Bad times are always harbingers of good times, periods of growth, innovation and, especially, of new opportunities. There are countless episodes that the history of humanity offers us: Always, after a catastrophe, a tragedy, a bad moment, the human being or entire countries rose from their ashes and smiled again.
A clear example is provided by what happened after the Second World War, one of the saddest events of all time. It was a warlike conflict that altered the political relations established until then and the social structure of the world. It was a before and after that brought unexpected consequences and changed the course of humanity.
The beginning of the end came on May 7, 1945, when Germany signed its capitulation and conceded defeat. Previously, Adolfo Hitlet, one of the promoters of the conflict, had committed suicide on April 30, in his bunker in Berlin. Some contingents of the German military forces continued to fight, but soon understood that there was no point in continuing.
Later, on August 15 of that year, Japan surrendered. It could be seen coming for months, a process that accelerated after the allied forces, led by the United States, bombed Hiroshima (August 6) and Nagasaki (August 9). The final straw was the Russian intervention, an episode known as the invasion of Manchuria.
Japan's surrender act was signed on September 2, 1945, and from there began an incredible transformation process. Under the jealous tutelage of the United States and its allies, on the one hand, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), on the other, the world rose from its ashes. Japan and Germany, the worst hit countries, rebuilt themselves.
Within three decades, from 1945 to 1975, the Germans and Japanese produced what mankind called the miracle. They reactivated their economy, strengthened their structure and joined the elite of the superpowers. Its citizens left behind the pain of war and became a model of success and resilience admired by the rest of the world.
Chile recovered from the terrifying earthquake on the afternoon of Sunday, May 22, 1960, whose magnitude was 9,6 on the Richter scale. The telluric movement was so strong that it unleashed a series of tidal waves in the Pacific Ocean that reached the coasts of Hawaii and Japan. It was an event that forced different governments to take unprecedented preventive measures.
Since that event, detailed anti-seismic construction regulations have been established and entities have been created to deal with these emergencies, since Chile is located on a seismic corridor. Its inhabitants learned to live with tremors and there is a great culture of how to react before an eventual attack of fury of nature.
This is considered the largest earthquake in history since records exist. It was, likewise, an event that meant great learning for the experts, who had never had the opportunity to witness a disaster of this magnitude. For example, it was found that before a mega-earthquake there is always a sequence of precursor earthquakes.
At the end of December 2018, the western world began to hear rumors of a kind of plague that had broken out in the hitherto unknown province of Wuhan in China. Three months later, panic spread across the globe, fear and uncertainty reigned supreme, and COVID-19 claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and transformed us.
En IOCA Group We feel the blow in all its rigor. As if it had been another atomic bomb or a terrifying earthquake, keeping the proportions. Our foundations shook and the panorama, cloudy and full of fear and uncertainty, made us fear the worst. Businesses around the world closed their doors and our operation literally came to a standstill.
When you are the head of a company like this and you face a great global crisis, like the one that was unleashed by the coronavirus, the first thing that comes to your mind is “What am I going to be like to continue producing?” Nevertheless, A few seconds later, the idea that invades your head is “what am I going to do with my people, what are my employees going to live on?”
As in virtually every business in the world, downsizing was inevitable. Painfully, we had to let go of valuable people who gave us their passion, their knowledge and their people skills for months or years. That was the first duel we had to face, although the chaotic reality put us more against the wall every day.
We fear the worst. Days, weeks and months passed and the panorama did not change. In fact, it was getting harder, more uncertain. Nevertheless, In the midst of confinement we found a space to reflect, to think about what we were doing, to rethink and to dream. And the dream was wonderful, because before our eyes an unlimited and incredible universe opened up - the Internet.
It was a pending subject for us. We had postponed it, perhaps we had even underestimated it because of the results of our operation in physical stores. However, we understood that the time had come to make the leap to digital, we realized that the pandemic was a challenge, an opportunity offered to us to be better.
We accept the challenge. The last few months, in silence, while taking care of ourselves and those around us, we have worked very hard. It has not been easy, it is true, because we have come across a thousand and one difficulties, because doing business on the internet goes far beyond the popular belief of "click and become a millionaire". Much learning is required.
It is the path we choose to travel in these troubled times. We do it with full conviction, with the certainty that this difficult and uncertain process will allow us to be better and help our clients to be better. We do it with enthusiasm because we believe that it will take us on the right path in the work of protecting nature and the environment.
The most recent years have not been easy, for anyone. We have lost valuable people, family and friends, acquaintances and clients. Thousands of businesses closed their doors and are not going to reopen them, with the tragic consequence of the loss of countless jobs, the livelihood of so many families. But, we do not lose hope and we will not lose the opportunity either.
This hard blow has made us better, there is no doubt about that. It helped us to reinforce our convictions, to stop along the way and take a breath, to open our eyes and see that wonderful universe that they began to explore. We don't know when this will end, or what will happen in the future, but we do know that we will continue to fight for what we love.
Throughout history, the human being, entire countries or companies and resilient businesses have managed to transform difficulties into opportunities. How? First, we understand that these setbacks are part of the journey, of the process. Second, we try to learn the valuable lessons that these situations offer us, we see the positive that there is in each one of them.
Third, we care about acquiring the necessary knowledge, as well as the strategies behind successful digital businesses. Fourth, we seek advice from a group of experts in different areas to be able to provide a better service. and, especially, to be providers of the effective solutions that the market demands today.
Fifth, we adapt to the new conditions of a changing market that, moreover, is full of uncertainty for the future that for some seems dark and for others (like us), full of opportunities. Sixth, we surround ourselves with people who are aligned with our principles and values and who can successfully carry out the proposed challenges.
Seventh, We expand the portfolio of products and benefits that we offer our clients with the certainty that they will allow them to achieve their objectives (have better customers and sell more). Eighth, we optimize and professionalize our presence on the internet, in the different digital channels, so that our message reaches the right people and helps them.
At some point we thought it was the end of the road, but then we realized that it was a new direction. We focus on enjoying the process and, in addition, we thank God, life and our clients for their support, for their trust, for their loyalty. Bad times are always a prelude to good times, new opportunities. And let's take advantage of it!
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