Do you remember the COVID-19 pandemic? It’s been almost five years since this health crisis had the entire world, literally, on a standstill for months. For a pandemic that has so far killed over six million people worldwide, no one is going to forget about it soon.
COVID wasn’t kind to businesses either. Due to the pandemic, the US saw the closure of over 700,000 establishments in just the second quarter of 2020. Between 2020 and 2021, the crisis cost the global economy nearly $9 trillion. Small businesses suffered the most due to this global health crisis.
However, as they say: difficult times create strong people, and even businesses with strong willpower. One such case of business resilience can be seen in the story of San Francisco Media Group.
This broadcast television and video production company, like many others, had to face the full wrath of COVID head-on. Yet, it survived and thrived not long after, and its story is one worth definitely paying heed to.
San Francisco Media Group and its owner and CEO Anita Casalina have shown great resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this post, we’ll share a few lessons businesses and business leaders can learn from the resilience shown by this video production company.
You Need a Sense of Responsibility
Casalina and her team at San Francisco Media Group had just paid off a large debt and the company was just beginning to show a profit. Then COVID hit.
However, deemed an essential business, the show had to go on for them – they never closed. Closing down during a crisis shows that a business is not responsible for its customers and employees.
Apart from in-house broadcast studios, many other businesses, including pharmacies and grocery stores, had to continue their businesses during COVID-19. Even when the world had shut down, these businesses were essential for people to survive and keep going during such tough times.
Thus, running a business often comes with the need to have a sense of responsibility. No matter the odds, you can never back down even in the darkest and most troubling of times.
Make the Most of Your Time No Matter the Situation
Although the company was running, it was still a slow period for Casalina and the others at San Francisco Media Group. Hence, they made the most of the opportunity by upgrading their facility and adding new technology. The company even got themselves a state-of-the-art soundstage.
Making improvements, especially during challenging times, can inspire your employees and give them hope. They will know that despite the difficulties, the business is doing its best to improve.
Besides, when things with the business are a bit slow, it’s always a good opportunity to improve your infrastructure. You might even find yourself working with a digital marketing agency to improve your brand’s online reach and visibility. After all, the downtime necessary for such improvement won’t slow down your business in such a situation.
According to California SEO Professionals, you’ll find several marketing agencies looking to get your business. This is especially true if you’re looking to make major changes or improvements to your marketing strategy. Hence, you’ll have to make informed decisions regarding this, taking into account the agency’s expertise and marketing approach plans.
The lesson here is to make the most of the time no matter the situation. Rest assured, something good is bound to come out of it.
A Bit of Kindness and Compassion Doesn’t Hurt
Even when being resilient, a bit of kindness and compassion can go a long way in keeping the team motivated. Difficult times lead to uncertainty, which is why you must be kind to others, especially your employees.
For Casalina, indulging her team in a bit of humor and laughter every now and then helped them keep their spirits high. This also helped them bond better, which is vital for team building.
When you have each other’s backs in such trying times, the overall team morale gets a massive boost. This, in turn, can help your business grow and take on future challenges head-on.
Embrace Change and Adapt
COVID meant very little scope of covering outdoor content. Hence, Casalina and her company probably had to make do with their indoor video production spaces. Perhaps occasionally, they would work on live-stream videos or even online interviews.
This teaches us the need to embrace change and adapt. COVID gave birth to the widespread acceptance of remote working. It also helped businesses realize how sometimes, meetings can just be emails or held online. This is what resilience is often about accepting change and adapting to it.
As Casalina puts it, “Through perseverance and a willingness to embrace change, we have not only weathered the storm but emerged stronger and more resilient.”
From our discussion so far, you can tell that in the face of a crisis, business resilience is vital. The courage Casalina and her video production company have displayed during COVID says enough about why such resilience is so important. Those looking to start their own business or recover from a business crisis can learn a lot from this.
