Coronavirus pandemic helps small businesses to be innovative: Consultant

By BRADLEY MARIORI
THE coronavirus has helped small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in terms of being innovative in conducting their businesses, a consultant says.
Tok Stret Consulting Ltd owner and manager Julliane Terry said the Covid-19 had been a blessing in disguise for SMEs.
“It forced a lot of people to think outside the box and be innovative in their business,” she said.
“It pushed people towards the edge of a cliff where they either had to make it or break it.
“And a lot of them realised that they survived because they had done a lot of changes in their business. Changes to the processes, using the internet more, getting involved in a lot of Zoom activities, conferences, upgrading their business facilities, reinvesting in infrastructure.” Terry said for Tok Stret Consulting, it had helped them to start a hub, the SME incubator hub and they now had an office in Top Town, Lae, and those were some of the positives from the Covid-19.
The SME incubator hub is a project aimed at training and developing people and helping them develop their innovative business ideas.
“It helps us also to connect to other networks around the globe who are in the same situation as we are and we all share the same values and we learn from each other,” Terry said.
“So the Covid-19 has brought a lot of positive changes for us in the business sector.”