COVID-19 has impacted almost all the sectors including the business sectors. The businesses running in Zimbabwe were affected differently by this global pandemic. Few businesses were forced to shut down owing to the virus and the restrictions which were imposed to stop the spread of the viruses, while the other businesses used the global pandemic as an opportunity to grow themselves and used the disruption to grow further. This leaves the question, which businesses in Zimbabwe actually managed to thrive during the global pandemic?
Which Zimbabwean Businesses Thrived During Covid-19?The businesses that shared the following traits used the global pandemic not only to survive but also to grow themselves.
1. Businesses that showed agilityCovid-19 was a shock for everyone. When the businesses were hit by the pandemic, it was important for the businesses to show their agility to encompass the required changes to survive. For instance, the small retail stores that started taking orders via WhatsApp managed to survive. Many small businesses used their business logo as WhatsApp DP and started showcasing their products via WhatsApp Status to take orders. Such innovations were a must to survive the global pandemic where the customers hugely shifted to online platforms for making purchases. However, along with agility, it was also important to ensure speed and stability too for sustainable growth of the businesses even after the pandemic.
2. Business That Went DigitalThe business that went digital owing to the global pandemic witnessed positive growth in their businesses. The global pandemic brought with it the need to make some structural shifts where the customers preferred to engage digitally and on the other hand, the employees were looking for remote working opportunities. This trend which started during the pandemic is continuing even in the post-pandemic world. Not only did going digital help the businesses to survive but also increased their productivity too.
3. Innovation In The Work CultureOwing to the strict lockdown that was enforced in many countries including Zimbabwe, it was important to invest in innovation to ensure that the productivity of the employees was not affected. Working from home is only possible in an efficient manner when the businesses use new software to monitor the work and new ways of communication. The businesses that quickly invested in such innovation managed to keep the team working efficiently even while they were remotely working.
4. Flexibility In Business ModelsA business model is prepared while keeping a certain scenario in mind. For instance, if a business is running an offline business as per their business model they have to be flexible enough to go online when it is required because of the global pandemic to survive. According to reports, four out of ten businesses changed their business models amidst the pandemic. The flexibility to change the business models made these businesses of Zimbabwe survive. Businesses need to be creative, resilient and adaptive when it comes to business models.
5. Businesses That Ensured Safety Of Their StaffIt is extremely important for a business to ensure the health and safety of the staff irrespective of the fact whether they are in the middle of the pandemic or not. The businesses of Zimbabwe that managed to give safe working conditions, especially in the form of remote working, survived the pandemic. Also, while working from home, there is a huge possibility that personal and professional life gets blurred. In such situations, it becomes vital for businesses to give their employees the flexibility that is required for efficient management of both aspects of their life.
In addition to that, the businesses of Zimbabwe that did not put all their eggs in one basket, had a cushion to take the impact of the pandemic. A business should have different streams of revenue to ensure that if one revenue source fails to bring the required revenue, it can depend on the other revenue source. This is not only true for the businesses but also for the employees too. There should always be an effort to ensure alternate distribution networks to avoid disruptions by any external events. Knowledge is the key when it comes to handling and managing and then, making one’s way through such global disruption. It is important to take these key lessons to become resilient in the future. After all, this is not the first time that the world was shaken by a global pandemic and it will surely not be the last one too!
