2020 - Review Of A Year Like No Other
Posted on 18th December 2020
As we come to the end of another year, it is unlikely that many people will be sorry to see the back of 2020. While the immediate future is uncertain, a new year always brings hope. And surely 2021 can't be any worse than its predecessor!
There can be very few people, if anyone, that haven't been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in some way. Some will have suffered more than others.
But there are always positives to take from any situation, and 2020 is no different. We would like to take this opportunity to reflect on some of the positives we have seen and experienced at it’seeze Horsham.
A greater sense of community
It has been widely recognised that people have discovered more of a sense of community and learned to value one another more, due to everything we have gone through together. We have certainly witnessed that in the local business community.
When the first lockdown was put in place there was a state of shock among business owners as they saw their situation change overnight. Businesses could no longer trade in the way they had been doing. Many couldn't trade at all. Shock and fear was prevalent - but not for long. We saw businesses working together to help each other, often at no cost. They just wanted to help.
Accountants worked hard to fully understand the furlough scheme, the coronavirus grant, and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme so they could advise their clients what they were eligible for, and what actions they needed to take. It was easy to forget that these schemes were new to the accountants too!
Experts in various fields offered free advice and guidance. Free webinars and advice on social media were commonplace.
It was a dark time, but this co-operation and desire to help each other was a shining light.
At it’seeze Web Design Horsham we were very happy to help in a small way, as we worked with our clients to make changes to their websites that would reflect new opening times, or to announce that they were closed until further notice. Others changed their business model and needed to make wholesale changes to their website to reflect that.
it’seeze websites are very easy to edit, and that allowed many of our clients to make the changes themselves, along with a bit of help and guidance from us. But others just didn't have the time to edit their site as they strove to make changes that would help their business survive. It was a pleasure to be able to make those website changes for them, leaving them to concentrate on other aspects of their business.
Zoom!
This time last year we only held video conferences as a last resort. Of course that all changed in March, as we went into lockdown.
We quickly moved all our client consultations to Zoom, and we found virtual meetings to be just as effective as in-person meetings. It still allows us to continue to deliver bespoke websites to our clients’ specific requirements, and it means that the client can have the meeting from the comfort of their own home or office.
it’seeze Horsham are committed to reducing the impact our company has on the environment. Holding meetings on Zoom, rather than travelling to in-person meetings, has substantially reduced our carbon footprint. For that reason, and also for the travelling time we save, we will keep our meetings on Zoom wherever possible. We are always happy to meet in person with our clients (providing it is safe and possible to do so) if that is their preference. But if they are happy with either option, we will always go for Zoom from now on.
Helping new businesses
At the beginning of lockdown we spent a lot of time helping our existing clients make changes to their websites. But as time moved on, enquiries from new clients started to increase and we are delighted to have helped a wide range of businesses improve their online presence.
We helped businesses that needed to replace their existing outdated website, and also established businesses that had never had a website because they thought it would be too complicated and/or expensive. We also worked with a lot of new start-ups to create their first site at a very affordable price.
The feedback that we consistently received was that we make the process of getting a new bespoke website simple and easy. We're extremely grateful for that feedback, and we're also very happy that we are able to make it easy for local businesses to improve their online presence.
Finalists for Franchisee of the Year
In November we discovered that it’seeze Horsham owner John Wright has made the shortlist for the 2021 Virtual Franchising Awards for Franchisee of the Year.
We are delighted and very proud to have been shortlisted, and we would like to thank all our clients and the many people that have helped and supported it’seeze Web Design Horsham since we set up the business 4 years ago.
Christmas will be very different this year, but we hope that you get to enjoy the festive period, and from all of us at it’seeze Horsham we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a safe and successful New Year.
If you feel your business would benefit from a new website and you don't know where to start, why not get in touch with the team at it’seeze Web Design Horsham today.
We offer affordable web design services that are ideal for local businesses, and we provide ongoing website support for all our clients too. If you're looking for a reliable Sussex web design company, we'd love to hear from you.
Tagged as: Company information
Share this post: