These are surreal times. Like many countries, the Netherlands has started to shut down due to coronavirus concerns: schools are closed for the next three weeks, and my wife and I both work from home. Here’s what our morning looked like: after having breakfast together, we helped our three kids create their own little ‘study corners’ in the house. That would be pretty cool if it were a regular Monday, but everyone who hasn’t lived under a rock in the past few weeks knows it’s far from that.
Let’s face it: the world as we know it has changed. By now, we probably all know someone who’s been infected with COVID-19, and everyone is scared about what will come next. On top of that, one of the hardest hit sectors is the travel industry – our customers and partners are in major trouble. The impact of the outbreak will be felt throughout 2020 in terms of health, emotions, and finances.
In these difficult times, we want to share some words of encouragement. Together, we can do this. If we join hands and support each other, we will get through this storm.
It might sound like a cliché, but crisis leads to opportunity. It has resulted in creativity and inventive ideas more than once. Remember the iconic companies that were established in times of crisis: Microsoft (1975) and Apple (1976).
Then there’s Roadmap: smaller than the giants, but founded with the same kind of passion. From the get-go, our mission has been to help companies provide guidance and information to business travelers while they’re on the road. We believe that especially now, it’s paramount that we keep doing this. In times like these, when the walls that keep us safe threaten to crumble, communicating is more important than ever. It’s the only way to maintain the trust you’ve built with your road warriors over time.
We can help you with that. Having worked remotely from the very beginning, we have embraced a Lean way of working. It’s in our DNA. And now that the face of society has changed, we are here for you. We’ll continue to work closely with our clients so we can get through this together.
So don’t hesitate to contact us. Give us a call, shoot us an email, hop on Whatsapp, set up a Zoom call, or jump on Skype, and we’ll provide a listening ear. A little heads up: a happy-go-lucky kid, carefree dog, or busy spouse may pop into view for a minute or so. But hey – these are crazy times.
Stay safe!
On behalf of the Roadmap Team, Markus Emmer
