Many of the Sid Valley businesses had to ‘reinvent themselves’ during the last year and a half – a real testament to their resilience.
An inspiring piece from the Rural Services Network looks at how rural firms in the South West (and two other regions) diversified their business in the wake of Covid, developing new sales channels and expanding their customer base.
Here’s the intro and a comment – with the full piece on the RSN pages:
RESILIENT RURAL BUSINESSES INNOVATE AND DIVERSIFY DURING COVID
Rural businesses in parts of England have shown remarkable resilience during Covid-19 by innovating and adapting in response to the severe economic challenges of the pandemic, according to a major new survey from the National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise (NICRE)
Mike Cherry, National Chair, Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), said:
“Covid prompted many small businesses to reinvent themselves, adding new products and services and adapting their offering to new types of customers, moving to new sales channels, creating or expanding their online presence, and much more. This report is a testament to the resilience of small businesses, which are the lifeblood of rural communities.
“But despite their resilience, the pandemic also demonstrated that businesses in rural parts of the country are having to cope with inadequate physical and digital infrastructure, and the Government should do more to level the playing field for rural firms.”
Resilient rural businesses innovate and diversify during Covid – Rural Services Network