“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” – Socrates***
I remember going out for a food and supply run. The streets were deserted. I may have passed two cars as I drove to the grocery store, the dollar store and the office supply store. My car was well supplied with plastic gloves, face masks, hand sanitizer and alcohol spray. The two mile trip seemed dismal but serene. That particular day, the sky was a mixture of peach, yellow and orange and the air was warm. I felt like an actor in one of the earlier episodes of The Walking Dead TV series. I remember my kids asking me on another day when they were in the car with me, if this was the end of the world. I knew it wasn’t but it sure looked like it.
The last year has been a rocky road. Some of us are still getting our bearings. New methods, new means for everything from shopping to working. Today, as the vaccine slowly moves through the population, we are remembering life as it once was, trying to incorporate what life became after Covid 19 swept us all into a way of living we had never known.
Small business is a networking necessity in the post Covid world. Prior to the Covid 19 Pandemic, organizations with 50 employees or less were less likely to delegate or outsource a business process to a third-party vendor compared to larger organizations, according to a Clutch survey of 529 small US businesses. At that time, 37% of small companies were likely to outsource a business process such as accounting, digital marketing, IT services, Human Resources and development.
It is understandable that outsourcing appears to be a luxury for small businesses or churches but maybe it is worth considering in areas that may have the greatest impact. It need not be viewed in a traditional sense. Given the nature of things that forced the change, consider the fact that the pandemic along with environmental and climate factors have caused outsourcing companies to become more flexible, in the options available to customers and potential customers as well. One that I find quite appealing is the increased need for freelance writers! As a writer, that is music to my ears; but it doesn’t end there. Let’s look at a few examples of other areas where a small business may need other businesses to help keep things running smoothly.
Transitioning to a Digital World
Businesses and churches large and small found that in order to remain viable or half way relevant during the pandemic they were going to have to face up to and join a digital world. Hopefully they were already actively involved but in many cases they either held no notable digital footprint to speak of or it was considerably lacking. Leaders discovered the traditional brick-and-mortar business and worship facilities could not survive Covid and thus had to basically reinvent themselves. It was exhilarating, exhausting and challenging all at the same time. The exhilaration occurring only after the challenge of figuring out what in the world could be done to solve any given level of service or output and exhaustion overshadowed the length of each learning curve ranging from concept to completion.
Those who were accustomed to and married to the idea of the old fashioned way of doing business as the best way to fulfill the needs of their customers or parishioners, were forced to change.
The need remains and now extends beyond Covid. What business leaders should have already had up and going was a must do over the last 12 months. There was an undeniable increase of organizations wanting… no… needing to create or update their websites, launch e-commerce channels and create social media pages and campaigns to reach out to remote workers, less accessible customers and new audiences. Implementing such strategies can have a long term benefit long after the pandemic has become a part of history. Not only that but in these uncertain times, they will be beneficial strategies in the long run for any business owner or church leader. People have now become accustomed to new ways of access and service and it will not be likely that anyone will be able to put that genie back in the bottle.
Mobile app usage significantly increased in 2020 and the early part of 2021, including online shopping, video streaming, e-learning, gaming, online trading, and banking services. So continue to upgrade and maintain your online presence. As the world opens up more and more over the upcoming months, now is the time to time to step up social media marketing as well. Consider outsourcing or hiring a consistent freelancer(s) to help you maintain your social media calendar. Having assistance with your digital strategy can help build your customer or membership base, educate audiences on what you have to offer and develop consistency in your online advertising. While it may be simple to complete one post per week, it becomes time consuming and even overwhelming when you realize you need to post varied content on multiple platforms, at multiple times on a daily basis. All while continuing to manage every other aspect of your work… and the work of everyone else on the team and lead everyone according to your vision strategy among other things.
IT Services
In this day and time of digital operations, one cannot survive with a strong, capable IT service available to your team. You cannot go it alone on this one because the day has come when you need more than a flash drive and an external drive. Having an expert’s name and number at your fingertips to advise, troubleshoot and even rebuild if necessary is an absolute must. There is nothing worse than attempting to access a client’s file on your computer only to discover your computer has a virus and is slowing crashing before your eyes.
Network with other trusted business owners or talk with people who may have complex data systems similar to your own. Find out who they work with and who they might recommend. Get that qualified individual on your outsourced team so you can rest easy when problems arise. Theses individuals are operating small businesses just as you are, so they are bound to be willing to negotiate or have various options available that fit your needs.
Human Resources
If you have a team of employees, you know how challenging it is to hire, train and maintain a high performing team. It is enough to focus on the reason you went into business in the first place and it is entirely something else having to focus on things like employee relations, recruitment, compensation, payroll and benefits while doing everything else. I actually began to help others in this area for this very reason. It was almost painful to watch people divide their time between that which they know well and that which they may or may not think they know well. It doesn’t take long for them to realize it is more than a notion. HR takes time, talent and tenacity. When you’ve done it at high intensity levels, it’s actually easy…almost instinctual (I said almost). For this reason, you should consider having someone else help you with this if you have more than one or two employees. It is especially helpful when you are growing. Shop for the right mix of services at the right cost. Some services have a minimal monthly cost but may also offer minimal, generalized support. This may not be what you need. Others may offer more in-depth service and support for a monthly fee, and you can call whenever you have a need and you know you’re covered. These needs may include hand book development, policy creation, coaching you when you have to address an employee, recruitment and more.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Small businesses can benefit from DEI efforts as much as larger organizations. Such efforts incorporate strategies for recruitment and staffing, marketing, leadership and customer service. While it doesn’t really make sense for a small business to add a full or part time employee to handle such strategies, it certainly makes sense for a business owner to reach out to an expert who can help incorporate key strategies into daily operations and overall strategy.
The current cultural client and the calls for racial justice and equitable treatment is not going away. With every achievement we appear to make, more injustice rises to the surface of the country’s ugly history of… bad behavior. Companies are faced with this issue with a level of urgency they have not seen since the 60s and even then it may not have had the impact on corporate consciences as it has of late. On the one year anniversary of the George Floyd murder, in which the world watched, in horror as this man’s life was taken away from him, we have seen history made and yet the offenses continue. The business world sat up and took notice, recognizing that silence was no longer an option. Surveys show that people are increasingly expecting business leaders to step up and do what government should but hasn’t done and lay persons continue to take to the streets in protest. The message is clear, we demand change!
Change is necessary at all levels in all settings and will not be easy but is still necessary. Utilizing outside sources to help build strong DEI efforts in small businesses is not as farfetched today as it might have seemed 10 years ago. Seek consultants or contractors who are willing to work with you and your financial needs to development a formidable DEI plan for your team.
Closing Remarks
These are just a few areas to consider in seeking outside assistance to strengthen and develop your work environment. Covid has brought about greater demands on our leadership requirements but it has also brought about greater options. Just as banks have begun to offer better options for small businesses like virtual accounts with little or no fees and no bricks and mortar, other businesses can begin to look at newer and better ways to function and offer services as well. Affordability and accessibility are key areas of consideration that can drive these changes along with a more sophisticated approach to overall business strategy. Covid 19 was no picnic but it did usher in a new way of living that will remain long after this pandemic has become a thing of the past. If life turns to business as usual or if we are faced with another pandemic in the future, our challenge is not to lose sight of the lessons learned and the insights gained.