Business models will be different after the repeal of the measures against Covid-19

When economies begin to resume operations after the repeal of measures against the coronavirus pandemic, many businesses will remain closed because they will have difficulty adjusting to the new reality.

This is the concern of a global recovery group that helps businesses deal with crises like the one around the coronavirus.

Small business owners are more vulnerable and will likely need to become entrepreneurs again in order to survive.

“Restarting companies is much harder than closing down”, says the International Disaster Recovery Institute (DRI). “When the economy reopens, it will not suddenly return to what it once was”, adds the non-governmental organization.

Governments’ measures against the coronavirus pandemic have shifted online activities such as shopping, movie watching, conferencing, training, etc. These may not be short-term trends and companies will need to adapt again as consumer shopping habits have already been changed.

Large companies have robust contingency plans and strong risk management programs, but smaller companies typically do not take such measures.

“These businesses will continue to struggle and many will never reopen. What we have seen in the aftermath of community-wide crises in the past is that anyone who owns a small business is now an entrepreneur again and needs to approach the problem from this perspective”, explained DRI.

According to experts, many companies have to plan for measures such as reduced working hours and allowing employees to work more shifts.

Retailers need to prepare for more distance between their customers, individually packaged food and avoid offering product samples. They may need specific policies to ensure the safety of their clients and employees, including strictly additional site cleaning, the provision of protective clothing and masks for their employees, and regular measurement of their temperature.

“Some things can change forever. Conferences and big events are likely to be canceled or rarely attended for a long time. This could be the engine for shared workspaces”, said DRI id.

If schools remain closed or switch to full-time home-based training, employers will also need to be more understanding and flexible about working parents.