Small and medium-sized businesses should re-evaluate every aspect of their business with a digital-first mindset moving forward amid this crisis according to Ahmed Mazhari, President, Microsoft Asia.

The Microsoft Asia President in a recent blog post detailed various ways in which SMBs should reevaluate various business aspects from a technology-first perspective.

“Going forward, all SMBs should also re-evaluate every aspect of their business with a digital-first mindset – finding new ways to develop and deliver their products and services for a post-Covid world,” wrote Ansari.

Ansari’s suggestions included, “ Digitalizing operations and enabling remote work, Targeting and business planning, Security and IT and reskilling and reimagining the workforce model.”

Businesses should evaluate each of these aspects keeping technology at the forefront, Ansari said.

“A SMB leader with a growth mindset sees an opportunity to transform, for that matter leapfrog, during a time of immense business challenge,” he added.

Ansari also detailed the role of various stakeholders in helping these SMBs navigate through the crisis that could pose an opportunity for their economic development post-Covid-19. This includes larger companies in the tech segment that can push forward this development through strategic partnerships.

“If we can equip our SMBs with the capability to remain operational during this crisis, we can introduce an opportunity for them to reimagine themselves to meet the new needs of customers now, and in the post-Covid environment. They would stand a better chance to rebound faster, become more resilient and successful in the long-term,” he said.

Big companies in the tech sector “must work with SMBs to make them more resilient, such that they can focus more on their business and less on security, technology, and operational issues,” he added citing the example of how Microsoft has shared Teams with SMBs as a free offering to “give them a leg up in the past six months.”

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