Let’s NOT Wait until Corona Ends

By Kelvin Twissa ~ Partner at The Jackson Group on 27 Apr 2020Business Development

In recent months, the world has come to a standstill due to the pandemic that hit our beloved earth. While medical experts are doing their best to fight the virus and create a vaccine, life must go on. We will have to change how we do most things we consider normal, and a new way of life will emerge. The same way, businesses must also find ways to stay relevant in this new way of life.

 

With global financial markets crashing, and wealth disappearing on the major trading market I keep thinking about the situation in Africa with a closer view of Tanzania. We are seeing some organization panicking and taking drastic measures. Others are taking draconian measures to minimize expenses. I see more of an opportunity to transform and accelerate some existing innovations due to the new reality of social distancing.

 

I had sent a proposal to a former colleague who is running an essential business, I had done a blind brief and developed a high-level strategy. This was my proactive engagement in playing Mr. Fix It after seeing some existing communication that was missed the mark. In response, he said “let’s wait till Corona ends!”

Seriously, are we consuming the same news and information?? I tried to push back saying, we must work around it, and I believe now it the time. He never responded.

 

When I had the opportunity to write this piece, I mostly wanted to share the importance of transforming into new business models rather than panicking and shutting down. We have one of the most connected markets with a working mobile money network and fairly decent data. While consumers are adapting, businesses have seen this as an alternate channel. The reality is, it is the channels and anything offline will be secondary. The same applies for both large and small organization in private and public sectors.

 

As a business, we will achieve cost cutting if that’s your objective. And we can achieve transformation if that’s what you wake up plan to do. This is a time to do some experimentation and test new business models. Some organization are realizing they have not been running at optimal levels as Work At Home is becoming a reality. In some cases, contracts have been cancelled yet productivity has remained at reasonable levels.

 

This is a time to re-engineer the way business is done, life must go on while adopting safe working environment and planning for the long game. We have seen an increase in using digital communication from conferencing to paperless document transfer. Data has become the new Oxygen that fuels our economy and keeps us moving. We cannot fold, we must evolve and ride the new wave with innovation.

 

Don’t be the guy who gets left behind. We need to start thinking how to do business differently and deliver to your clients via new channels. We can overcome existing challenges, and cushion the socio-economic impact of Corona virus.

 

Stay Safe, but do not let Covid-19 stop you from re-imagining how to do business.

 

By Kelvin Twissa ~ Partner at The Jackson Group