Forcing the "new normal"​ will suffocate your business

Unless you are living under a rock, you will have heard the words "the new normal" being thrown around in the news and social media. A catchy nickname for a phenomenon that strikes fear in the hearts of business owners, professionals, and general consumers.

But let's face it: everyone is playing a game of chicken.

"Don't ever be the first one to stop applauding!" This quote is of questionable origin, but it illustrates our current "normal" perfectly.

Everyone is pushing new rules and measures to squeeze customers into their businesses built on consumer behavior from the early 2000s. Everyone is hoping this new normal is temporary, waiting for the old normal to come back swinging.

The perfect excuse for change

The rug was pulled from under everyone. Businesses are dropping like flies, and employee layoffs have become more frequent than the tone-deaf COVID marketing that businesses are shoveling into their customer's inboxes. This is the perfect time to blend in.

Nobody will judge you if you choose to pivot your business model right now. You will be praised for being brave enough to adapt. Squeezing the last few cents out of your mask-laden customers will not save your business, it will only delay the inevitable.

Fail quickly, now is your chance. Take this opportunity to stay ahead of the curve, catching up to the consumer demands instead of frantically demanding your customers keep consuming.

Some restaurants worldwide have shown glimpses of brilliance, leveraging their strengths to create new products that their customers would actually want to buy.

Herding people into an equally spaced queue, probing them god knows where, and forcing them to alternate between pulling their mask down to eat and apologizing for having to pull said mask down is not an experience that I would personally pay my hard-earned money for.

Instead, some restaurants combined their strong supply chains and their best-selling recipes to create a new experience: A DIY kit to make their signature dishes from the comfort of your own home. It uses the same ingredients and the same recipe, and it offers the experience of being a part of creating their favorite foods.

Of course, it will not taste the same, nor should it. But it will leave you with happy thoughts longing for the day when you can experience the "real deal" instead of the PTSD-inducing trauma that the current restaurant experience is looking like.

Job seekers embracing self-employment

I will always remember the first time I went into a swimming pool. I was terrified, I didn't know what was waiting for me at the bottom of the deep dark swimming pool (give me a break, I was 6 years old).

The lifeguard on duty that day made a decision that would change my whole life. He decided that scarring a 6-year-old for the rest of his days was a great way to hit on his sister. Looking back, it seems like my sister agrees.

In one quick motion, he scooped my little body, pressed me against his chest, and jumped into the pool. This was without anybody's consent, I might add. I will never forget his face. He looked like the face of someone who would tell a child that Santa isn't real and that he's the figment of the imagination of some Coca-Cola marketer in 1931.

That lifeguard helped me realize that the pool was not that scary after all.

This recent economic downturn is no better than that lifeguard: It pulled that stable job out of your hands and pushed you out into the unknown. Your first reflex if to frantically secure another source of income, another stable crutch.

For those of you who have crippling responsibilities, nobody will judge you for grasping for a lifeline. The following is not addressed to you.

If you've ever thought about leaving your day job and starting your own business, If you've ever considered being your own boss and working freelance, If you've ever felt that leaving a steady income or eating into your already tight schedule is crazy, then this is your answer.

Your steady income? Gone. Your schedule? Empty. Your old boss? He's playing golf somewhere.

You have nothing to lose. Take it from me. I'm crazier than most of you. I am deliberately leaving a steady paycheck.

I'm becoming my own boss, full-time.

The new normal should be a step forward

Nobody knows what the future holds, but one thing is for sure, we are currently experiencing a tug-of-war. A war between those who are working hard to adapt and bring back things to normal and those who are ready to unshackle themselves from the weight of "business as usual" and pioneer the next normal. Leaders and professionals alike need to seize this opportunity.

Everybody is on a level playing field, all budgets are vanishing. Those competitors who had twice the employees and the budget as you are now down to a skeleton crew with a negligible budget. This is the perfect time for the innovators, the visionaries, and the leaders of tomorrow.

This virus is not changing the market. It is only helping you see how much the markets have changed already. This should count as both a wake-up call and an opportunity to be the next Apple, Google, or Amazon. When online streaming started becoming a valid option for consumers, Netflix saw the writing on the wall and ditched its physical media rental business. Now they reign over an empire of digital media streaming.

I am taking my own advice

What consultant would I be if I can't follow what I preach? I shall put my money where my mouth is. Better yet, I shall put your money where my mouth is. What I'm trying to say is that I am finally going full-time as a freelance digital marketing consultant. I am really excited to share my new branding with you guys. Those of you who supported my content helped me elevate it to a point where enough people felt the need to reach out and hire my services.

So send me a connection request, and let's have a chat. I just might be the one to help you chart what soon will become the new normal.

And If you're just here for the content, just know that I will get you to hire me someday.