5 Important Business Lessons We Learned from the Pandemic

---

The world looks a lot different than it did back in January of 2020. Over a year into the pandemic, hope is on the horizon for a semblance of “normal” coming, but most people realize things will never quite go back to the way they were pre-COVID.

Business owners have learned a lot over the last 12 months about adaptability, new ways of doing things, and the need to be prepared for anything. Many have also found that there are better ways to operate to lower costs without hurting growth, such as enabling employees to work from home or moving to a completely virtual office.

Many businesses that never considered a remote working option in the past, had no choice during pandemic stay-at-home orders. Now, they realize that there can be significant cost savings involved, along with less stress and higher morale. 

The number of remote employees working permanently from home is expected to double in 2021. 

What lessons learned during the pandemic can be applied to make your business better in the coming years? 

Cloud Technology Is Vital 

Cloud technology has proven itself vital during the COVID crisis. Companies that still had legacy non-cloud software and landline phone systems quickly saw they needed to upgrade to enable employees to work from home.

Use of the cloud isn’t just a convenience any longer, virtual platforms and unified cloud communication systems are a necessity going forward if a company wants to remain resilient in the face of the unknown. 

Companies Can Run Virtually With the Right Setup 

Any lasting stigma about running a business without a physical office has been erased due to the pandemic, which required any business that could to operate virtually or cease to operate at all.

With the right tools to run a virtual front office, a company can operate just as successfully without all the overhead that comes with renting a physical office space, such as buying furniture, paying for internet and other utilities, etc.

What are some of the things you need in place to run a company virtually?

• Cloud technology tools (productivity, VoIP, customer support, etc.)
• Virtual address (gives your company a real physical street address to use)
• Virtual receptionist (professional call handling)
• A place to rent meeting rooms when an in-person meeting is required

Remote Working Lowers Costs for Everyone

One of the biggest reasons that the number of permanent remote workers is expected to double this year is because everyone has realized the cost savings involved.

Both companies and employees can save significantly with a work-from-home situation. This is a big benefit any time, but especially now when many business owners are looking for ways to tighten their belts until the world gets back to normal and their reve

nue increases.

Savings from a remote working policy include:

• Employees average a savings of $4,000 per year.
• Companies average a savings of $11,000 per year for each part-time remote worker (more if they’re fully remote).

Video Conferencing Can’t Replace Every Meeting

The use of Zoom and other video apps has skyrocketed due to the pandemic. Video has truly been a lifesaver during this time and a way that everyone stayed connected when they couldn’t be in the same physical space.

But video can’t replace all in-person interactions. A new phenomenon called “Zoom Fatigue” is being discovered. It’s burnout due to too much video conferencing and the fact that video meetings aren’t quite the same as those held face-to-face in person.

For example, the feeling of reward that people get with in-person interactions is lessened over video calls. There’s also a distrust that can occur inherently if someone’s video or audio is cutting out.

It’s important to keep teams feeling connected and to cement relationship with your clients with meetings in the same physical space regularly (once safe to do so). You can rent meeting rooms and even day offices by the hour to supplement a remote team or virtually run business and get the best of both worlds.  

Business Continuity Is More Than a Buzzword 

Companies that were prepared with a solid business continuity plan pre-pandemic, were the ones that fared the best during the crisis and had the least amount of downtime. 

Having a business continuity strategy in place is more than a “should,” it’s a “must” if you want to keep your company resilient. 

Business continuity is about planning for all potential work-stopping events that could hurt your business, and putting things in place ahead of time for a fast disaster or disruption recovery when an unexpected event happens.

Get The Support You Need for a Virtual Business & Remote Team  

Tysons Office Suites has everything you need to run a virtual business affordably all in one place. You can also rent any size meeting space you like to foster those important in-person connections.