The reverberations of the ongoing pandemic have been a challenge for nearly all of us, but especially so for those who’re trying to keep up with the sustenance of small-scaled businesses at a time like this. Notably, as a lot of us find ourselves on the bridge progressing to the other side of the COVID-19 situation – there’s a collective reflection on those who’ve made it, and how it’s been like for them and their businesses.
Local collectives have their own share of crunches as it is, but with the added hitch of the pandemic – it’s truly been a revelation in the sphere of successfully sustaining a business and keeping up with the tides that the new situation brought with it.
Recently, we got to delve on the take of one such business owner – Jack Miles, owner of the Sarasota Mold Pros – a professional mold removal company.
Jack opened up to us about what it’s been like for him to keep his business going, with a particular focus on the concept of remote working. Read through to learn more on how this firm owner and his collective molded their own niche amidst the current times, and why their story makes a difference.
Does the remote-meet alternate come close to the in-person experience?
I preferred face-to-face discussions prior to the pandemic. You build a much better connection with the client in-person. Not only that, but you can also have much more effective negotiations. As you know – your body language, your tone, and the words you use all play a role in sales. With remote meetings, those elements are less effective than they are in-person. However, one big benefit I could see with remote meetings is that they take less time. You can jump on one meeting and once you’re finished, immediately take on the next one. Remote meetings also require less – financially speaking.
How distant working tells good managers from bad –
I have a very great relationship with my staff so remote management wasn’t that much of a challenge to me. Of course, there were some setbacks, like there are with everything else in life but I wouldn’t be able to pull it off if the company culture hadn’t already been in place. For managers who were poor at their jobs, last year was a pure nightmare. I think it’s important that you stay true and personal – both to your employees and clients as much as possible in today’s digital and more isolated world.
Finding a middle ground within the realms of the outsourcing landscape –
Not really. With the outsourcing company, I don’t know who I’m dealing with. To phrase it better, I don’t know the people. With my level of experience in the restoration field, I can provide valuable insights and training to someone who is just starting out. Therefore, I can have an exact idea of who is fulfilling my clients’ requests and how are they going to perform. On the other hand, when I am outsourcing, I can not do that.
The only thing I have is my partner’s promise.
The good old debate on quality vs quantity –
Wasn’t really affected by online meetings in that matter. As I’ve explained above, the digital world enables us to have more meetings and connect with more people. However, quality over quantity. I’d much rather have 2 successful in-person meetings in a day than 5 digital meetings with only one job booked. A lot of my friends from Sarasota who are also the owners of SMBs share similar opinions, although younger guys don’t mind this as much as we do, since they’re becoming more and more “digitally” skilled.
Making remote working work : a personal stance –
Although I don’t really have any projects that were less productive because of it, I am against remote working. Having said that, we managed to stay productive regardless of the situation. It adds to the point I’ve made with the question. It’s necessary for you to stay true to your employees and be considerate of their situation. Last year was tough for everyone. Financial problems and also problems with family members were a common occurrence. I feel like having ludicrous demands only worsens the situation.