Originally posted by Jacob Wall | October 2020

A second wave of the coronavirus is here. And you need a clear, well-defined plan to prepare for a second business lockdown. The 5 steps in this article will ensure that your business has the communications it needs not only to survive, but to thrive in the coming months and beyond.

Many experts believe a second wave of the coronavirus may be longer than the first. Stats support this idea. Certain countries, such as Britain, France and Spain, were hit early and hard. When the numbers went down to less than 100 per day in June and July, we all breathed a sigh of relief. But then the cases spiked again.

As of early October, Spain, for example, is back up to over 10,000 new daily cases. If the rest of the world follows this pattern, many countries, including the US, Brazil and Russia, may not have seen the worst of it yet. In all likelihood, we’re soon going to see new restrictions again that go beyond hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies. If not in the short term, at least in the medium term.

During the first lockdown, many companies barely got by. This was true of small businesses and large enterprises alike. Whether it was the disruption to the supply chain, or the sudden change to remote work, business leaders were caught off guard. It disrupted how businesses work, and limited cash flow. Many business models didn’t hold up. Economic downturn became inevitable.
The question is, how to prepare your business for a second – and potentially longer – lockdown. An in depth look points to one key item:

Communication.

Communication during a business lockdown means more than scrambling to patch up holes as you find them. It means building a comprehensive solution that addresses the unique challenges of a lockdown, both for your clients and for your team. People need to be in touch. They need to talk to each other, share thoughts and see each other. It’s important to see facial expressions, read body language and build personal connections, even when you’re connecting online. There are business ramifications to this.

You can’t afford to get it wrong. But getting it right means your business will thrive during a second wave of the coronavirus, and well into the future.

Here are 5 steps your business needs to follow to prepare for the second lockdown.

1. Invest in communications

The truth is that if clients can get in touch easily, they will continue to do business. If your team can communicate effectively, they will continue to be productive. But before we discuss the details of these, it’s important to look at the bigger picture. Just providing different ways to get in touch is not enough.

To achieve business continuity, communications need to be professional, reliable and cost effective. Your system should offer the following:

• Integration: The channels of communication mentioned below should all be part of a single business phone system. During a call, team members should be able to switch to a video call and share screens with a few clicks. The experience for clients should be seamless.
• Quality & Security: If staff are using random apps, there’s no guarantee of quality or security. An integrated communication system can offer both.
• Scalability: As your business grows, the need for effective communications will also grow – even after the coronavirus outbreak. Your communication suite needs to grow with you, easily and affordably.

3CX brings all of these items together. Unified communications maintains your professional image, boosts quality and ensures security. It also means you are providing all the tools your team needs. So they’re not spending time finding free online tools, just to get through a second lockdown.

More importantly, it benefits clients. They’ll always know how to get in touch, and always get an answer. As a result, it keeps your business on the right trajectory. You’ll maintain productivity and professionalism – without a huge cost impact to your business.

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ACC Telecom is an advanced-certified 3CX Titanium Dealer headquartered in Columbia, Maryland 20146.  ACC Telecom has over four decades in the b2b communications industry sector, and will installation (either on-site or remotely), upgrade, train, and support your new 3CX or Hosted PBX business communications system.  Contact ACC Telecom today for your complimentary virtual demo and price quotation.