StartSmart 5th Webinar Recap: COVID-19: Opportunities and Lessons Learned - Flat6Labs

ACCELERATING THE FUTURE

In our fifth Flat6Labs StartSmart Webinar, Roxanne Varza, Director of Station F exposed what the COVID-19 pandemic offered and still has to offer to startups in general, no matter where they are: MENA, Europe or US. This crisis is changing the landscape of the startup and tech ecosystem, and Roxanne & Faten Aissi Flat6Labs Tunis Marketing & Outreach Manager discussed the lessons learned and how innovation tackled some of the most severe aspects of the quarantine in Health, entertainment, WFH and education.

Take advantage of talents that have been laid off around the world

Due to the current economic crisis, many startups and corporates are laying off people to maximise the business’ chance of surviving the economic recession. So they are laying off people, this is where if you as someone just starting out or your business is growing rapidly can utilise this chance to hire remote employees. This is an opportunity for you because you can get a magnitude of experienced people, who can help your business grow and scale, remotely.

Customer service is essential the more you grow

Understanding that your small team will not be capable of always answering questions, receiving complaints, or following up with magnitude of people is important to knowing when to outsource your customer service or build a team dedicated to just that.

Companies needn’t be ashamed of downsizing, but someone needs to take responsibility

During the pandemic, many companies went the route of laying off people, but taking responsibility for your business operations, means that you care for business, your clients, and your staff. People can grasp the reality they are in, but they need to be assured that they were worth every resource the company has put into hiring, training, and employing them. It is more than just a nice gesture or politics, it is honest and responsible.

If we want to see long term, positive change, we actually need to commit ourselves to positive change

While the pandemic has held most of us hostage in our homes, it has provided an opportunity for the environment to get better. If we want it to keep getting better, we need to find solutions to do that, while still living our normal lives. COVID-19, on the good side of things, has provided us with a lot of opportunities that need to be explored by our aspiring entrepreneurs.

Always be dedicated & focused

If you start something, finish it. Don’t get sidetracked, Work until your vision has become your reality, but until then, keep your focus on one project at, one startup at a time.

Make sure to join our upcoming Webinar on May 19th, 2020 with Patrick Riley, CEO of Global Accelerator Network along with Fawzi Rahal, Managing Director of Flat6Labs Beirut. For more information and to register, click here.