“Just one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day.”
Dalai Lama
Hey guys, it has been a while since my last blog and so much has happened. Covid-19 made its way to Trinidad and life as we knew it was no longer the same. We got hit with a curveball, and the magnitude of it was unexpected.
Back in January, I posted an article inviting you on yet another year’s journey with the BLU Networks Team. I shared a summary version of some of the items highlighted in our 2020 Plan. Today I am here to give you an update on what 2020 has looked like thus far.
Have we been able to keep our doors open? Have we seen a difference in how we conduct business? Have we been able to stick to our plans? All this and more as you keep reading.
In the end, I would let you in on a little secret that I needed to remind myself.
We at BLU were humbled and grateful for the opportunity to support our customers through remote work while our doors were closed physically. While remote work can be challenging for some, it’s with great joy that I say we did not falter in this area. As a company, we made changes to our workflow in 2019, so we were able to adapt to the remote work with ease and without hesitation. Covid-19 did not change this one bit. Our customers did not feel any side effects when we needed to respond. I do not think we can say this enough; we care about our customers’ businesses and we love what we do.
Covid-19 has created a new normal for everyone. It’s no longer business as usual, and we have seen the effects of this. The majority of our suppliers are in the United States, and doing business now has increased difficulties. For example, delays in responses, issues with freight services, increased brokerage services cost, reduction in credit facilities, to name a few. Thus far, we have been able to handle these changes but it has not been easy.
We had so many plans for 2020 as we keep moving towards our goal. Always being customer focussed is a priority, and we continue to add value to our customers and potential customers. Being transparent, we did deviate from some of our plans. Covid-19 did push us into a space that has now forced us to realign and refocus. We are ramping back up on increasing visibility. Although we have done some blogging, posting, webinars/events, we need to keep our consistency moving forward.
Expanding our team is also an on-going and sometimes arduous process. Looking for the “right fit” for BLU has its challenges, but we keep searching. 2020 has given us both gains and losses in this area, but we still push through to function like a well-oiled rig. Due to Covid-19 and remote working, the most affected were the newest members. They did not get the opportunity to get to know the team, personalities, workflow, etc. As we transition back to our office, using a hybrid approach, we hope that they would start to bloom in their roles.
We did put a lot of groundwork in 2019 to make 2020 an exciting year for us. For expanding our customer base, Covid-19 changed this plan a bit. It was hard during the 2nd quarter to try and make traction with potential new customers. We had to refocus and come up with another approach to reach our target audience as we continue to leave of mark.
Before I go, let me keep to my promise. With everything that took place during the 1st half of this year, I needed a reminder that in all aspects of life, one thing remains constant. I have spoken about my faith and that it keeps me grounded without fail. Being honest, I do not like change, especially when I am not in control or its unexpected. I was reminded that our plans are not the Lord’s plans and that helped me put things into perspective at the times when I needed it.
As we begin our 3rd quarter, things are already looking up. I cannot wait to tell you guys all about it in my next article. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “the future depends on what you do today.” How does your business future look? What have you put in place to combat the side effects of Covid-19?
Like, comment and tell us what your 2020 looks like thus far.
