It's easy to assume that the Coronavirus lockdown has been doom and gloom for everyone. But that needn't be the case, as Unite Group has shown.
Most of us have been affected in some shape or form. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a small or large company or a single individual, you’ll have had to adapt. Working from home has become the new normal. Using the internet has gone from being a handy tool to becoming a lifeline. Websites and social media have become crucial to survival rather than being viewed as a luxury. Face to face client meetings in an office or hotel reception have been repalced by Zoom and Skype calls. Oh…and a realisation that your computer…its software…its back-up….its security…are now critical to the way you operate. And how do you spread the word about what you’re up to? Coronavirus has forced firms to reassess everything. Traditional ways of working have changed…..and that change was forced upon us. It’s no surprise therefore to discover that The Unite Group has been busier than ever. Their turnover has risen by 50% over the past year and they’ve added four new members to their team which reopresents close to a 25% increase in workforce. “To say that things have been extremely busy is an understatement”, said director Paul Sykes. “We’ve seen a dramatic increase in two areas of our business. Companies are wanting to upgrade their technology and move data into The Cloud. This allows us to control everything remotely. We’ve also seen a huge rise in demand for our social media expertise. Our Social+ department specialises in creating bespoke websites as well as helping organise and run social media such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for companies. This is all down to the pandemic because companies need to adapt the way they work; there is no point in going it alone because everyone else has changed. They’d be left behind. There is the realisation that once we finally sort out Covid-19 that we won’t be going back to do business like we did at the start of 2020. Things have changed forever.” That is certainly the case when it comes to social media. Emma Crowe fronts the Social+ department at Unite Group. “Websites and social media were often seen by companies as something they should have but never really used to full potential,” said Emma. “It was a case of….’our competitors have got a website and a social media prescence, so we’d better have one.’ It was window dressing. The pandemic has proved how valuable a really good, highly effective website and social media presence can be. That’s why we’re adding two members to the social team…Rachel who joined us in October and we have an additional member in the pipeline joining us very soon. They’ll be working on a new lead generation service, It’s important to ensure that websites and social media work together and not viewed as separate entities. Social media management, search engine optimisation, marketing, content….these are, in effect, pieces in a jigsaw. “We will be able to provide a new Social+ service to clients which pulls these pieces together to create a clear picture about what a company does, who they are, how to contact them, and in turn generate leads. People have had to make changes put it this way, when your company has relied on footfall and, overnight, that footfall stops, you need to change how you work and how you market your product or service. We help firms get noticed and help them keep trading.” So, two new starters in the Social+ department, but what about developments within other areas of The Unite Group? “We’ve added Callum and Chris to our technology and communications team”, said Paul. “They’re both highly experienced technicians who’ll be working with our clients to ensure that their systems are up to date and operating correctly. They’ll also continue to offer our free service where we help businesses transfer their data into The Cloud. This also increases the flexibility of many people to be able to work effectively from home. Chris previously had his own IT company so we will be working with his clients too. Callum will be our new Help Desk Engineer and will be first point of contact for many of our customers.” Many firms have had to reinvent themselves… they’ve had to get on with it. It’s good to know that The Unite Group is there to help them navigate through what can look like a minefield. The Unite Group can provide you with on-line support and ensure that your business potential is fully unlocked….even during lockdown.
