The coronavirus pandemic has forced many American businessmen to become much more creative about conducting day-to-day operations, given the restrictions of social distancing and person-to-person contact and doing business by zoom. Since a great deal more work is now being conducted remotely, it has become essential to acquire skills that make use of online tools in order to stay productive and connected.
Many businesses have already discovered that these kinds of remote connections have led to more productive sessions, because less time is wasted and the important issues are focused on much better. Conducting business through Zoom is therefore very likely to become part of the business landscape, long after the coronavirus pandemic dies down.
Infrastructure is already in place
Fortunately for business in this country, the infrastructure for conducting business remotely was already basically in place prior to the pandemic. More Americans are adept at using their computers and smartphones for communicating than at any other time in history, so reaching out to others remotely is easier than it’s ever been. Because Zoom calls focus on the issues at hand and dispense with all the wasted energy of a person-to-person meeting, it often turns out that a great deal more is accomplished in these sessions.
Industries which are Zoom-ing
Those industries which offer major events have quickly reconfigured their offerings to be provided virtually, i.e. as broadcasts or as rich digital connections. Exercise businesses such as yoga studios and workout gyms have begun offering a number of online classes which make use of videoconferencing. Restaurants and other food establishments have been forced to adapt, and provide takeout service which can be ordered online, and picked up using curb service.
High schools, colleges, and universities all throughout the country have been forced to discontinue in-person classes, and offer online versions of those classes instead. Retail outlets have been forced to move sales online, and it’s far easier now to connect with a real person at a store who can guide you through any offerings made available, so you make the right choice. With many malls being deserted across the country, physical retail is being conducted online to a greater degree than ever before.
Manufacturing and construction has slowed down tremendously because of the prevailing nature of person-to-person contact required, but there is still room for productivity to be achieved in certain areas. It has been possible for data-driven productivity to be achieved through remote group collaboration, with workers conducting 3D material reviews, reviews of sample products, and also to evaluate vendor quotes. Suffice to say that almost every industry in the country has been forced to adapt to the restrictions of the times, and take their business online using Zoom and other software to get things done.
Digitizing your business content
Since most businesses have been forced to adapt to prevailing limitations, it has given them an opportunity to digitize business content so that connections can still be made with employees and customers through recordings, podcasts, webcasts, and blogs. Now that we’ve all been forced to undergo these adaptations, it’s up to us to master the tools which will make it all happen, so we can work effectively in a remote setting, and conduct business conferencing when needed. It’s very likely that using Zoom and other software tools will become a mainstay of businesses when coronavirus has been largely resolved. Expect that the virtual connection between businesses and all people connected to them, will remain in place long into the foreseeable future.