Managing projects and navigating small business in this post-COVID environment is required in order to successfully move forward. Many industries have been negatively impacted by the pandemic. A forced lesson in crisis management, the current conditions highlight an increasing need for efficiency.
One obvious risk is that you may have a single-point of failure if a key team member contracts the virus and is out of work for several weeks. You may have added expenses and delays due to supply chain issues. To minimize the effects of these threats you must 1. adapt to new norms and 2. strive for resiliency. Cross-training, creating succession plans (at all levels), and establishing communication protocols will help tremendously. The other key is having a solid process.
If you are in construction, chances are your business is booming - you have more work than you can handle. If your business has blown up during the pandemic that is great news. However, there is risk in rapid growth too. Your ability to lead and manage may become compromised without a solid process in place. You could lose track of your finances as you take on a sharp increase in debt for new projects. You could experience customer service issues. Having the ability to efficiently manage a flood of work is very important.
Takeaway: Regardless if your business has been struggling or booming, you can benefit from an adjustment to your infrastructure.
A bullet-proof process that the entire team is adept at is vital. You need a process for acquiring and executing new projects (estimating, initiating, completing work, getting paid, managing risk, communication). At all times you should have an up to date pipeline - a forecast - of future work with projected costs included.
Let me help you leverage your existing infrastructure to create a process that makes sense for your business.
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