Daily Telegraph seeking views on cost efficiency gains

ended 08. April 2021

The Daily Telegraph is looking for business leaders, analysts and academics to give their views on how businesses can maintain cost efficiency gains made during the pandemic.

How can businesses maintain these gains? What cost-cutting measures are sustainable in the long term (and which ones aren’t?) How important will WFH be?

How important will digital/remote events and meetings be? How can businesses stay connected to their customers in this new world?

Deadline is tight so please send alert_responses by midday! Short and sweet will do.

2 responses from the Newspage community

Premium

The Daisy Chain Group

"Digital and remote events have proved hugely cost-effective and time-effective over the past year. I run networking events for business women and have found that, for small businesses, the time and cost saving is a luxury that we won't ever want to give up. "I see a massive opportunity for online networking to expose businesses to larger and further afield markets, and for in-person events to create connection and help with the overwhelming experience of isolation during the past year. It’s all about striking the right balance between the two."

Tina Judic

CEO at Found

It would be easy for businesses to instantly wipe the office cost from their overheads but it’s not feasible for many companies in the long-term. Many businesses are 'people businesses' and at some point the world will open up again and their employees will want real world contact. At Found, we will be seeking a smaller space and are no longer interested in an office per se. What we really want is a hub, a clubhouse, a place we can use to meet with colleagues and clients for meetings, for training and for social gatherings. I have no desire to have an office full of desks that everyone turns up to at 9am each day. Having a more dynamic, flexible space will certainly see our office overheads reduce. More than ever, the pandemic has highlighted the importance of continuously addressing any unnecessary expenditure. We perform a 6-monthly review of all the technology and platforms we use, to ensure we’re not allowing needless costs to leave the business. During the pandemic, we also used this time to fully appraise all systems and processes, ensuring our employees are getting the support they need and our clients the results they expect. The pandemic has really enabled people and businesses to look at themselves, what they are and what they aspire to be. I've certainly been grateful that we are a digital business, as our digital systems and processes enabled us to work flexibly even before the pandemic struck.