During the Covid-19 pandemic, many small businesses have been forced to change how they operate on a day-to-day basis. Whether that be finding new suppliers, changing how they deliver their product to customers or any other change, there is no doubt that Covid-19 has changed the lives of small business owners across the country. However, not all changes during this time are immediately noticeable. While many small businesses have chosen to become more involved with technology to continue their business model, what they do not realize now is that many of these changes will become permanent even after the pandemic is over. The Covid-19 pandemic will surely speed up the digital transformation of small businesses across the country for years to come.

One of the main ways that small business owners have already seen a speed up of their digital transformation is through employees working from home. Even though many small business owners have the ability to let their employees work from home, many still choose to require them to work in an office space or building because that is the traditional work model that has lasted for hundreds of years. However, times are changing. As technology continues to progress, many jobs that could only be done in person a decade ago can now be done from the comfort of an employee’s home. The Covid-19 crisis has forced some employer’s hands, with stay-at-home orders outlawing the gathering of more than a certain number of individuals in one space. While employees are working at home, many small business owners realize that this model is actually more cost-effective in many ways. First of all, allowing employees to work from home can save money because less office or building space is necessary. This extra space can be used for an alternative purpose or sold altogether. Additionally, many employers have found that employees are even more productive when they can work on their own schedule at home. Even when the pandemic ends, it is likely that many small business owners will speed up their digital transformation by allowing many of their employees to work from home full time.

Digital Marketing Likely To Play A Larger Role In Small Businesses

With many in-person meetings and conferences being canceled, some small business owners have decided to conduct these events online via video streaming apps. While many small business owners shy away from this method of communication before, they now realize how convenient and helpful it really is. Instead of choosing a mutual meeting point, with some of the small businesses’ employees and customers being forced to travel long distances, every one can meet to conduct important business from the comfort of their home. Additionally, this digital transformation will help the environment by limiting the time employees and customers need to travel via car, plane, train, etc. Even after normal life resumes, many small businesses will choose to hold important meetings over video conferencing apps, as they have realized how convenient it is.

Online Meetings and Virtual Conferencing Likely To Grow in 2020 and Beyond

During the Covid-19 pandemic, many small businesses are spending more time developing unique software that will make running their business online a lot easier. Of course these decisions were spurred by necessity, but the improvements made now will certainly be used for years to come. Some small businesses are converting a lot of their business model online. Other small businesses which were already online are spending more time improving their operation. Without even realizing it, small business owners are speeding up their digital transformation which will pay dividends even after they are able to resume business as usual. While some small business owners will certainly opt to return back to their old business model after the Covid-19 pandemic ends, many innovative employers will use their new technologically advanced strategies to improve their business in the coming years and decades. Without even realizing it, many small business owners have used the Covid-19 pandemic as an opportunity to speed up their digital transformation.

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