If there is anything 2020 has taught us, perhaps emergency preparedness is the biggest lesson ever. The coronavirus pandemic has taught us the importance of having emergency preparedness and the need to have a plan that will keep the business running during and after a crisis. Emergency preparedness is not a one-day affair. It is a process that does not just involve a single drill once a year but entails planning how a business will run, before, during, and after a crisis. The process begins with identifying possible business threats or disruptors and developing plans to counter them. Here are some common business disruptors to watch:

With the Covid-19 vaccine finally making its way through the country, bringing staff back into the workplace is at the forefront of companies’ minds. This has continued to push conversations from when staff will come back to the office, to how.

Many Americans have been working from home full-time for a year now since COVID-19 hit the U.S. And many prefer that arrangement to a traditional office. In a survey, 65% said they want to work remotely full-time after the pandemic.

The pandemic made 2020 a difficult year for many small businesses, as many closed permanently. But other small companies had success despite the surge in outbreaks and are hoping to build on those achievements in 2021. How can they keep their momentum going, and what can other companies learn from their struggles to navigate the challenges of the new year?