What would a second lockdown mean for my B2B business?

As we go into autumn, it’s impossible to ignore the warnings of a second coronavirus wave, predicted by health experts during the summer and now back in the press. But what will happen to UK businesses if we do go into a second lockdown?

Flexible working wins the day

Agile, adaptable businesses have stood out as the survivors of 2020. We believe that if they maintain this flexible attitude, they’ll weather a second lockdown if they’re faced with it.

We have noticed that our B2B clients have been least badly affected by the spring and summer lockdown. They have survived because their core business has not been subject to the same restrictions as B2C businesses. We’re seeing a lot of positivity among our clients, as well as an adjustment of goals and in some cases, a change of direction. Some businesses have scaled back their offering in line with what their clients can afford.

Learn from experience

We all learned a lot during the March lockdown – about ourselves, about priorities and about how to run a business during a global pandemic. No experience is ever wasted – what we learned then has set us up for any other setbacks that might come our way.

Many businesses have embraced homeworking, with some closing down their head offices altogether. Improved connectivity, telecoms technology and the wonder of Zoom have enabled this change, and many workers are seeing a more healthy work-life balance as a consequence.

We’re already seeing signs that these changes are here to stay, proving that we are learning from experience and not returning to old methods simply because we used to call them “normal.”

Will there be a second lockdown?

All the noises from Westminster suggest that politicians want to avoid another full lockdown as much as the public do. The economic impact of the spring and summer lockdown was tremendous, but figures do suggest that the economy is recovering faster than anyone thought it would. No one wants to jeopardise this financial recovery by locking the whole country down again as happened in March. Even in the areas that are already subject to local lockdowns, restrictions relate to socialising rather than working.

The effects of COVID-19 on our life and work have been dramatic, challenging and unprecedented, but most flexible, B2B businesses have shown an impressive ability bounce back. As a B2B business ourselves, we feel optimistic that we can weather another lockdown.

As ever, we’re here to support businesses. If coronavirus has made you look again at your working practices, you might have spotted a need for flexible, affordable business support. Flexible and affordable are watchwords here at Get Ahead VA – get in touch today on 01483 332 220 to find out how we can help.

Find out more about our services or call 01483 332 220 to discuss in more detail.