One word that best captures the events of 2020 is “unprecedented.” The world experienced truly unforeseen and eventful happenings, for the negative. The COVID-19 pandemic that broke out early in the year, necessitated that humans stay apart from one another as much as possible.
Thus, almost everything that had to do with the outdoors was under lock; these included several businesses. As a result of not operating, many businesses experienced record-low earnings or even nothing at all. This led them to retrench or at best, furlough of staff.
However, there were companies that were not particularly hit by these events. In fact, these companies experienced booms in their businesses and rather than let go of staff, they even hired more. One of such businesses is F.H. Cann and Associates Inc.
F.H. Cann and Associates Inc. is a company that provides top-notch contact center services to an array of businesses, but especially in the areas of business process outsourcing, loan servicing and financial recovery. 2020 brought significant boost in business and that momentum is still being sustained in 2021.
F.H. Cann and Associates Inc. spoke to us on issues surrounding the pandemic, how they took advantage of the virtual work trend and the outlook for the nearest future.
What was your response to the pandemic?
During the early days of the pandemic, our approach was to be patient and see how things turn out. This was because comprehensive but important information concerning the pandemic was still scanty, and no one could understand the magnitude and the impact the pandemic would have.
However, immediately we started to get a grasp of the effects, we started to make plans and pivot our service offerings to take advantage of the trends.
What did you do differently?
I really don’t think all of our success during the pandemic was down to making the right decisions or doing things differently. Yes, we did think outside the box and was able to thrive because of it. And of course, we did take advantage of opportunities when they presented themselves.
However, we credit this largely to the pandemic and due to the fact that our business model was one that naturally works well during such an unprecedented time.
What values will you say are responsible for the success of F.H. Cann and Associates Inc.?
At F.H. Cann and Associates Inc., we prioritize doing business for the good of others. That is evident in the projects that we engaged in, in 2020, assisting the public in fighting the pandemic. And that is not the first time we are doing that.
We also apply this within the business. We are strongly committed to our workforce, and we invest a lot of resources in creating a workplace that helps them thrive.
When all of these are in place, it is a no-brainer that the entire will thrive as well.
What are your forecasts for 2021 bearing the fact that we are nearing the end of the pandemic?
We all can’t wait for the pandemic to be over and we are particularly excited that the end is in sight. We all then return to our normal lives.
However, we strongly predict that a great deal of the trends that prevailed during the pandemic will still be very much in vogue in 2021 and even beyond. This is due to a number of reasons. For one, some of these trends had started to gather momentum even before the pandemic, but the pandemic greatly accelerated their adoption.
For instance, many companies have decided to stick with the work-from-home model either totally, or a hybrid between virtual and in-office work.
What should businesses focus on in 2021?
Generally, 2020 was largely a year of survival, even though there were stories of extraordinary growth in certain places. However, all indicators point to the fact that 2021 will be different. I think businesses should always look out for opportunities and provide offerings that cater for resurgent outdoor living.
Nevertheless, I still believe they should still pay attention to work-from-home related services. In essence, they should adopt hybrid focus. This is because we are likely going to be caught up in the middle of both lifestyles for most of the year.