January 16, 2021 4 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

COVID-19 has challenged every personal and business systems we assumed were unshakeable, and experts warn that, even as portions of the population begin vaccination, the economy remains far from immune. Yet for all the disruption, heartache and loss the virus has inflicted on the world, there are some silver linings for today’s businesses. 

Related: How Will Covid-19 Impact the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs?

Broken beliefs, better adaptability

As old habits are breaking down, people are becoming less skeptical about new services and forming new game plans. 

On the enterprise side, this is having a major influence on operations. One of the best and most obvious examples of this is with remote work. What is not always obvious is its ramifications in the way companies run their business. How they sell, how they market their services and products and how they set up and manage the whole value chain. It’s all fertile terrain for innovation. Some businesses admittedly are having better results working remotely than others due to industry advantages or the way they’re going about things. Many are saying it’s not hurting productivity, while others aren’t sure if it’s sustainable. But leaders are at least willing to make allowances in ways they never did in the past, which might lead them to more efficient, enjoyable processes for the long term — and create opportunities for those who help them along the way.

An environment ripe with new opportunities

Before the pandemic, entrepreneurs tended to gravitate around certain areas. They congregated in these locations largely because they were really strong in both tech academia and the availability of venture capital. At the same time, they’d stick close to home when looking for co-founders. Working together in metaphorical garages was the norm. Entrepreneurs typically sat in the same location when they hired their teams. 

All of this has changed. With people becoming more open-minded, developing new habits in many areas, and diving into new ways of living and working, walls that used to exist and prevented people from working together just aren’t there anymore. This has created an incredibly fertile terrain for entrepreneurs. They understand what people are facing and there are rich opportunities for new partnerships. 

Opportunities extend to mentoring and building your team, as well. There are still big startup clusters around certain areas. But with such a huge adoption of remote work and digital transformation, people are realizing that they can work with anybody from anywhere. There’s a different mentality surrounding where to find talent and workers are more willing to work for companies anywhere in the world. People have a wonderful chance to connect more emotionally with people on a global level and to find a much more cohesive fit. 

Related: My Lessons From 2020: How Entrepreneurs Can Prepare For Chaos

Find your purpose

During lockdowns people experience a lot of very painful suffering. But they also have no choice but to become more introspective. Even the most extroverted are turning inward and thinking about what they prioritize and want for themselves and others. Having a purpose is becoming more important, no matter which generation you identify with. 

This creates a great background context for social impact. People who are reconsidering how they lived are finding new products and services that are more closely connected to their sense of purpose. They are searching a much broader scope of items digitally to get exactly the influence or result they hope. In this context, entrepreneurs who want to make a difference have a chance to connect with like-minded customers and to flourish, regardless of whether they’re focused on for or not-for-profit organizations. 

Related: How to Become a Successful Entrepreneur During the Pandemic

The pandemic has been difficult for everyone and we will be dealing with it for some months to come. Even so, we must acknowledge that there are some positive changes happening because of the virus. If we focus on these silver linings, then we can without a doubt shape the post-COVID landscape into one that’s stronger, more innovative, and more fulfilling than what we had before.