The Art of Resilience: 3 Short Case Studies

Consider the 2020 Pandemic as a Moment of Metamorphosis

There we all were in our regular business attire. Then wham! The hurricane of Covid-19 hit. Except for heroic essential workers, we retreated into the isolation of our chrysalises. When we finally emerged… we were something else entirely.

Many businesses didn’t make it out of the chrysalis. Some limped out and are perhaps struggling still. Some thrived. What happened inside those chrysalises that made the difference between success and failure? These hypothetical studies are used to illustrate real-world successes that were achieved through imaginative resilience.

Case Study 1: Family Therapy With a Beat

Setting aside for the moment intricacies of geopolitics and weighty economics, let’s concentrate on one tangible human trait—that of resilience

For example, Georgie D. Fresh out of graduate school, Georgie opened the doors of her new practice as a family therapist on July 1 2019. Things were tough. Administrative issues gobbled up her valuable time. Bureaucratic paperwork rained down. She and her heroic assistant Victor (an ex-ballet dancer) had to wear many hats.

The space she rented was costly and far too large for her needs, but it was all she could find in her desired location. Georgie signed a lease with the proviso that she be allowed to sublet the space after some renovation at her own expense.
Then the Pandemic hit.

Neither Georgie nor the world for that matter knew when it would be safe to resume ordinary life.
So there she was. Alone in the large, ugly warehouse gnawing at the edges of her scary-looking bank account and stressing over her patients. Some of them were unraveling under the duress of the pandemic, many became more demanding as their lives became more fraught.

Georgie worried about Victor. Could she afford to keep him employed? The thought of losing him kept her awake at night.
Without regular resumption of life, she would be done in six months.
Georgie knew she had to do something. Fast. She was not about to allow her efforts and her dreams to go down in defeat.

Georgie rolled up her sleeves. She asked Victor, isolated in his apartment, to roll up his.
He did more than that. He proposed a partnership. Victor had planned to open his own dance studio one day. He did not have the finances yet, but he had a wealth of ideas.

The two put their heads (metaphorically) together. And they came up with a plan that recreated their operation from head to toe

They tapped into technologies they’d not heard of before. Establishing Zoom sessions for each patient allowed therapy to continue safely. In addition, they incorporated dance therapy sessions aimed at holistic healing for different age groups. Georgie had studied dance therapy. Although dance had not been her focus, it had always been in her life and important. They also offered patients and their families lectures on relevant subjects related to the ill effects of isolation and the benefits of movement.

The benefits were manifold. Also, Georgie and Victor could differentiate themselves from traditional therapists by adding value few competitors were offering.
In a word, Georgie and Victor freed themselves from the suffocating strictures of the Covid-19 onslaught and emerged from the chrysalis with a bunch of shiny new opportunities.

Case Study 2: A Go-Green Shop into the Future

Opportunities were scarce for Precision Auto’s owner Ajay. With his 14-year-old business in decline and a saturated marketplace, Ajay knew he had to rethink his business strategy or sink.

In a bold move, he decided to invest in eco-friendly equipment, commit to environmental responsibility, and offer hybrid and electric car servicing. He saw this innovation, not as an option but an essential for survival. The idea excited him. Fortunately,
Ajay’s team bought into his enthusiasm.

They realized that the commitment to Go Green required a complete overhaul of their outlook. This was not superficial rebranding but a serious commitment to a healthier environment

All operations were geared toward eco-friendly sustainability. The new policy included recycling, the use of renewable resources and a drastic reduction in waste wherever possible.

By embracing the emerging technologies Ajay and his team placed themselves at the forefront in terms of specialized training and equipment that enabled them to service eco-friendly vehicles. They became pioneers, and eco-conscious customers responded with enthusiasm.

Covid-19 lockdown hit eight months into their new Go Green anniversary. With lightning-speed resilience, Ajay and his team implemented a string of common-sense safety features based on public health guidelines. They communicated with an email blitz, videos and text messages so that their customers were in no doubt about how to tackle servicing or repair issues. They offered:

• contactless drop-off and pick-up system
• virtual consultations where customers could video call or chat with technicians to discuss their vehicle’s issues
• mobile repair services minor jobs
• regular disinfection of high-touch surfaces, social distancing, masks
• online payments
• curbside service for key drop-off
• short videos on the benefits of Go Green maintenance

Ajay’s resilience was rewarded by the market and caught the attention of government agencies and environmental organizations alike. They qualified for grants and subsidies that brought new life and revitalization to the business.
Ajay’s resilience brought him unlooked-for benefits and a commitment to a sustainable future for the next generation.

Case Study 3: Sweet Strawberry Bakery

Sweet Strawberries Bakery had been in the same neighborhood for 23 years. When Jane inherited from her mom, nobody noticed any difference. There wasn’t any. Everything was baked in—no pun intended.
Sweet Strawberries had a good reputation and an established clientele. Jane and her small staff (mostly part-timers) kept the status quo, but there was a worn, has-been feel to the place.

The pandemic hit them hard. Foot traffic dwindled, orders dried up and suddenly Jane was struggling to keep the bakery afloat. She was not the only one on her block shaken up by the lockdown. The entire business community was in similar straits and dismayed by the lock-down restrictions.

Determined, Jane gritted her teeth against defeat

Her mother had put much of her life and energy into the shop and Jane could surely not imagine herself forfeiting it. She had to do something. But what?
The brainstorming began. There were lots of ideas out there. All the success stories, or at least hopeful ones she read about, had one thing in common: resilience.

Jane made a short list of actions she could follow.
First, she hired a techy named Simon who had been recommended. He developed an App for her. He also showed her how YouTube and Facebook could be used to get her message out. With these innovations, Jane was able:

• To offer customers an automated way to order bakery items
• To allow pre-orders for custom cakes and pastries
• To sell baking kits and ingredients which she could source and supply
• To launch a YouTube channel featuring baking tutorials and baking kits in How-To videos
• To connect with a reliable delivery service

Her customers responded with keen enthusiasm. A good number of them became regular bakers, themselves contributing to group Zoom discussions on the “Foibles of Flour” that was held every third Wednesday of the month.
Next she established a Local Business Community Circle. She sent out invitations for a Zoom session to all the shops facing similar challenges and received more than a score of positive responses. Her aim:

• To form partnerships for joint promotions and cross-selling opportunities
• To leverage their collective networks to reach wider audiences
• To support one another through the crisis

Each business now had a forum in which to explain their difficulties and what steps they had taken. Jane’s techy, Simon, was also invited to share some of his solutions. Many members of the group adopted his suggestions, some hired him to enhance their business operations. They gained from the group interaction that was both productive and helpful and provided them with an established network going forward.
When the isolation restrictions were lifted, Jane had a reinvigorated business, appreciative customers, and a brand-new business community. She opened her doors with renewed purpose and received a warm welcome from loyal customers. And many more new ones.

Conclusion

Each of these case studies is a hypothetical that shows that by broadening the audience of potential customers and patients and responding to pressing and immediate needs, these businesses were able to reinvent themselves. They showed resilience in embracing innovation, digital transformation, and market differentiation, all key to their success in expanding their customer base and revenue streams. By pivoting their strategies, leveraging new technologies and joining with their audiences as well as their communities, these small businesses were able to not only survive the pandemic but better position themselves for future success.