The new challenge on the horizon: a stimulus-free economy

It seems crazy that Christmas is now just over a week away, and we are almost at the end of a chaotic 2020 that no small business owner could have anticipated.

We learnt that Corona isn’t just a Mexican beer, Zoom isn’t just the sound a car makes, government = ATM, and small business owners have the ability to pivot quickly in order to counter an existential threat.

We’ve also seen the resilience and ingenuity of small business owners everywhere, and it is a trend that will continue into 2021 as those who are creative will be best set up to survive moving forwards.

I think it is safe to say that 2021 will bring a different look to most workplaces, and it will be a long time before we see workers returning to the office five days a week.

Businesses have seen that you can survive and be successful with more fluid working arrangements, and working from home in some capacity will likely become the new normal. 

But there are big challenges on the horizon, not least the end of JobKeeper in little over three months. That means if you’re not yet starting to see your revenues increasing, or you’re not seeing business come back to some sort of normality, now is the time to take action.

Looking forward, I think 2021 will be a key year in which getting your content management right will be paramount in taking orders and providing a service or a product. That should be a key goal for small business owners going forward into 2021.

Lastly, with not long before Christmas, it would be great to see a boost for so many businesses who have had a tough year by urging shoppers to look locally when buying presents for your loved ones this year.

Businesses can play their part with offering vouchers or special deals to encourage shoppers to support them at this time, and it could provide some valuable momentum heading into the next year.