Future Proofing and How You Should Do It Now

| November 16, 2015

Future Proofing and How You Should Do It Now

Our world is developing at a rapid pace and every day new technology or new practice emerges. The technology is moving very fast, customers are becoming more aware and employees no longer keep their heads down and just go about their work. Naturally, your business needs to keep up with the times. In fact, with the way society is progressing, it’s a good idea to start planning for the future early.

There are several companies that have already started future proofing their companies and their teams. They’ve taken measures to ensure that their company structure would be maintained well and their business would continue to function smoothly. Here’s how you can do it:

Think on a Global Scale

The boundaries between different cultures and countries have started to blur.  Businesses are no longer limited to just one country or even one region. Even small businesses can operate on a global scale now, thanks to the vast internet network. One of the best ways to future proof your company is to expand your reach. Don’t limit your reach to within Malaysia, try to reach beyond.

This doesn’t just apply to selling products and services; it applies to recruiting as well. You don’t really need to limit yourself to employees from one country. You can recruit from anywhere in the world. The communications system has developed to such an extent that remote work is not just possible, but also easy.

Offer a Full Service

Just having a good product isn’t enough. Competition is intense and most of your competitors would also deliver good quality products. If you want to have an edge over your competitors, you need to provide a full service. This means that you won’t just need to provide great products, but also excellent customer service and assistance.

It’s a good idea to start training your team members to handle added customer service demands that would definitely surface in the near future. The full experience should also include a very easy-to-use website. You need to do everything you can, to offer customers a premium experience.

Nurture the Millennials

Most small business owners think that the obsession over millennials is quite irritating but no one can easily deny that they’re the future. They’re going to be the leaders of big companies a decade or two down the line. It’s a good idea to train them thoroughly and make sure that they’re ready for the responsibility.

Most millennials are highly skilled and very forward thinking. They don’t hesitate to break the mould and try something new. That’s something that should be encouraged. One of the best ways to handle millennials is to partner them with older, more experienced employees.

Embrace the New

One of the most difficult changes for the older generation has been the command structure. Today, the straight hierarchy doesn’t work as well as it used to. The aforementioned millennials are eager and brilliant and other employees would want their voice to be heard as well. You can keep your independent and free-thinking employees engaged and happy. You can sort them into teams and create a horizontal command structure instead of a vertical one.