Let Consumers be your driving force

Even pre pandemic consumers have been moving towards a ‘here and now’ expectation, driven by the ‘on demand’ world that we live in within our home lives. With cloud services like Netflix and online banking being instantaneous, consumers expect the same quick response in their work life. Companies who improved their digital presence, will have benefitted most during Covid-19. Whether that’s by adding Live Chat to your website, ecommerce functionality or even extending your hours so people could reach you outside of the traditional 9-5pm.

Consumers have changed and business need to change with them. They want flexibility, value for money, transparency and convenience. Stay in touch with your customer expectations, ask them how you can make their life easier and invest in the tools and technology that make this happen.

Live and Breathe Cyber Security

With many companies operating with a remote workforce and looking to continue doing so well into the future, it is vital that you evaluate how safe your data is. Hackers have taken full advantage of the vulnerabilities that Covid-19 has presented businesses and attacks are only on the increase. Viruses and infiltration methods are continuously changing and business owners in the South West need to stay on top of these trends.

Employees are also one of your biggest threats, simply because if they’re not educated on cyber security risks, they’ll innocently go clicking on something that could have catastrophic affects on your business. Both financially and from a reputation perspective.

Luckily you can access and deploy online cyber security training for all of your staff, at a really affordable price. Make this training mandatory for every new starter and part of your annual cyber protection plan, so that everyone receives a regular refresh.

Be ready for another crisis

If there is one thing all business owners and managers have learn in 2020, it’s that disasters can happen to us all! No one could have predicted the enormity of the Covid-19 impacts on businesses of all sizes, across the world. But one thing is certain, we all need to get our business continuity plans and disaster recovery plans in place and fit for purpose!

Those businesses that had it covered will have fared much better than those who didn’t. They will have had plans in place that meant their staff could quickly replicate their office environments at home with laptops and systems operating seamlessly in the cloud, from any device and from any location.

We all know that laptop demand spiked during those first few months of the pandemic, so if you still haven’t got your orders in place to enable your staff to work remotely and efficiently, now is the time to make that change.

Review your plans now and test, test, test before it’s too late.

Accept that cloud computing is the future

Many South West businesses will have sped up their cloud adoption over the last 6 months and it will have become a top priority for many business owners. Those that have migrated their systems, data and communications to the cloud have experienced a wealth of benefits. From increased flexibility and access to the latest software and features without the need for bulky in-house equipment. To a more attractive cost model, moving away from large upfront outlays that can take years to deliver an ROI, to predictable and smaller, monthly per user per month fees. This means decisions can be made at speed and businesses can respond to unexpected changes at the touch of a button.

Ask yourself, do you need that in-house server, taking up room in the office? Do you even need that office anymore? With cloud technology, your business becomes flexible enough to ‘lift and shirt’ to any location.

Perhaps some of your business is already enjoying cloud benefits with applications like Office 365, but have you considered what other elements of your business are ripe for adoption?

Cloud adoption is not a fad, it’s here to stay and it’s the enabler of the modern office. The sooner you start your journey to the cloud, the sooner your business will benefit.

Continue with your agile approach

Business owners of all industries across the South West have surprised themselves at how quickly they can adapt to difficult situations. It is only in challenging times, when you truly find out your full capabilities and boy was Covid-19 a test for us all. Yet, most businesses in some form or another, got by. They carried out fundamental changes and made critical decisions, quicker than they ever had before. Which just goes to show, we’re all capable of responding to changing circumstances without months of discussions, planning and debates.

In fact, for many businesses, Covid-19 was the catalyst for change that was needed for growth and even survival pre-covid.

Companies who thought on their feet, got staff up and running at home, improved their digital presence and responded to customers with pace, have thrived over the last 6 months.

Don’t stifle this agility! Embrace it. We live in a fast-paced world, businesses across the South West who mirror this speed through continuously evolving, will continue to thrive.

If you’d like to speak to us about embracing the cloud, improving your internal communications or writing a disaster recover plan, our experts are ready to help on 01392 796 779 or simply drop us a message through live chat on our website.