Looking for the positives

As has been said may times we are living in unprecedented times.

Much of the impact is negative - on lives, livelihoods and on mental health. We’ve all witnessed positive aspects with examples like the commitment of NHS staff and other key workers, a greater sense of community and more acts of kindness.

Many businesses continue to struggle and there is a long way to go before they can be sure of their longer term survival.

In our business too, we have faced (and are facing) challenges but there are some positive aspects which will stay with us when the immediate impact of the pandemic has passed.

I’ve been reflecting on these and here are a few:

Valuing the team

I’ve always recognised that we have a talented team. This crisis has just reinforced to me how brilliant they all are. Coping with the challenges of moving very quickly to working remotely, juggling personal lives and home schooling and doing their best to deliver for our clients, despite all the difficulties.

Embracing new technology

The enforced change has meant that we have all had to adapt very quickly to using technology like video conferencing and cloud software applications. Face to face meetings have their place but most of us realise we can have a productive meeting on-line now without having a rush hour journey in busy traffic. We can also successfully maintain a client’s books remotely and have a conversation with them about the results, without resorting to the post or having a meeting in the office.

Client relationships

The crisis has meant we have had to work intensively with many clients to help them access Government support in the form of grants, tax deferrals and loans. I believe this support and the sense that, ‘We are in this together’ has strengthened our relationships and the impact will last beyond the pandemic.

Working differently

We have all had to adapt to new ways of working. Although I miss my colleagues and the daily interaction at the office, I find I’m well-suited to working from home. I have more control over what I do and when and with less interruptions. Work colleagues have adapted too, with those home schooling or fitting in study for exams around work adjusting their hours and work schedules to suit. I can see us operating more of a hybrid system in the future with a mix of office and home working.

New markets

Although most of our clients are located close to our office we have always attracted clients from further afield. Often this has been by word of mouth or by a chance encounter on-line. I see this trend continuing now we are even clearer that we can provide a first-rate service remotely and we can easily engage with prospective clients via Zoom etc.

Freedom for the boss

I’ve been trying to gain more personal freedom from the ‘day to day’ routine of running the business for some years now. Not to do nothing, but to have space to think creatively, be more strategic, do what business owners and managers should do more of. I’ve had limited success. I’ve still had that ‘guilt’ thing that if I’m not in the office, I’m not really working. I think that’s changed. I think I know and the team know that things can function perfectly well (probably better) without me being in the office very day.

So some positives are emerging from a crazy and turbulent time.

I hope you find some positives too or maybe some of these things resonate with you?

www.base52.co.uk