During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, many business owners and directors spent the bulk of their time worrying about what their business would look like once the world returned to normal again. They waited and worried, worried and waited for months on end with no relief in sight. Many of those were the businesses that failed because of what Justin Cobb sees as the failure of those in a position to have done something about it.
“Instead of worrying about a nonexistent future,” Justin says, “they should have been reimagining a way to keep their business going with what they had to work with at the time. They spent altogether too much time waiting for things to get back to ‘normal’ but what they failed to see is that what they had known as normal would never again exist.” What this insightful CEO is referring to is the fact that out of necessity, a new normal was born.
One of the main areas in which so many businesses learned to survive was by creating a remote workforce. Many of the jobs once done in-house could be conducted from a home office. While production lines couldn’t function during a lockdown mandate, many of the other departments could continue to function remotely. Design teams, office workers and many other positions could continue working from home as long as there was a reliable internet connection and teleconferencing capabilities.
Justin explains that throughout history, successful businesses didn’t just happen. They were the result of the creative endeavors of talented and dedicated entrepreneurs. Successful businesses were those in which change became a necessary component. As society changes and the needs of consumers evolve, a business must grow in response to those needs. “This is what many businesses failed to see in the midst of all the suffering and anxiety. They failed to look at the businesses that grew to enormous heights because they evolved with, and sometimes in foresight to, the needs of consumers”
So then, what is the future of your business? Justin’s simple answer says it all. “The future of your business is what you make it. The old normal you are waiting for is no longer. The new normal is what you make it. The future of your business lies in your hands. Envision where you want to be and then work to make it happen. That’s the future of your business. It’s the future you create.”