The lives of millions of people around the world have changed radically in the past two years. Much of the credit is associated to the socio-economic impact of the novel coronavirus led pandemic. Thousands of people have died on a daily basis from the invisible illness.
The world economy went through a forced recession with the governments trying to manage both health and economic crises. For many, this scenario evoked memories of a past global crises, the dark ages that belonged to the World War II. The pandemic exposed capitalist dysfunction partly due to the prioritization of profit over people’s needs. Some say that if the society had not been capitalist, pharmaceutical companies would have started developing coronavirus vaccines long ago.
The pandemic has had short-term financial and long-term economic implications for countries around the world. Efforts to contain the pandemic have involved public health resources, human resources, and implementation costs. Pandemics have also led to lower tax revenues and higher spending, especially in lower middle-income countries where fiscal constraints are more stringent. These economic impacts have reduced incomes due to the government’s inability to generate revenues because of quarantine and lockdowns. Economic shocks are common because of labor shortages, increased mortality and fear-induced behavioral responses. In addition to labor shortages, transportation disruptions, job cuts, trade and travel restrictions as well as border closures have had increased the stress on business and livelihoods of people.
How Veterans Turned Entrepreneurs Are Managing the Crisis
Businesses owned and operated by veterans are in a particularly good position to guide economies from crisis times. This is because those who participated in wars and are trained in techniques for dealing with the so-called VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) environment can better handle the pressures these events bring along. Many veteran companies work strategically to provide resources and services in response to a pandemic.
The military is highly adaptable and trains leaders to find solutions in the event of a sudden crisis. Such skills help these business owners and operators better manage businesses and operational uncertainties. They respond quickly with early steps to deal with market changes and socio-economic turmoil. This do or die ideology that veterans have been trained for, helps the heroes focus on customers and organise products and marketing strategies when a crisis situation like war or pandemic impacts business operations. Another leadership training skill veterans inherit through the service is the attitude towards not giving up. Veterans are not easily defeated psychologically and persist to be good in everything they do. Survival is the key to finding a way to be resilient and keep moving forward in times of chaos.
Following are two veteran businesses among millions of others that not only survived but thrived through the pandemic by quickly adapting to economic and social trends, purely by using military training and skills to be innovative, inventive and quick to respond.
LumAware Safety
The pandemic disturbed the operations and sales of LumAware. The company was founded and is managed by Zachary Green, an entrepreneur with a military service background. The veteran, former firefighter and Wyoming City councilman has been producing products that help firefighters through security solutions.
The company sells products to thousands of firefighters around the world and various multinational companies. However, during COVID, the company was suddenly in the midst of the epidemic and its economic adversities. But the veteran and his team were quick to adapt to the changing social and financial factors and responded to the shifting market trends efficiently.
LumAware responded to the vast adverse effects of the pandemic through a new brand called ClearGuard. The new brand started producing transparent protective barriers as defensive shields, which are essential for indoor businesses and offices. This new product enabled the continuance of operations for numerous businesses as well as public offices providing essential services.
The company has most certainly become an example that businesses with crisis management skills can create new opportunities while leveraging the team’s existing skills and strengths. For LumAware, a company specializing in security products and solutions, its product and innovation teams were able to customize, improvise, and create new marketable products even in a harsh time like that of a pandemic.
Battle Sight Technologies
This business was formed five years ago to manufacture infrared products for the military and first responders including the US Marine Corp and the Dayton Police Department. It has continued to operate as an essential business over the duration of the pandemic. The founder Nicholas Ripplinger was quick to assess the graveness of financial implications of the pandemic. Ripplinger applied and received a loan under the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program to ensure the financial wellbeing of his employees during the economic shutdown.
Battle Sight Technologies has been able to grow its business during this new normal against tough social and economic odds. The company is achieving milestone over milestone and is on its way to accumulating $6 million in revenues by the year end.
However, it was hit hard by the shutdowns and that drastically impacted its business development efforts. Six of the trade shows it was participating in were canceled, a major way to catch new customers. Instead, to adapt the uncertain times, they started speaking to existing customers and found that there was a high demand for hand sanitizer among emergency first responders, local organizations and the public. The company then quickly shifted to securing 20,000lbs of the required products from the chemical manufacturers and the management switched part of the infrared production line into a bottling facility.
Are The War and Pandemic Comparable?
Of course, not. But both of these events or situations come with major implications. They have significant social and political implications, including conflicts between nations, migration, increased social tensions and discrimination. Many pre-modern pandemics have caused serious demographic changes, public shocks, and social and political unrest. Pandemic and war create financial tensions and economic disruption on a wider scale as compared to any other crisis situation or event. There is never a guarantee for things to stay smooth for any businesses especially in a highly competitive industry. Something unexpected and potentially bad can happen out of nowhere and that’s why important to train management and key staff on contingency planning and execution. This in turn ensures that business operations can continue in case of any unforeseen disaster just like LumAware Safety and Battle Sight Technologies have.
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