consequentially very important.
The very operation of our MSMEs inclusive of processes, along with distribution and communication channels is greatly impacted by the new normal. Stakeholder networks have become a critical point of focus in terms of what they offer and contribute to our businesses directly and indirectly to ensure smooth operation in moving raw materials into a finished product, performing adequate marketing and promotion, obtaining a ready market then getting the finished product into the hands of the consumer.
How do you get your business and yourself COVID ready?
To start with, you need to adopt a new mindset to deal with this paradigm shift and the accompanying changes it brings. By employing the following steps, it will prepare you to be COVID-19 ready:
- Look closely at your environment - Focus on what changes need to be made, what other businesses are doing, what competitors are doing, and what other entrepreneurs in your industry are doing. By carefully researching these new changes and trends, you will make yourself less susceptible to failure and be in a better state of readiness, and also help you pinpoint new opportunities you may have overlooked prior.
- Communicate clearly all changes. It is wise as a Business Owner to employ the Plan, Do, Check, and Act (PDCA) Cycle to ensure safety is a priority.
Plan
- Update safety and security measures in existing policies and procedures
- Host virtual meetings and obtain employee feedback from surveys
- Ensure suitable training is provided for all personnel
- Have quality controls in place regarding sanitization practices and monitoring of persons
- Build trust, reliability and confidence in customers, especially the elderly and vulnerable members of society.
Do
- Put in sanitization facilities and ensure accompanying safety signage is clearly visible
- Use social media and online platforms to create awareness of newly implemented changes
- Ensure personnel is properly trained and provided the necessary PPE for the task at hand, whether it is to ensure antibacterial soap or thermometers are available for a person’s temperature to be taken upon entrance
- Set aside a budget allocation for Safety, Health and Sanitation practices
Check
- Regularly, as an Owner take a direct interest in observing these new practices in action
- To ensure the flow of customers is smooth, especially at the start of the day and in busy periods
- Sanitisation stations are properly functioning, and adequate PPE, along with sterile chemicals is available and restocked in a timely manner
- Customers are treated well and given adequate assistance
Act
- Make the necessary budget allocations into the foreseeable future
- Ensure follow through of new practices
- Monitor changes implemented and readjust as needed
- Refocus Marketing, Advertising and Promotional strategies
- Reevaluate current strategies in distribution, sales, marketing, and so on.
The New Normal is indeed a ‘WIP’ or Work-in-Progress, but with time the new normal will simply become routine. This change will be much easier if our entrepreneurial mindset is willing and ready to embark on this new journey and only our response, reaction time, flexibility and ability to adapt will propel us forward to survive this pandemic and beyond with a healthy and hearty business strategy and structure.
Sources:
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=New%20normal
About Niala
I am a Freelance MSE & Social Media Advisor, the Owner/Founder of Gia’s Creative Studio and YBTT Mentor/Advisor providing ‘Insights from a Creative Entrepreneur’ on transformational leadership, strategy, forging a legacy, motivation and success.
Niala Ramkallawan, MBA, BSc.
You can find me on:
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/niala-r-71b12742/
YBTT - https://ybcaribbean.skysthelimit.org/volunteer-profile/15317
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/giascreativestudio/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/giascreativestudio.868/
