What a year 2021 has been. After the shock that was 2020, everyone was looking forward to what 2021 may hold. And in many ways, 2021 was a lot more positive, but we had to survive the ups and downs of the fall out of 2020 along with new strains, long lockdowns, homeschooling, supply issues and a shift in consume behavior.

No matter what your individual situation, I think we are breathing a sigh of relief that 2021 is finally coming to an end. It hasn’t all been bad news though. Those that have been able to weather the storm of the pandemic are seeing improvements, some are even coming out of it better than ever.

So, what has changed this year?

The drawbacks

Apart from lockdowns almost killing the hospitality industry and making it harder for working parents, we are also dealing with supply issues and staff shortages.

With the economy coming out the other side, there is now a few areas where the supply chain just can’t keep up. With ships not being able to dock at ports, energy crisis in some of the biggest export companies in the world and a shortage of things like computer chips, we are not completely out of the woods yet. This has, in part, helped to spur on the choice to buy local and keep Australian businesses running.

Staff have also been in short supply for many businesses. Many employees have opted for a change in careers. Follow me on LinkedIn and check out my latest article to find out how you can cope if your business is dealing with staff shortages.

But it has not all been doom and gloom in 2021…

Online Shopping

Who doesn’t love a bit of late-night shopping from the comfort of the couch?! The pandemic forced us all to stay away from the physical shops, but it didn’t stop us shopping. It turns out that this uptake in online shopping may be here to stay as more and more people are still preferring to shop from home.

Focus on Local

Along with the switch to online shopping, consumers have become more conscious of where they are shopping. We saw so many small businesses doing it tough through the lockdowns that we became more aware of our own spending habits and the need to help out these family run businesses as often as we could. As a result, many local, small business have seen an uptake in sales. People want to help their local community and at the moment, that means being conscious of where our money is really going.

Spotlight on Sustainability

It seems this pandemic has highlighted many issues that were simmering under the surface. We are more aware of our spending habits and become more conscious consumers, meaning sustainable products and businesses are now at the forefront of our minds. Consumers are much more likely to look into how a product is made or how the business behind the product is giving back to the community and the environment.

The pandemic has forced many businesses to change tactics and think outside the box, but if you survived 2021, then 2022 is looking even better.

And for me

This year has been a big one. We held our last planning session for the year last week and this included our awards night. It was lovely to be able to celebrate 2021 with some of our clients in person.

I was recently humbled and grateful to win the Actionman Contribution Coach for Asia Pacific Award. A big thank you to the Master License team and my peers who voted for me in this Award.