Vanessa De Goede reflects on lockdown and shares personal and business perspectives.
In March when there was talk of a nationwide lockdown because of the coronavirus, everyone around me was in a panic. After the actual announcement of lockdown quick thinking allowed us to prepare in a hurry, stocking up on food, basics crafts and some games.
The quote “Never put off ’til tomorrow what you can do Today”, never made more sense as the realisation that there were no guarantees in life, dawned on me.
I love having my family around me and I feel energized, savoring the time we have together.
However, the enthusiasm was initially dampened by the sense of urgency, anxiety, and stress that the Corona Virus brought about. This made it very difficult to morph into working from home “permanently”.
Overnight, someone hit the fast forward button of our lives and digitisation was the order of the day. Disruption such as fluctuating demand, the volatility of the Rand, commodity prices that chip away at profits and increased costs, causes organisations to miss market opportunities. All of these and more issues have become more acute in recent years and rising volatility, uncertainty, and business complexity have made reacting to – and planning for – changing market conditions more difficult than ever.
It is against this backdrop, that we as Trade Ocean need to be agile by spotting and mitigating risks and by seeking ways to use volatility to gain advantage over rivals.
I have been inspired by the resilience of some companies, which have evolved, found new revenue streams through digitisation – an opportunity that would not have presented itself if it were not for lockdown.
Sure, I miss my family and friends, but we have found ways and means to touch base, have virtual gatherings, suppers and have fun. Cooking, with a lot of focus on presentation and photographing the meal was unquestionably high on our agenda of shares!
Stay Safe!
