【After Corona!?】5 things you should continue doing for your business even after corona
The number of COVID cases in the world have been fluctuating, but overall it has been showing signs of improvements. Together with this, many businesses have implemented structural and technological advancements worth 10–20 years, in this very short period of time. Some things may have been put in place that were only intended for the duration of this pandemic, however we shall introduce 5 things that your company should KEEP when operating your business even after corona has ended.
Online Meetings
With direct contact becoming difficult to do, online meetings were introduced as a way to be able to discuss with your team for various projects. We’re sure this applied for your firm as well, with applications such as Zoom, Google Hangouts, and Skype often being used as the tool of choice.
Regardless of COVID, this method of conversing with your team would be highly effective, allowing for you to converse with teams in a far place, with the click of a button. The cost benefits would be immense, especially in a nation like Japan where company visits are still a norm. With the arrival of the pandemic, this norm is changing, and it will be easier for companies to proactively use online meetings as a way to contact partners and employees from all around the world.
Remote Teleworking
The factor of being responsible while working outside the office has been of utmost importance the past couple of months, with remote teleworking being introduced to the average workforce. Freedom of location by employees is beginning to be considered as a necessity, and even a societal norm, and soon, firms that don’t follow this trend would begin standing out.
Some of you may be worried that the productivity of your employees may be affected negatively compared to keeping a fixed office schedule. There is no need for that concern, proven by a research done by the largest travel agency in China, Ctrip, where they conducted a research involving 16,000 individuals, turning half of their employees remote, and they have found that output increased by approximately 13%. With workers being less stressed, enjoying longer shifts, and having a choice in scheduling their life, working remotely allowed them to enjoy a more productive and efficient workflow, resulting in a higher productivity for the company.
Signing Official Documents Electronically
If you already work in the Japanese market, many of you may already know of the 印鑑 (inkan), or the company stamp that is used to sign official documents. It’s become one of the most crucial aspects of a Japanese business, however that is changing. People have realized the limitation that is caused by the system at times when it is difficult to meet, such as during this pandemic. Hence, new technologies have been introduced, which successfully adapts this traditional process, into the modern society.
They are called ‘electrical stamps’, which are basically these stamps that could be used online. With the merge of technology and tradition, these services have made it far more convenient when signing off documents without having to meet each other.
Haven’t implemented this yet? Although in Japanese, here’s a website that could help you if you’re looking for this service: 実印.net
Taking Your Business Online
Together with this pandemic, all kinds of stores made the necessary move to do business online. The small bento shops around the corner may have also applied for a listing on Uber Eats, but that’s how much the world of the internet has become important. It has truly shown that it is the present, and the future, of how business will be done, and for those of you who have done a similar feat like the bento shop, well done; please continue doing so. The best case would be to be proactive both online and offline.
The Will to Advance and Adapt
COVID forced us to adapt, improve, and challenge new things that we haven’t tried before. That sped up the evolution process of the global business society, and it shouldn’t stop with the end of corona. Continue to remember this moment as a way to keep innovating and implementing new things your company hasn’t tried before. Right now, you’re at the same speed as everyone else. Continue forever at this pace? You’ll be years ahead of anyone else in your game.
To Conclude
Business norms after corona is still a mystery, but one thing is for sure: the implementation of far more online services and workstyle. There’ll likely be many more useful tools that will be developed to further make the change in lifestyle that much easier and efficient. No matter what happens, continue to innovate, and your company would be victorious against any type of challenge.
Looking to work remotely, but can’t focus at a cafe?
Coworking spaces are likely going to be the preferred place to work in the near future, with their flexibility regarding lease, innovative and efficient workspace, and the great balance between cafe and office. These facilities allow you to enjoy the best of both worlds, a relaxing cafe with a great cup of coffee, and the stylish workspace with all the services you may need from printers, meeting rooms, monitors, and even projectors for events. Not only that, as there are industry leaders from many different business sectors using the same space, countless opportunities are available everywhere around you.
BLINK Community is one like above, with many international members who are freelancers and startup entrepreneurs, trying to make a change in society. Check out our website for more information: https://www.blinkcommunity.com
