Essentials of a Business Continuity Plan During the COVID-19 Pandemic
During the current situation brought about by the global COVID-19 pandemic supplementing your offline business with an online presence may become inevitable. This is especially true as rapid advancements in technology brings in automation to replace some of the traditional roles in industries.
Additionally, a workforce restricted to working from home may not require expensive computers with the latest configurations to get the job done. This will reduce the cost the business owner needs to bear to continue getting the job done.
Supplementing a business with an online presence can, at the bare minimum, ensure minimal disruption to normal services. Here are some essentials of a business continuity plan during unforeseen circumstances like the unfortunate COVID-19 pandemic.
Migrate Operations and Transactions Online
IT services, accounting, etc. can be easily completed by outsourcing them to third parties or member of the freelance community. Alternatively, these jobs can also be done by employees working from the safety of their own homes.
The advancements in technology have made it possible for almost all kinds of work to be completed without having several people congregate together in a closed setting.
Make the Shift to Telecommuting
Organizations that can retain a percentage of their employees as telecommuters are poised to be in a better position to withstand the financial impact of the Coronavirus pandemic.
A good indication of the success of telecommuting are the IT professionals that are most commonly seen working online as telecommuters.
In a similar vein, IT programmers, customer service representatives, programmers, and similar key roles within the IT industry benefit tremendously from Telecommuting.
A Skeletal Workforce to Keep the Lights On
Once the coronavirus pandemic hit, several businesses have had to make some tough operational decisions. Some have been forced to move part of their operations to an online model, others have had to lay off a percentage of their workforce to keep their business from bankruptcy.
With a reduced staff available, businesses need to focus on efficiency to keep the business running with a skeletal staff. Focusing on and staffing critical aspects of business operations are key.
Make Use of Voice Over Internet Protocol Services
VoIP services such as those provided by Facetime and Skype is a good way to avoid physical interactions with clients and employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Most VoIP services are free to use. Premium, paid subscriptions are also available for users that need more advanced features.
Expand E-Commerce Capabilities
While some local businesses have an online presence, they may need to explore the expansion of the online services they offer.
Local companies that deal with products that need to be delivered or products that can be purchased online can expand their reach by adding a merchant page or an e-commerce section to their website.
This allows business owners to target a wider audience while avoiding physical overheads. Most of the online checkout process can be fully automated and will require additional employees to undertake e-commerce-related functions.
Use Customer Relationship Management Platforms
While certain businesses may already be using CRM platforms and tools, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic has CRM platforms a critical part of business operations.
CRM software makes it easier to monitor and track client information. As most CRM platforms are cloud-based, employees can continue performing their roles from their homes.
Deploy Employee Tracking Tools
Moving a business online means that business owners and managers need to be up to speed with the latest cloud-based employee management strategies and tools. This will help keep track of their employees' performance and quickly address any bottlenecks as they occur.
Employees can continue to clock-in their work hours as before and tracking tools will calculate the number of hours worked, shift details, etc.
Some online tracking tools also take frequent screenshots of employee's screens. This helps monitor whether or not employees are working on tasks assigned to them.
Upgrade Content Marketing Strategies
A website is the base of all internet marketing plans. The advantage a website holds over regular brochures, print ads, and catalogs is the ability to include videos. Videos are especially impactful when introducing or demonstrating a product to a potential customer. This is an effective way to boost online leads and sales.
Videos also perform well when used as video translations or include closed captioning. While researching different products online, many people prefer to watch a short, informative video over reading a few paragraphs of text.
Closed-captioned videos are useful in foreign language videos. Here translation can help put a point across without the fear of a viewer missing out on critical parts or when the sound is turned off.
Use Localization Services to Stay a Step Ahead of the Competition
One of the most popular trends for businesses this year is globalization through localization. Localization is nothing more than engaging with a target audience socially and culturally, not just linguistically.
Localization uses established cultural norms and social preferences as reference points when fine-tuning market strategies for different demographies.
Localization includes the establishment of an online business presence in various markets so that the target audience can relate to a brand from a more personal and localized perspective.
The most efficient way for most businesses to successfully implement localization efforts is to hire translation agencies that specialize in localization services. Localization can be critical even for businesses with a restricted online presence.
The Final Word
Businesses that can complete a 100% online transition will not need to worry about physical distancing restrictions, like those brought about Coronavirus pandemic, in the future.
Some businesses also have the added advantage of having products and/or services that can be delivered over the cloud.
At the same time, the growth of the online economy will also help mitigate the effects of a global financial recession to a certain degree.
We Can Help
Thinking about moving your business online as part of a business continuity plan? Need help with a website, online presence, digital marketing, or localization efforts?
DECIMARK offers free consults to help you understand the minute details of an online-based BCP and we will be happy to partner you through the process.
Reach out to us and our experienced digital expert will be happy to help!.