SME Survival Tips for Post-Pandemic Work Life

As we begin to pick up the pieces of working life post-pandemic, many will be wondering whether they will be returning to the office, remain at home, or have to adjust to a hybrid of the two.

Studies conducted by the Limeade Institution and FlexJobs found that 100 per cent of employees who had formerly worked on-site are expressing concerns about returning to the office. 

These range from being worried about their exposure to Covid19 to concerns about the flexibility of work and showed that about 50 per cent of those interviewed would consider looking for new jobs should they be required to return full time to the office.

Many employees are hoping for a hybrid solution, with flexible office hours while still able to work from their home offices the majority of the time.

SME Survival Tips Post Covid19

Many companies who moved employees into remote work have experienced an increase in productivity and employee satisfaction. They, as we were, trying to find the balance between safe, happy staff, and keeping the business operating healthily. 

Sales and Marketing Executive for Huge Connect, Dirk de Jongh says “During the pandemic, not only did we have to comply with lockdown legislation, but we also have to continue with service delivery as an essential service provider.  We had increased costs, which had to be subsidised with cost-cutting measures.”

A few changes that Huge Connect implemented with success were:

• Keeping selected employees working from home on a semi-permanent basis – this is saving on costs for both the company and its employees. Apart from the savings on office space and fleet card expenses, other things such as photocopy paper, tea and coffee add up in expenses every month. In turn, employees are saving on transport costs and formal office dress.  
• Assisted employees with office setups at home, including furniture at reduced rates, laptops and internet connectivity where needed.  
• Negotiated lower rates for the remaining office space and vehicle short term insurance. 

A couple of other top SME survival tips are as follows:

• Focus on managing your cash flow. Create budgets and stick to them. Prioritise your expenses and do away with those that are no longer needed.
• Boost productivity in those working from home. As Huge did, make sure all employees are well-equipped and able to work comfortably from home. 
• Customer relations. You must stay in regular contact with your customers so they are in the loop at all times. Keep them updated as to how you are changing and adapting to meet their needs at this time.
• Upskill. Use any free time available to improve your business and upgrade systems that need some work. Even if your business is at a standstill, make good use of the time you have to you. If you have any spare money or skills development funds, let your employees use this time to improve their skills set.
• Go digital. Where ever possible, offer something digitally. These services will remain long after the pandemic has run its course so any changes you’ve been putting off, now is the time.

Survive and Thrive

SMEs have had to work extremely hard to thrive during this tough time. While SME survival tips are all good and well, it is always nice to know they work! Companies such as Huge Connect are a prime example of this and have managed to thrive through hard work and adapting, as well as develop a way to assist their customers in doing the same. 

De Jongh went on to say “In our experience, working from home had the biggest impact on our company and its employees.  Despite the financial savings for both, we’ve also seen an improvement in employee productivity, wellness and overall work satisfaction.” 

Putting Customers and Contractors First

Huge Connect has made an effort to ensure that their customers continue to experience expert service. We have also not implemented an annual price increase during 2020 and offered payment holidays to those clients who lost large amounts of revenue due to not being able to operate. 

The business has also continued to support our contractors wherever we could, offering either higher rates or a monthly allowance to see them through this period.  

How Can We Help You?

Managing to remain a successful business throughout the Covid19 pandemic is no mean feat, but Huge Connect is doing it, and we strive to help their customers follow in our footsteps.

Although we have grown from an SME ourselves into a larger organisation, our main focus remains on offering SMEs cost effective packages, with locally developed and sourced solutions designed especially for your business needs. We have branches located in all major business hubs around South Africa, so support is always quick and easy. 

We offer internet and connectivity solutions, as well as telecommunications that are comprehensive and cost-effective.

Start Today

If you are looking for a new service provider, or have yet to start the journey of remote connectivity and digital solutions, contacting Huge Connect should be top of the SME survival tips!

Call us today on +27 878 200 220 and speak to a friendly professional about a connectivity solution to suit your business and pocket.