The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken the world by its overwhelming impact on not only our health but also our businesses, institutions – practically every part of our lives. While we may encounter a fair share of COVID skeptics and denialists, nobody is immune to social and economic struggles. Companies that had to halt their activities took a real, unexpected beating that forced some of them out of business. To avoid similar dangers in the future, we must implement dynamic planning and strategies to provide a quicker response to the crisis.
In this article, we will focus on how this extraordinary pandemic transformed our approach to company planning and business activities. COVID-19 has affected every business and coming back from lockdown is not an easy transition for anyone. We will talk about solutions that would make similar processes in the future more bearable or in some cases – even profitable.
That’s right! Top proactive businesses that have the data and resources to prepare for the future find ways to profit from extreme circumstances while less fortunate companies start bleeding. If your company or livelihood has suffered due to COVID-19, we suggest transforming your approach to planning.
In order to thrive in today’s market, businesses have to maintain a high level of technical skills. While some conservative companies may not be as dependent on IT and like to take their time with the transition, the COVID-19 pandemic has turned technologies into a necessary part of survival. Let’s discuss the benefits of IT for company planning and activities that will protect your business in the future. We will also gloss over great assistance tools, such as proxy servers from a legitimate proxy provider. Learn more about Smartproxy if you are interested in the usage of these intermediary servers. At the moment, let’s focus on the ways to use IT and revitalize your business in the twilight of the pandemic.
Set up an online shop
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An obvious no-brainer, most companies who managed to withstand the onslaught of COVID-19 complications continued generating revenue thanks to purchases in online shops. Proactive companies that invested in online shop infrastructure and e-commerce have not only prepared for the time of isolation but also created a much more convenient way for customers to order and receive desired services.
IT and e-commerce investments are the smartest decisions that allowed tech giants like Amazon to thrive during the pandemic. If you plan to run a business during the economic restart, take care of a website and online shop as fast as you can.
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Of course, with a necessity for an online shop comes responsibility for customer data and the well-being of your website. Proxy servers from a respectable proxy provider can help you balance the internal load of your online shop, as well as limit DDoS attacks and other cybersecurity threats.
While an online shop already brings more revenue by making your services accessible to clients, partnerships with third-party advertisers can help you use collected public data for additional profit.
Use web scraping to stay ready
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No matter what your current business goals are, web scraping is an inseparable part of most company activities today. You can plan for a restart, digitalization of your business, and even small personal projects, and web scraping will assist you in every step of the process. Nobody can argue with the power of knowledge, and a company that uses data extraction as a fuel for improvement and innovation will always stay versatile enough to survive and thrive in the future.
We can use the same example of Amazon to highlight the biggest success story that heavily involves web scraping. With continuous e-commerce investments and a watchful eye on the competition, the company uses extracted data for extremely aggressive price changes to stay on top.
Although competitive price monitoring is arguably the most important process that derives from web scraping, it is only the tip of the iceberg. With good residential proxies from a legitimate proxy provider, a business owner can scale up their scraping operations and make them much more efficient. The security provided by intermediary servers protects our IP addresses, so even if your scrapers get recognized by third parties, you never put your network identity at risk.
The COVID-19 pandemic has put an even stronger emphasis on the importance of IT and e-commerce for businesses. Companies that utilize automated web scraping with proxy servers from a legitimate proxy provider can collect and process data to transform company planning. Alternative approaches to marketing campaigns, competitor analysis, aggressive price tracking, and many other data-related processes are now more versatile, precise, and efficient in the hands of tech-savvy businesses.
With a much more proactive approach to company planning, we can not only steer away from possible danger at the right time but also utilize new opportunities that can come and go in a matter of days or even hours. Transform your business activities with IT solutions and stay prepared for a brighter tomorrow!
News
‘Please help’ – plea to save one of Manchester’s oldest theatres as beautiful building falls into disrepair
Daisy Jackson
A fresh appeal and Crowdfunder has been launched to try and save one of Manchester’s oldest and most beautiful theatre buildings.
The Hulme Playhouse Theatre and the Nia Centre are at risk of closing down once again as both the list of repairs and the cost of living rise.
The venue, used now as a community hub and events space operated by NIAMOS, is in ‘desperate need of repair’ and they need to raise £50,000 for the urgent work.
Without it, it’s feared that the ‘cold and leaking’ building could be lost forever and ‘another cultural institution could be turned into flats’.
At present, the historic Grade II-listed building doesn’t have a heating system, and winter has brought new pressures.
NIAMOS, a group of local residents and community volunteers, say they want to ‘honour the important legacy of this renowned venue’.
NIAMOS have launched a Crowdfunder for the Nia Centre and Playhouse Theatre. Credit: NIAMOS
The beautiful building in Hulme was first opened in 1902 and is one of only two remaining W. H. Broadhead theatres.
At one time, Broadhead owned an empire of theatres, and designed the space to resemble a factory from the outside, hoping to help working class audiences in Manchester feel at home.
In 1956, the BBC took over and turned it into BBC Soundstage North, where The Beatles’ first-ever live radio performance was broadcast from.
Then the legendary Nina Simone opened it theas The Nia Centre in 1991, becoming the first African and Caribbean-led theatre in Europe.
The space is used for community events. Credit: NIAMOS
The cultural significance of this building really can’t be overstated, and the NIAMOS team are desperate to save it.
They said in their Crowdfunder: “Our mission is to preserve the heritage of the Nia Centre and Playhouse Theatre, by keeping the building and the Arts it facilitates accessible to all communities, all ages and capabilities.”
NIAMOS’ message continued: “We need help to be able to keep all the incredible projects that happen in the building going and make sure the space stays open as a hub for the Hulme community and beyond! We need to honour the important legacy of this renowned venue, still independent in the heart of Manchester, and not let another cultural institution be turned into flats.
“We want to make sure the building stays open as much as possible over winter and improve the equipment that local and young artists have access to through us, including music production, sound and lighting engineering, arts workshops, film and media production and acting classes.
“The building is in desperate need of repair and a heating system which we currently do not have at all! Alongside all of this, the running costs of the building and the rising cost of living mean we are under pressure this winter.
“We rely on volunteer support to run and host events for our community and our voluntary members have worked extremely hard to keep the building afloat, but our members cannot give as much of their time as we need and with the challenge of a cold and leaking building we are in need of help to save this space from closing down!!
“When the current directorship took over the running of the building they also took on significant debts, this has meant we have been two steps forward and one step back. Despite all the hard work of the people who have been running the space voluntarily we need help over the quieter winter months.
Credit: NIAMOS
“We need to stay open long enough to apply for further funding bids, including long term support from the Heritage Lottery fund, as we are a grade II listed building. We have an amazing programme of events and projects we want to put on this year that will build on sustaining us financially and provide opportunities for community artists and creatives.
“Keeping this building open and functional is of great importance for Hulme and the surrounding areas communities; we need your help! Developing heating solutions and doing necessary repairs in the building will enable us to stay open during the colder months and help us with our aim of making the building more conscious and sustainable.
Tim Martin is blaming ‘people drinking at home’ for UK Wetherspoons closures
Georgina Pellant
It’s no secret that times are hard for hospitality right now, with pubs and restaurants shutting left, right and centre – but when UK pub giant Wetherspoons starts closing its doors you have to wonder if anyone can survive in this climate.
In September last year, the budget pub chain began listing sites for sale with 32 boozers going up as part of what it described as a “commercial decision”.
Now, it has listed even more – and arch-Brexiteer Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin is apparently blaming people ‘drinking at home’ for the closures.
After the chain suffered a £30 million pound loss, CEO Tim Martin told PA news agency that people ‘have got into the habit of staying in’ ever since Covid and that that was why sales were down on 2019.
He also blamed lockdown restrictions brought in to stop the spread of Covid during the heigh of the pandemic for the pub’s losses,
He said: “The aftermath of the pandemic and lockdown restrictions have been far more difficult than anyone thought.
“That is the picture for the whole pub and restaurant industry. People thought that after lockdown there would be a boom in people suffering from cabin fever but, instead, it has almost become the opposite situation as people have got into the habit of staying in.
“That’s the big thing that means sales are down on 2019. Things are improving now but it’s slow.”
The pub sales are being handled by CBRE and Savills. Toby Hall, senior director at CBRE, said: “The excellent mix of locations in this portfolio is rarely seen in the market.
“With more than half the portfolio located in London and the South East and other strong locations in the South West, Midlands and North we believe the pubs represent an excellent opportunity for existing pub operators and new entrants.”
The Manc -
20th July 2021 
