The pandemic affected economies all over the globe. Businesses, big and small, saw a hit to their bottom line. However, there have also been instances of exemplary and creative business solutions that have allowed companies to not only navigate the pandemic successfully but even flourish. Excellent consumer understanding, digital transformation initiatives, and process improvement are some main factors that helped companies come out of the pandemic stronger.
The traditional business model was catapulted into the modern era. Digital transformation is by no means a new thing to the business landscape. Company timelines, however, have been fast-tracked to adapt and continue to serve their markets. Successful businesses have been able to shift to e-commerce platforms successfully and other better avenues to reach consumers.
Food Trucks
Food trucks have been some of the most successful businesses amidst the pandemic. No rent costs and minimal workforce requirements have made the effects of lockdown protocols easier for them to manage. Being able to change locations and target markets with higher demand has also helped sustain their finances. Food trucks that were previously in busy business districts moved to residential areas to serve kids who weren’t in school. Many restaurants with physical locations also decided to go mobile. Keeping the same suppliers and equipment plus ditching rent costs allowed the breathing room needed to discover how to run a new business model.
Food Delivery Services
Delivery services were already around prior to the pandemic. Having meals from your favorite restaurants delivered straight to your door remains a brilliant service. It allowed restaurants that didn’t offer delivery services themselves to reach a broader market. As the service has evolved, some excellent services it developed were grocery delivery services or personal shoppers.
Grocery stores were lifelines during the pandemic. Local restaurants were shut down, which had people making their meals at home. Services offered to have your groceries delivered to you; prepacked and measured raw ingredients became extremely popular. Established grocery chains started participating in delivery apps or even developing delivery services themselves.
Fitness Services
All that time spent indoors resulted in a lot of us developing sedentary lifestyles. After the initial glee of staying indoors and skipping the morning commute, we quickly saw ourselves getting a bit out of shape. A perfectly natural result even if you weren’t a gym rat prior to the lockdowns. We could no longer go on morning walks or take the stairs in the office every day. Virtual fitness services saw an increase in popularity.
The new ways to stay fit during the pandemic were workout classes and personal training sessions over zoom. Workout equipment and supplements also saw an increase in demand. Barbels, yoga mats, jump ropes, pre-workout supplement powder options, and vitamins became part of at-home fitness routines.
Virtual fitness training went hand in hand with the surge of at-home equipment. Most people who weren’t regularly going to the gym lacked the necessary knowledge of using the equipment without hurting themselves properly. Even exercises utilizing our own body weight can cause injuries if not done correctly. Traditional gyms started offering sessions specifically designed to use little to no equipment. Healthy meal kit delivery services offered Keto, Paleo, Mediterranean, and low carb options delivered daily or weekly became a popular alternative for those who couldn’t cook.
Medical Services
Medical professionals and institutions to this day are still doing the best they can to navigate the pandemic. They’ve been by far the industry most affected by these challenging times. Adapting wasn’t a matter of creative thinking. It was essential. Aside from hospitals and private practices, we’ve also seen them incorporate digital solutions to help citizens. Telemedicine became the new normal for a vast majority of doctors. As health protocols were evolving, in-person consultations were ruled out early in the pandemic for safety reasons.
The same solutions were also present in treating mental health concerns as well. Being forced to spend extended periods indoors and in isolation had many people developing signs of anxiety and depression. Feelings of uneasiness, frustration, fear, anger, sadness, and numbness are just some of the most commonly reported examples during our time inside. Therapy became a widely sought-after service. Conducted through platforms like Skype or Zoom, medical professionals could help people get through the stress and anxiety caused by the pandemic.
Through both necessity and innovation, businesses have developed newer ways to cater to their customers. As we continue to feel the effects of the pandemic, even as things start opening up again, we can expect to see these businesses continue to rise to the challenge.
