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Making the transition to a virtual business

Many entrepreneurs have been forced by the current challenges to adapt their business operations from the traditional brick and mortar model to a virtual operation. For some, this was a relatively smooth transition as they would have already started operating virtually parallel to their traditional business even before the crisis. Unfortunately, this was not the position of most smaller businesses leading to severe hardships and in some cases closure.


Many smaller businesses viewed doing business online as an activity reserved mainly for larger businesses. For some older business owners, they viewed the online world of something equivalent to a scary movie. However, in the face of the current worldwide crisis, the inefficiencies of the traditional business model are now painfully obvious for all to appreciate. The reality is that businesses that fail to make the transition to a new dynamic business model are likely to face severe hardships and losses as the global markets continue to evolve.


The current pandemic will eventually be over, however, what is painfully obvious, is that life will never be the same as it were before. Many changes in the marketplace will become permanent. So are you ready to strive in the new reality? Are you ready to take your business to the next level?


A New Way Of Doing Business


For your business to become "future-ready", it must have an online presence. This will give the business the opportunity to satisfy customer's needs for information and services 24/7 at their convenience. It will allow you to respond to the market's need for immediate gratification by providing them with relevant responses to questions they may have regarding the products and services you offer. The tool that best gives you this functionality is your business website. It's like your head office in the virtual marketplace.


Having a business online gives you a wide scope of opportunities and rewards. It also means that your business can operate effectively without the necessity of human contact. Can your customers receive your products and services without having to directly interact with you or your staff? This is the new reality. In this new dimension, customers rather purchase than be sold. The informed customer is desirous and capable of making their own buying decisions without the direct interaction of a sales agent. Your website will become your new sales agent.


Certainly, there are lots to learn about the virtual marketplace, however, what is critical is that a failure to learn and do so quickly can result in the extinction of your business. So for entrepreneurs to successfully navigate the new marketplace they must prove themselves to be informed, flexible, agile and innovative. Nothing less will keep them competitive! Nothing less will ensure their sustainability.

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