Can you elaborate on some of the biggest challenges that entrepreneurs faced during the pandemic and what can we learn from them? Some of the biggest challenges faced by entrepreneurs during the pandemic included creating and maintaining cohesive teams in remote work situations, finding and hiring employees with suitable skill sets, and the difficulty of reaching anyone on the telephone! With these new technologies, the need for upskilling in our workplaces has never been more important. We have learned that adaptation for the future of work requires responsibility from all levels impacting the workforce — we need government recognition and support, we need organizations to invest in their people, and we need individuals and employees to acknowledge the importance of continuous skills and opportunity assessment. Further, the shift to remote and hybrid work has undoubtedly been a challenge for entrepreneurs as they have been forced into adopting their operations, adopting new technologies, rethinking employee engagement, and more. If we have learned anything, it is that the key components of running a successful business are developing and strengthening relationships, communication, collaboration, and intercultural effectiveness.
78 - CanadianSME I August 2021
What suggestions do you have for smallscale businesses that are finding it hard to pull through during these challenging times? Digital communities and establishing a culture of feedback are two of the most important tools we can leverage during these times to help our businesses continue to innovate, scale and strengthen as we come out of this pandemic. In a world that is rapidly changing, creating a tighter-knit communications loop among people who are aligned in what you are trying to accomplish will help us through these transitions. The workforce ecosystem is evolving — and rather than fight it, businesses can view the future of work as a unique opportunity to embrace the change and use it as a tool to drive them to success.