Simon Bacher – Ling – Providing access to learn something new every day

2021 and 2022 has been a tough year for business around the globe. In your experience can you share how businesses prosper in 2023?

During the tumultuous past couple of years, I learned to take the time to plan for a better future and be thankful that my business was in an industry that was relatively unscathed by the pandemic. This time also led me to make a lot of connections by attending more conferences, virtually of course, than I normally would’ve.
In 2023, I believe businesses can prosper by fostering connections with experts in aspects of their business that need improving. Invest in those people and upskill yourself and your team and I promise it will pay dividends.

The economy has been turned on it’s head in the wake of the pandemic. What should businesses focus on in 2023?

Businesses should focus investing in their teams by creating incredible company cultures. This will help you retain and attract top talent. If your company culture has a great reputation, recruitment becomes easier and less costly. Create a place where people love to come to work, whether it’s in the office or remotely. A happy team makes a great team which will result in new heights being reached.

What are the pro’s & con’s of working from home and have you any first hand experience?

Our entire team switched to remote working during the worst parts of the pandemic. We had to adapt by adjusting to using new tools which we still continue to use today, now that many of us are back in the office. The pandemic also affected our working environment when we decided that a hybrid working model would work best. Not every personality excels in an office and so we thought it would be fair to offer remote work two days a week.
Working from home allowed me to spend more quality time with my family and I didn’t want to take that away from my team by 100% returning to the office. It also provided a less stressful environment and I felt more creative working from home.
Some negative takeaways would be that my electrical bills went way up and so did my food intake. I would say working from home can lead to unhealthier lifestyles as you’re not walking or moving around as much.

How can business owners combat the rise of inflation and what have you done that you can share?

Inflation is certainly something one can feel is out of their control. For businesses, it’s an added stress on the bottom line. I would suggest taking a close look at all expenditures and see if you’re missing any tax opportunities; are there items or expenditures that you can write off? Are there any losses that you can claim? Definitely invest in a great business tax lawyer.

In the last 5 years we have seen the rise to Cryptocurrency, Blockchain, NFT’s, Digital Marketing and many more! What do you think will impact the world most in regards to online selling?

Everything is a buzz, until it isn’t. NFTs were cool, but just don’t make any sense. The latest is AI or ChatGPT. We’ve been using it and see that it will have far-reaching implications across all aspects of the business. AI is going to cause a revelation of change in how we plan and operate in the coming years and we can expect to see its influence everywhere. It’s a powerful tool. Potentially dangerous if used for certain tasks, but powerfully insightful. It will change marketing and how we understand our customers forever.

On a more subtle note. If you could have dinner with three people, dead or alive who would it be and why?

My grandfather. I feel no one ever really gets to know their grandparents yet they had so much to offer. He was an insightful man and I’d like to know his outlook on life.
Mark Twain. He was a man of moral character, driven, and naturally intuitive. He seemed so assured of what he was doing and I’d like to learn from that.
Steve Jobs. I mean, he altered the tech landscape and changed marketing forever. He’d be an inspiration to meet.

Reading is still one of the most popular ways to learn anything. What is your most recommended book(s) by who and what did you learn from them?

Curiosity gets me out of bed. I’m excited to see what each day beholds both personally and professionally. I love to see the progress myself and my team make each and every week and seeing those numbers we all care so much about increasing.