RECLAIM REBOOT REPLACE
The new normal is all about inventiveness and agility — netizens are saying that we are now in the MMCQ or “matira matibay sa community quarantine” (the strongest will be the last ones standing up in this quarantine). Those who cannot adapt to the hastened digital transformation will be left in the kangkungan (or proverbial swamp).
There are three strategies that entrepreneurs will be considering as they deep dive into the new normal: Reclaim. Reboot. Replace.
Reclaim. Some establishment are lucky because they only need to reopen and restart their usual operations while following the strict GCQ protocols. Customers treat them as essentials and so they’ll troop to the salons and barbershops, skincare clinics, clothing shops and office supplies stores. These businesses need not change their model but will have to reclaim the same services their patrons missed. They should carry on, of course, with adjustments to evolve into a new-normal establishment that addresses the new needs of customers.
Reboot. Mainly, these are the enterprises that can operate already but will have to be on restricted engagement with their customers. Restaurants — an industry that really bled during the interruption — have gone through recovery efforts such as offering online orders and food deliveries, adding ready-to-heat or cook meals that are part of the restaurant’s menu. Other restaurants also allotted a portion of their space to sell fresh ingredients.
And now, with dine-in services approved by the government, constant sanitation and disinfection are important, plus a redesign of the establishment (lesser tables, installation of disinfection lamps, to name a few) for the safety and assurance of their customers and employees. The challenge is to reimagine the business with the new safety needs of its employees and customers.
Replace. Hopefully, not permanently, but these are the businesses that remain suspended because they involve physical interaction and mass gathering. In this list are gyms, fitness training, filmmaking, events organizing and photography businesses, for instance.
Theirs are stories of struggling to create a new way of living as clients have canceled and won’t be engaging with them for a long while. It’s the personal trainer who ventured into selling vegetables and healthy meal deliveries. And the case of the wedding photographer who started renting out his van to neighbors. To be in a business that has to be put on hold while social distancing is the day’s order is a true test of one’s patience, innovativeness and resourcefulness as an entrepreneur. It’s also having to make that tough decision to continue or close one’s business and have an alternative source of income instead.
The pandemic crisis has pushed entrepreneurs to go into survival mode as the future still isn’t looking so bright for a COVID-19 vaccine. Chalking up a
Plan A, B, C, up to Z is a must since one will never know what quarantine category will be declared next by the government.
Surely, a lot more of online small businesses will proliferate as a result of the hyper-extended quarantine period — and the proposal to tax online sellers will be another chapter in the ongoing saga of the community.
The experience has been heartbreaking and a very rough and raw learning experience for everyone, too. A test for every businessman’s sense of humanity and leadership. Until then, it’s time to reflect on what path to take for now: to reclaim, reboot, or replace.
The pandemic crisis has pushed businesses into survival mode as the future still isn’t looking so bright for a COVID-19 vaccine.