The world has definitely changed in 2020 when the deadly Corona Virus – aka COVID 19 – wreaked havoc across the planet. Practically no continent was spared as businesses and jobs were lost. Anywhere within the world, the pandemic has stretched the health systems, economies, and even the patience of political and business leaders. It has affected the world’s economic processes and everyone else needs to know what to do next.
Fortunately, you can change things starting with your mindset and the actions that follow.
In an interview with the Philippines’ digital transformation expert, Homer Nievera, he shared his so-called slingshot strategies that will help catapult one’s business (and life) out of any crisis, especially this one we are all facing today and in the months to come.
Nievera’s country, the Philippines was the primary nation in ASEAN to implement a lockdown – called an Enhanced Community Quarantine – which was put the entire island of Luzon in lockdown. This meant crippling the main business districts and restricting movement of 53 million Filipinos. It also saw his country rising to the top of recorded Covid 19 cases in August 2020 partly due to an increased and systematic testing capacity. By early September, signs of a flattening of the curve was noticed.
Seeing how economies are beginning to crawl back to their usual cycle after 6 months or so into the pandemic, Nievera has noticed the reluctance of a lot of people to try to go back to a new way of doing business, probably due to fear and confusion on what to try to do next.
We then asked him on what tips he can share to assist people recover. Nievera, who’s the Founder and Group Publisher of Negosentro.com, shared some steps on what he calls Slingshot Strategies to be ready to plow ahead of the pack within the midst of a worldwide crisis. Read on and learn.
- Map Your Life Today
Have you used or a minimum of have seen a slingshot? It’s that piece of wood within the sort of a forked stick, with an elastic strap (or a pair of elastic bands connected by alittle sling) that’s fastened to the 2 prongs. it’s typically used for shooting small stones sort of a catapult. this is often where the business goes to plan the pandemic crisis – at the farthest end of that slingshot – stretched to its limit at the negative point.
With that picture in mind, you recognize that that there’s a really big chance of either being at the receiving end of that stone shot for that catapult, or you’d be that stone hurtling into success.
Nievera shares, “Start now by mapping out your life from where you’re at immediately. the top in mind is to reach the action plans which will get you to where the others won’t be just because you acted quickly amidst the chaos.”
Find a fast place and start your next moves. No deadline here, ok? You’re probably on quarantine anyway. Start mapping out your action plans by revisiting your supposed plans for 2020. Obviously, that’s down the drain, right? Just consider where you’re at immediately and where you would like to be when the starting gun fires.
- Take on a Major Change in Mindset
The world as we all know will change dramatically.
“We will see the entry of the so-called new normal, whatever it will be,” said Nievera.
The term ‘social distancing’ will probably be used more often and other colloquial meanings may arise, too. But what’s more important to specialise in is to plot out your moves on how you’ll endways the proper side of things.
Nievera acknowledged, “Whoever is prepared to shift one’s paradigm given the present situation will begin the winner.”
What he meant was there’s an urgent got to challenge all of your pre-set goals and experiences as there has nothing been just like the corona pandemic since the 1920s. The Spanish flu was followed by a worldwide economic meltdown that saw markets crashing and therefore the so-called Great Depression followed.
What’s bound to happen is that the slowing of worldwide economic progress by the top of 2020 wherein many economies will dive to the negative levels.
- Solve Problems Now
In every single major cataclysm that happens within the world and affects the planet, there 100 people and corporations who make it big. Why? Because those people are ready to identify arising problems and offer solutions.
Think about it. many of us are on quarantine or lockdown. Most are taking their sweet time and taking that “needed” break caused by things. Some depend upon the dole-outs and have a come-what-may attitude. Yet only a couple of are up and about, trying hard to seek out ways to unravel emerging problems.
As a digital transformation expert based within the Philippines, Nievera has been ready to put in some investments in technology and digital media companies. He said that his a few years of selling and tech experience have allowed him to identify winners – and losers. During this coronavirus pandemic, he has been busy spotting emerging businesses, while doing CSR or volunteer work.
Nievera intimates, “Recently, we were approached by some entities including the govt to make solutions in stemming the further spread of the virus. We came out with two solutions – the Ruwah, which a first-responder breathing device (i.e. semi-automatic ventilator), and a design for specimen collection booths (SCBs) to be used in mass testing. we’ve already started distributing the SCB booths to public hospitals while we’ve finished the primary prototype for the Ruwah.” And both were wiped out record time during the primary 3 weeks of a lockdown.
These are glaring and real samples of what you’ll do together with your time while on quarantine. Who would have known that these devices or products are going to be needed? the issues presented themselves, therefore the solutions were the results of brainstorming sessions online. mention time not getting to waste!
Anticipate problems today – not tomorrow – and find solutions for them pronto! you would possibly be into something big that nobody has really considered yet because time is changing.
- Use All That “Stored Power” Towards Something Big
Going back to the catapult or slingshot design, you’ll notice that in theory, when something gets pulled back to its limit, there’s tons of stored power there when that thing gets released. Are you able to just imagine that?
Nievera reminds people to make a step back.
“Think of the shift in mindset and the way things are unfolding today. People have lost their jobs. People have gotten sick and are on their road to recovery. Sadly, some have passed on while many loved ones were left behind. There’s panic, sadness, distress, and even an air of hopelessness. These may all be some quite negativity as you’ll surmise. But actually, these are the makings of latest opportunities,” Nievera reveals.
Indeed, how are you able to help people find jobs? How are you able to help people recover? How are you able to bring back hope altogether that’s good in humanity and therefore the world in general?
Obviously, there are now plenty of opportunities within the health sector which incorporates psychological state. Human resources are going to be a busy sector also as people got to be placed somewhere also as helping people retool themselves. Because more and more people will prefer to work from home (or maybe they need no choice), there are opportunities in those areas also.
How are you able to tap those stored power that’s a part of pulling back the economy? How will you ride the plenty of opportunities that accompany the sling-back action that comes with the discharge of the catapult?
Knowledge is power, my friend. Be at the receiving end of this great stored power and ride the upcoming trends.
- Anticipate the Switches
In reference to paradigm shifts that are currently happening thanks to the pandemic, now’s the time to think fast and anticipate the switches.
“Switches are going to be happening anywhere from brand-switching to technology-switching and even utility-switching of sorts. These will all be happening as major movements in consumer buying patterns caused by changes in spending power happen,” Nievera says.
Once nicknamed “The Disruptor,” Nievera tells entrepreneurs to get on the lookout for even minor movements in customer needs and wants like needing someone to shop for you that attend the grocery yourself for fear of getting infected with the virus. Ridiculous? Not in these times.
How about helping people find ways to implement proper social distancing in confined spaces and living quarters? That’s a serious shift in behavior caused by the necessity to physically distance oneself out of state compliance or set protocols. Another are going to be needing easier masks without sacrificing quality. Get the drift? There are tiny shifts happening which will soon ripple into bigger opportunities. The key’s in catching these shifts when they’re still tiny such you’d be the primary person or company to provide the answer or solution.
- Watch Out for Many Opportunities
Nievera shares a story of his conversation with one among his clients. It had been during the first 2000s and therefore the dotcom boom just went bust. it had been also about 3 years from 9/11 and therefore the new normal (post-terror) of doing things – of heightened security – was being implemented globally. Reeling from the crisis, Nievera’s client told him that what their company has been doing was getting hold of each opportunity that came their way and knocked on as many doors as possible to be ready to sell.
Practical? Maybe. But it reminds us to stay hopeful with eyes wide open for opportunities. Once the opportunities happen, keep up the momentum talk to as many potential customers as possible. This increases the probabilities of catapulting yourself way off everybody else in whatever field you’re in.
That’s exactly what happened to Nievera’s client. They came to be the most important manpower services within the Philippines, besides hitting it big in various industrial projects which they started during the crisis within the first years after 9/11.
- Get into Digital Transform Pronto!
As the digital transformation expert within the Philippines, Homer Nievera has been practically been the so-called voice calling-in-the desert when digital media was in its infancy within the early 2000s. He saw it all. He helped transform ClickTheCity.com in 2001 from a directory to a life-style utility. He helped educate the advertising industry on advergaming (with MSN) and programmatic advertising (with Admax Network) in mid-2008 and helped level-up social media together with his add both Friendster and Multiply.
In other words, Nievera was there when it all happened – when digital was transforming the Philippine landscape. Today, he’s still helping companies in their full embrace of the digital economy.
“In the Philippines, the pandemic is just a catalyst for everybody to completely embrace what’s to be the future of commerce and the new ways we’ll do things. In fact, people can’t live without their data or wi-fi plans even before the lockdowns. Today is even more different as home deliveries and mobile shopping are being the new normal,” Nievera declares.
Indeed, businesses got to transform digitally now. The digital choice needs to be made now and not tomorrow. The future is unfolding within our eyes.
If you delay your decision in fully embracing digital transformation, then you’ll probably miss the biggest opportunities out there. You can now ride the wave and reach a triumphant destination.
Catapult into the future today.
