The COVID-19 Pandemic has affected nearly every business in the world. So many aspects of the industry have changed due to the state of our planet across this past year. International supply chains have been disrupted, operating procedures have been put to a halt, and factories have completely shut down. Despite all of the hardship, so many entrepreneurs have looked to take advantage this situation, modifying their business models and adapting to change in a positive light.
Our venture was born during these unprecedented times, and as a result we’ve had to take unprecedented factors into account. Customers do not act the same way they have in the past; more people than ever are relying on virtual alternatives for all kinds of services. However, the structure of a business like ours would look nearly identical in a pre-COVID would. While it seemed like our whole country was put on pause, the obligations of students to complete their studies and prepare for dental school did not go away. If life in America was normal, our initial process of reaching prospective clients and aiding them in their dental school applications would look the same. In fact, digital marketing campaigns like social media advertisement would perhaps produce even better return, considering people are using technology and social media more than ever before.
One other way in which we’ve potentially benefitted from the pandemic is through the American public’s new mentality regarding individual services. Because of the virus, many remain uncomfortable and/or hesitant meeting in larger groups. Prospective students may feel more comfortable in a 1 on 1 scenario with one of our counselors and/or a virtual meeting as opposed to physically going to an office. In contrast, our ability to hold larger group workshops would be impacted, at least for a smaller amount of time as we hopefully turn the corner on this pandemic. Taking a look at the application numbers across America for the past two academic years, there was little to no change between that of the 2019-20 and 2020-21 sessions. Thankfully, we can view this as a positive observation as so many industries and businesses alike saw a dramatic decrease in their potential customer base. As time passes, we believe that our market reach can only get better, as adapting to challenges such as these will equip us to run smoothly once our nation’s economy and day-to-day life of its people returns to normal.