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Vaccines are rolling out to the general population nationwide, and there is one question on everyone's mind. Will we ever get back to normal, the old normal before COVID-19 turned our world upside down? The short answer- probably not, and you shouldn't want to. As a business owner, you should always be looking forward. When looking forward, the question becomes, what will the "next normal" be? What will this "next normal" look like? And what should business owners be doing and considering? Here are a couple of things to consider.

Revenge Travel

You are feeling safer. You are feeling that urge to book that trip you canceled, the one you've been dreaming of during the pandemic. It is not just you; it is all of us. Experts are expecting a surge in travel bookings.

Konrad Waliszewski, co-founder and CEO of the travel app Tripscout recently said, "We are no longer going to take for granted that there will always be a flight tomorrow and an open border waiting to greet us. We will make up for the lost time and experiences with a vengeance."

What does that mean for businesses? Get ready for the Paid Time Off (PTO) requests. Your staffing may look very different this year, and next year. After the past year, as business owners, we want to reward our employees, but to keep your company healthy, you may not be able to approve all PTO requests. Plan for the surge and keep morale high by getting ahead of it. First, forecast what kind of production and staff you'll need during different times of the year. Then be open and communicate with your team about what they can expect in terms of getting PTO approved.

Back to the Office?

At the beginning of the year, Salesforce President & Chief People Officer announced that the 9-5 workday is dead, and he isn't the only one. Even after a year of pandemic living, more and more companies, Twitter and Microsoft, to name a few, are offering extended work-from-home programs. Adam Grant, organizational psychologist and top-rated professor at Wharton, says that data shows that the new norm will become working from home 1-2 days a week.

This new direction brings new business challenges of not just productivity but also collaboration and employee engagement. To tackle this, think about what you as a business owner want. (And the answer to that can't be 100% in-office unless you are in the manufacturing and service-based industries.) If you are thinking, I want everyone back in the office, the question you should be asking is what are you missing that you need that you're not getting right now. How does that align with your company's priorities? Then start having conversations, create a dialogue with employees about what the company needs. Then collaborate with your teams and individual employees to build a solution.

The Bottom Line

Be a proactive leader. Take time to think about your company, make a plan, and communicate with your employees. Do you have more concerns about the future of business? Contact us to schedule a meeting with one of our business advisory experts.