4 Ways COVID-19 Will Continue to Impact Businesses in 2021 and Beyond

/in /by

StrategyDriven Editorial Perspective Article | 4 Ways COVID-19 Will Continue to Impact Businesses in 2021 and BeyondNobody likely knew what to expect when news of the newest coronavirus began popping up in December 2019. For many people, the reality probably didn’t sink in. After all, Europe and the United States remained mostly unaffected by most recent pandemic concerns. By January 20, 2020, though, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were singing a different tune. Nearly one year later, the pandemic shows no signs of ending, and business owners and consumers alike are wondering what to expect in 2021 and beyond.

1. Financial Technology Will Be in Higher Demand

As more businesses move to virtual formats, the need for financial technology will continue to increase in 2021. The problem is that despite popular belief, many financial institutions have barely experimented in fintech and aren’t ready to take on digital financial formats on a larger and more permanent basis. However, according to an article by Donald Gayhardt, this is likely to change quickly.

Gayhardt states that Hong Kong is already increasing its use of advanced fraud detection, biometric facial recognition, and other innovative AI technologies due to the pandemic. Financial technology won’t just take hold in banks and credit unions, either. It’s becoming increasingly important for grocery stores, restaurants, and even cosmetics retailers who now offer no-contact pick-up and delivery services. When retailers do not see customers face-to-face, it becomes more important than ever to offer a variety of safe and secure virtual payment methods.

2. Survival Entrepreneurship Will Become More Prominent

Businesses that are already centered on technology have remained mostly stable during 2020, but small family businesses haven’t been so lucky. Although unemployment in the United States decreased one percentage point to 6.9% in October 2020, the rate is still nearly double what it was before COVID-19 entering the U.S. Unemployment is even higher among minorities, as well as among Millennials and Gen Z, meaning an increasing number of people are turning to starting their own businesses.

People who once worked in pet stores and veterinarians’ offices are walking dogs and feeding cats while people are out of town. Preschool teachers and teachers’ assistants have turned to online tutoring. People are turning the jobs they used to do for someone else into businesses they work for themselves. History has proven that people who venture into the business world during tougher economic times often have more willpower to stick to it and decide they’d rather not re-enter the traditional workforce. This means you can expect to see more people creating startups in 2021 and beyond.

3. Logistics Will Continue To Move Slower Than Before

All types of industries are experiencing delays in manufacturing, distribution, and shipping due to the need for social distancing. Fewer people building products, packaging them, transporting them, or selling them means fewer products on the shelf. In the entertainment industry, for example, TV production has slowed, movie release dates are being pushed back, and major video game launches have been delayed as well.

It isn’t just entertainment, either. Clothing retailers, restaurants and grocery stores, and even some pharmaceutical products have all seen delays in 2020 as well. Some people must rely on companies that move products nationally and internationally. However, restaurants and some other small businesses have found they’d rather start relying on local supply chains than on global ones. More people are contracting with nearby farmers, fiber artists, and more, creating a better local economy and strong community along the way, something that will decidedly keep occurring in 2021.

4. Social Distancing Will Continue

Whether your company works with other businesses or caters to the public, expect to continue to follow social distancing regulations as the clocks move forward to 2021. If your company relies on business meetings and brainstorming sessions, expect to continue to host them via Zoom or another online video platform. Those who own restaurants will need to continue to follow social distancing guidelines both inside and outdoors and may need to follow curfews or earlier “last call” laws if they serve alcohol. Retailers will still need to limit how many people are in a store at a time, maintain social distancing in checkout lines, and enforce mask regulations as well. Vaccination trials are happening rapidly. When one becomes available to the public, social distancing will likely start to relax. Until then, though, expect to remain six feet apart.

Just a few months ago, nobody was sure when scientists would find a vaccine. Now, experts believe one will be widely available by mid-2021. The pandemic may be raging on, but it won’t do so forever. Until then, consider what you can do to help your community fight off COVID-19. If you can afford to, cut your business hours, switch to pick-up and delivery only, or close your doors altogether. If you run an essential business or must keep operating as normal for some reason, practice good social distancing skills. Train your employees well, check in with them often, and remember, everybody is fighting this battle. The kinder you are now, the better you will feel, and the better your company will be remembered when the pandemic does end.

Why AI Can Revolutionise Healthcare Possibilities

/in /by

StrategyDriven Editorial Perspectives Article |AI in Healthcare|Why AI Can Revolutionise Healthcare PossibilitiesAI and machine learning are technologies which come with many promises. They are still advancing but, with the rate of development seen in recent years of numerous technologies in various industries, what it could look like in the very near future is potentially more impressive than we could imagine now. The promises are wide-reaching. They describe improved efficiency of information streams which will optimise, for example, urban planning and traffic management and financial services will benefit from improved data storage and modelling. Those are just two examples. The final promise is that AI will achieve a human level of intelligence. However, its more immediate impact is on human life.

For Healthcare

AI is making grounds in many industries. Recently, in the entertainment industry, YouTube used AI to organise an ‘infinite music video’ for Billie Eilish’s ‘Bad Guy’, in celebration of it hitting one billion views. One notable area for AI and machine learning’s application is in healthcare. The use of data in healthcare is widespread: its collection, entry, use, and modelling. AI and machine learning is and will continue to improve the process and product of this practice.
Data collection is constant. Patients are tested and retested regularly and their medical data is, therefore, updated. If – the more appropriate word is probably ‘when’ – instruments and machines are linked with each other and to databases – especially with the introduction of 5G wireless technology – data entry will be much easier, automated, and AI will have much more effective access to it.

This access will enable – with other data inputted from other areas, such as lifestyle choices and habits, to flesh out the profile (should that be permitted) – AI to make better and faster diagnoses and prognoses than the average doctor. This could help in two ways. One is that having better and faster diagnoses and prognoses is never bad. Two is that this could lighten the workload of human doctors and specialists, and mean that their presence can be prioritised elsewhere.

Patient Care

London tech entrepreneur Tej Kohli pours $100m into AI & machine learning ventures, which will help advance his humanitarian initiatives. His foundation is widely known for its commitment to curing corneal blindness, with other efforts including Open Bionics (a bionics and prosthetics company), Aromyx (who measure and digitises taste and scent), and Seldon (an open-source platform that allows developers and organisations to share data and train models and systems). This means AI and machine learning isn’t just about the data collection which aids diagnosis and prognosis. They will have a direct impact on patient care. Robotics and other advanced technology is making its presence felt already – for instance, in surgery (inspiring the ‘they did surgery on a grape’ meme).

The discovery and development of pharmaceuticals is an expensive and time-consuming process. The consequence of this falls to patients. AI will streamline this whole process: analysis of literature and molecules, simulations for theoretical human test subjects and real animal test subjects, and testing during the clinical trials. Moderna are another example of this, as they have used AI and cloud computing to develop personalised cancer treatments in short periods of time.

AI’s and machine learning’s steady implementation has begun to accelerate with recent developments and will only continue to find itself more often in the health sector now it’s being used more readily, as use breeds improvement.

What Now?

/in /by

StrategyDriven Editorial Perspective Article |Pandemic|What Now?This seems to be the burning question on everyone’s mind and no one seems to have an answer. This year has been unlike any other in history. There is no precedent on how to come back from a world-wide pandemic. But we have to move forward.

Most companies are in survival mode, and they don’t have the luxury of a large bank account to save them. Every choice they make has huge repercussions. Talk about stressful. Unfortunately, this is the case for many businesses, mine included.

There are many thought leaders out there giving advice on what to do next. If I’m being honest, it’s been hard for me to trust what they are saying. Not because I think they are making stuff up, but because they aren’t experiencing the same thing I am. They run multi-million dollar corporations with a large bank account to get them from quarter to quarter. My companies, however, have to make smart decisions today in hopes of making it to the next quarter. There isn’t much room for error. This is a real fear and I know I am not alone in feeling this way.

Not only are we stuck in survival mode, but now my people have spent months at home working in isolation and isolation is dangerous. We belong in community, even with those we work with. Culture is critical to the success of a business, but it takes time and intentionality. In survival mode, time is a tough thing to sacrifice. I am constantly tempted to abandon culture and fight for survival. But I am choosing to hedge my bets on culture.

Roulette is a great example of the constant temptation we, as leaders, face every day. We put all our chips on black (culture). We act so confident that the people around us are bought in enough to place their bets black too. Then, at the last second, you push a couple of your chips over to red (survival). The people around you are frustrated and confused. Why did you abandon your bet at the last second? Because it felt safe. Fear forces you to make decisions that feel safe in the moment but aren’t in the long run.

Leaders need to be vulnerable with their people. They need to share their fears and concerns about the state of the company. They need to be able to depend on their people. You will be amazed at how your people show up for you when you give them a glimpse into your world. If you’re stuck in survival mode, how do you think that makes your people feel? They can feel your stress no matter how hard you try and hide it. You will have to do something tomorrow as a leader, so what will it be?

My advice: Get to know your people and let them get to know you. Talk about your worldviews—hopes, preferences, traditions, experiences, and beliefs. The diversity of your people is a great asset. People want to be understood for who they are, not just what they can do for you. When you tap into the intrinsic value of a person they will bring more to the table than you could have ever imagined. Make sure you can all agree to the purpose of your company, where you are going together. This is incredibly important, especially right now. You need people that can align their passions to the purpose so that they will take ownership of their role. Guiding Principles will be useful to you on the journey because it will help dictate how you will treat each other on the journey.

Lastly, make culture the boss. If you have done the hard work of getting to know your people and aligning to your purpose and guiding principles, then you are ready to let the culture dictate what you do next. The beauty of placing your bet on culture is that it will tell you how to move forward. It won’t force you to choose between your people and your tasks. It will help you use your people to accomplish your tasks. The choice will not be easy, but I am betting that it’s worth it.

About the Author

StrategyDriven Expert Contributor | Chris MeroffAuthor, speaker and entrepreneur, Chris Meroff, has made a career of testing new leadership ideas to see what works—and what doesn’t—in service-oriented leadership. What he has gleaned from his research has helped him build a fast-growing organization with a diverse and engaged workforce that understands the mission of his organization and their place in it. His business, Alignment Leadership Consulting, exists to teach leaders how they too can boldly pursue a workplace culture that prioritizes employee fulfillment. Learn more at www.AlignLeadThrive.com

Bitcoin: The Future Global Currency?

/in /by

StrategyDriven Editorial Perspective Article |Global currency|Bitcoin: The Future Global Currency?Bitcoin is the most popular cryptocurrency today. Similar to normal currencies, they are used in online transactions and paying for products and services in person. One key difference is that bitcoin is mostly decentralized and is not controlled by banks or governments. This has not cryptocurrencies from absolutely taking off, and notable futurists see the lack of regulation as driving their incredible growth.

Why Is It a Big Deal?

With everything in the world going more digital, the expectation is that bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies will come to replace standardized ‘fiat’ currencies. Bitcoin is a secure store of value that transcends borders. It can be used anywhere and the value of it is the same everywhere. This is a key attraction for many people.

Going Mainstream

Bitcoin maintains a degree of anonymity. Wallets (where the funds are kept), are void of a name as you would have on a bank account, and can instead be identified by their own individual ‘address’, made up of numbers and letters. Investing in bitcoin is basically made on the assumption that it will go mainstream eventually, and when it does start to get used in a more natural way, the value will rise.

A Limited Commodity

This idea is helped by the fact that bitcoin is a limited commodity. There are only 21 million bitcoins in total that will ever be in circulation, and there is no way to make more. The same cannot be said for fiat currencies. For these reasons and more, it has become one of the hottest asset classes in the last few years and has received huge amounts of investment from backers all over the world.

How Can I Get Involved?

In the past, investing in bitcoin was a difficult process as the technology was rather new, however, a lot has changed in a short space of time and the market has really opened up to the average consumer. Companies that back bitcoin not only offer easy ways to buy in but also ways of protecting your investment. Paxful lets you exchange bitcoin to PayPal, and will also give you a medium to securely hold and sell this bitcoin whenever you want to. This is one of the easiest ways to invest, and you will also have the added protection from PayPal when you exchange bitcoin to Paypal.

Do be aware that there are lots of platforms like NiceHash that make it easy to invest in different cryptocurrencies. So, if you’re looking to begin your journey here, the building blocks are already in place. These platforms often have a short learning curve so you’ll be trading in your favorite cryptos in no time.

Investing in bitcoin may not be as stable putting money in the stock market, but it has seen some incredible growth over recent years, and you should be sure to check it out as many people genuinely believe it to be a future-proof, global asset.

 

This article has been contributed on behalf of Paxful. However, the information provided herein is not and is not intended to be, investment, financial, or other advice.

What are the Best Sectors to Invest in the UK Stock Market Now 2020?

/in /by

StrategyDriven Editorial Perspective Article |UK Stock Market|What are the Best Sectors to Invest in the UK Stock Market Now 2020?There’s no doubt that global stocks have endured a difficult time in 2020, largely on the back of the coronavirus outbreak.

The categorisation of Covid-19 as a global pandemic certainly sent shockwaves throughout the global marketplace, with the FTSE 100 crashing by a third from a peak of 7,634 in mid-January to below 5,000 on March 23rd.

Despite a subsequent and sustained rebound throughout Q2 and Q3, experts are now predicting a steep correction and further crash as the threat of a second wave of infections rises throughout the world. With this in mind, what are the best sectors to invest in and why are they poised to deliver a viable return?

Why are Stock Options Still Viable in 2020?

In simple terms, the stock market crash of March undermined and devalued a number of high-profile shares, without challenging their status or profitability in the long-term.

This trend was best observed amongst tech stocks, with relevant indexes such as the Nasdaq Composite tumbling by more than 4% recently and yet to scale their pre-pandemic highs. The S&P 500 also declined by 2.8% last week, as tech stocks faltered and saw their value proposition falter.

Despite this, the big-tech market and its individual stocks are fundamentally strong and well-established, which means that such equities will once again grow in value once normal market conditions are restored.

This creates a small but tangible window of opportunity for investors to buy variable cap stocks at a significantly reduced price, before selling these on for a profit in the future.

Sectors and Caps – Picking the Right Investments

Of course, not all sectors and markets have been created equal, which is why some have performed significantly better than others during the last six months, and determining the best stocks to buy now will depend on market trends.

For example, supermarkets and e-commerce brands have achieved huge growth since the start of the pandemic, with the virus thought to have added £5.3 billion to online sales in 2020 so far. Both of these of these sectors are also poised to deliver growth in the long-term too, so they’re ideal for investors with a more patient outlook.

Some technology markets have also thrived during the coronavirus outbreak, particularly those based in remote communication. Take Zoom, for example, which has forecast a potential 300% revenue increase in 2020 and represents the ideal short-term option.

Beyond this, you may also decide that midcap stocks are ideally suited to the current investment climate, with these entities having performed demonstrably better than others since the FTSE 100 crash on March 23rd.

This is part of a wider and more historic trend too, with dedicated research showcasing that midcap stocks have also performed consistently better than others during periods of ‘systematic risk’ since the mid-1990s.

As a result of this, investing in mid-cap stocks (which boast an average market cap of between £2 billion and £10 billion) is a great way of optimising profits and minimising risk during significant peaks and troughs.

Choosing Equity Funds Over Indices and Individual Stocks

One of the best ways to target mid-cap stocks is through an equity fund, which offers considerably less risk and higher potential profits than both indices and individual shares.

The reason for this is simple; as such funds are naturally diverse and feature multiple holdings from an array of carefully selected markets, while they’re also carefully managed and directed by skilled managers such as Downing’s Rosemary Banyard.

With this example, you can also access a fund that’s focused primarily on small and mid-cap stocks, while simultaneously targeting UK stocks that are capable of delivering sustained and tangible returns.

Of course, the key is to identify the right equity fund to suit your risk profile and outlook, while also seeking out an option that’s tailored to your profit expectations.