Dear Editor
Remember conferences, seminars, in-person meetings? Remember those person to person (P2P) three-dimensional interactions, where all “six senses” were employed to build and maintain relationships?
The rush to online meeting platforms was the rage over the last 18 months. Convenient under the circumstances they were, sustainable they were not.
As the market businesses operate in changes, so the businesses need to adapt. If a business does not (or cannot) adapt, it cannot sustain itself.
There are so many P2P aspects that contribute to business continuity, such as business culture, training, intra-company transactions, relationships, trust, succession.
It could also be argued that P2P is critical to building and maintaining social cohesion in general.
Businesses that have survived thus far, by being able to conduct transactions online might be fine, but it is short term only.
P2P reliant businesses are not fine, as their transactions require people to be present in person. Buying (or selling) a set of furniture online is not possible if you consider the touch, colour, smell, robustness important in your decision. That’s why supermarkets are still required. To many, the purchase experience is three dimensional. Why bother setting up the vegetable and fruit displays if all someone needed was a transaction to buy an apple? No, they need to see the shine of the lighting reflecting off the red skin, the firmness of the fruit, and inspect for any flaws. Then there are the impulse purchases, high margin goods, pleasingly placed at strategic points that catch the punter’s eye.
No, business is not a two-dimensional transaction conduit.
For eighteen months, our leadership has relied on debt and tax revenue to fund their largesse; the former must end and the latter must increase to pay for the debt.
Ensuring business continuity is a critical part of increasing tax revenue, preferably through increased (profitable) transactions only. In order to ensure this scenario is attainable, the free movement of people needs to be restored. Without it, whilst the world and markets move on, relying on two-dimensional transactions as a business strategy is not sustainable.
Tiger
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