Phil Taylor,
Managing Director of External Communications, Canadian Chamber of Commerce
If a business didn’t have a digital presence before the pandemic, it more than likely has one now. In fact, Salesforce estimates that the pandemic has led to 10 years’ worth of e-commerce adoption in the past 10 months. Crises, it’s often said, inevitably have a transformative effect on those experiencing them. This applies no less to businesses as it does to societies and individuals.
Today, a consensus among business leaders has emerged. They believe there’s no going back to what we knew as normal. For example, remote work is with us to stay even after the recovery. How does that affect business culture and budgets for remote productivity tools? What do we need from our digital infrastructure to cope with the extra demands of remote work? As work-life integration has accelerated on an exponential scale during the pandemic, so too has the importance of ensuring and nurturing the well-being and mental health of our employees.
As work-life integration has accelerated on an exponential scale during the pandemic, so too has the importance of ensuring and nurturing the well-being and mental health of our employees.
Unique challenges faced by small businesses
For small businesses, adaptation at scale is more challenging in terms of resources, cost, and technical expertise. How will Canada, asa whole, help its national economic engine rise to meet these unique challenges? Small businesses need different tools and resources than medium-sized businesses. How do we create specific solutions for each group?
The pandemic has left profound economic scars upon the Canadian economy, and indeed, the global economy. Looking forward, there are no easy answers. Canada must be bold and innovative, and must avoid the temptation to seek comfortable solutions in an increasingly uncomfortable world.
