Plan for what you know

If 2020 taught the world anything it’s that you can only plan for what you know. Life has a way of interrupting the best made plans, and in the past year which has been devastated by COVID-19, businesses were caught unawares and plans had to quickly change. Today, women entrepreneurs know the value of being agile in their businesses, learning how to pivot towards opportunities whilst things are uncertain. Think about how many businesses you know which pivoted during the pandemic - there are those who moved from fashion design and creation to PPE manufacturing; or from perfume manufacturing to hand sanitizer production; all to meet a need and to create an opportunity to keep businesses going during tough times. Those businesses that have survived, and indeed thrived, during these uncertain and extremely challenging times are those whose founders have adapted their plans for what they know now. They have shifted their business offerings to meet market demand, taken their operations digital, and learned the value of the personal touch, even if only online, to ensure that customers feel connected to the brand. That way, when the global recovery becomes a reality, and life and business returns to some kind of normality, customers will remember that connection and return. So going forward, the lesson learned is to plan for what you know!