No matter how you slice it, 2020 has been a remarkable year—one full of twists, turns, setbacks, and in many cases, pain. The global COVID-19 pandemic has caused many Orange County small businesses to think on their feet, coming up with creative ways to survive during what is now likely to be repeat shutdowns. Indeed, the impacts of coronavirus on business have dominated news headlines this past year, and one of the critical factors is the role of IT and VoIP technologies. Let’s take a look back at some of the key news stories of 2020 related to small business telecom.
The Art of the Pivot
The word “pivot” has rapidly become a catchphrase in the business world this year. As Harvard Business Review reports, the pandemic has caused many companies, large and small, to pivot—to re-evaluate everything from their marketing strategies to their product offerings and supply chain systems, making changes geared to short-term survival as well as long-term direction. US News & World Report confirms this trend, describing how various companies are re-thinking their business models, accelerating specific strategies for remote work, and involving IT solutions more into their workflows to help them continue to serve their customers’ needs. Companies that are most ready and willing to pivot are the ones who have tended to thrive—or at least survive.
IT Sector Skyrocketing During the Pandemic
IT and VoIP solutions were already growing at a rapid rate before the pandemic. Since most small businesses have responded to shutdowns and quarantines by reconfiguring to work remotely—and since IT and VoIP solutions play a huge role in the ability to work remotely—it makes sense that the IT sector is one of the few industries that has exploded during the pandemic. Fierce Telecom reports that orders for broadband expansions during the third quarter of 2020 have increased at rates not seen since 2009, primarily driven by higher demands for remote work and online learning. Teleography.com has compiled a series of reports indicating that global data usage has increased by an average of 30-50 percent since the pandemic began.
IT Providers Enabling More Marketing and Sales Online and via Social Media
In response to the increased need for small businesses to utilize online marketing and sales for survival, hosting provider GoDaddy announced in September that it was adding features to its website builder and marketing tools suite to enable customers to sell their products seamlessly on Facebook and Instagram. As the pandemic continues to spike in the coming months and more quarantines occur, we can reasonably expect other providers to begin making it much simpler for retailers and other businesses to leverage social media and other online platforms more easily.
If you’re an Orange County business owner who has not yet set up a “pandemic-proof” telecom/VoIP system—or if you are unhappy with your current configuration—we can help. Call 1-877-NetServ to learn more.