The COVID-19 pandemic brought many industries to its knees. With governments around the world enforcing quarantines and lockdowns, businesses were shuttered, companies had to restructure and reorganize, and newly formed ventures had to delay operations.
Despite all that, the one key takeaway that business owners realized is how important modern technology is to their industries. Companies that have long been using technological tools to run their business found that they were surviving despite the threat of closures.
Now that we’re facing a “new normal,” here are the tech tools you need to invest in if you want your business to run as smoothly as it did pre-pandemic.
Project Management and Communication Apps
Apps such as Trello, Slack, and Zoom saw an uptick in the number of users during the lockdowns and some companies enforced a work-from-home setup. Working with a remote team, naturally, would need an adjustment period, especially if you’re used to an office setting. However, having your team use these apps would make it easier to collaborate and connect with each other.
Working from home presents unique problems to managers used to managing employees in the office, so the first thing you need to learn is to be more trusting and flexible. Stop trying to micromanage your team and do away with the mentality that they’re not productive if they’re not seated at their workstations eight hours a day. If you’re using the right tools and tasks are still done on time, then you’re on the right track. Let your employees figure out what helps them be more productive on their own.
Tech Tools for Employee Well-Being
One of the biggest misconceptions about remote work is that it’s easy and less stressful for the employee. While working from home does it have its perks, the biggest downside is also the burnout you experience from doing it for a prolonged period. You are, in fact, doing more work now that you’re doing it from home and are more easily distracted than if you were working in the office.
That said, as a business owner, it would also do you well to invest in well-being tools that you can easily roll out to your employees. For example, you can offer to pay for their subscription to online health and fitness programs as an incentive. Some gyms are also offering big discounts during this time and investing it in now, and rolling it out once the pandemic is over, is a wise business decision.
Tech Tools to Enhance the Customer Experience
Investing in your processes inside would significantly benefit the way you interact with your clients or customers. But it shouldn’t stop there. Consumers’ online activity increased exponentially when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and experts believe that this behavior will continue well into the future. So you need to upgrade and update your online presence.
Chances are also high that you would be getting new clients as time goes on and you would need software systems to get your new customers onboard. These systems would enhance how your clients are able to communicate with you, thus enhancing their experience. Similarly, you would want to update your social media pages to help strengthen these communication channels.
