Law firms have just moved through the second most challenging year in the industry’s history. Between the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the lingering effects of the “Great Resignation,” there have been many elements that have factored into making law firms much more fragile than usual.

The global COVID-19 pandemic drove many employees to work from home and customers to seek online services. Once busy offices and retail stores saw much less traffic than before the pandemic. Even as the world has opened up, some businesses are finding that physical traffic into their locations is still lagging.

Paper is one of those essential business supplies that many don’t think about. It’s basically always there when needed and, if not, paper is pretty easy to acquire. Most businesses with a relatively high volume of printing would have paper delivered regularly or simply visit the local office supply shop in an emergency.

It’s no secret that a lot of industries are experiencing a technological revolution of sorts. Much of this has been brought about alongside the COVID-19 pandemic. Technology suddenly became a leading issue for many businesses as they grappled with a rapidly changing landscape.

The words copying and scanning often get used interchangeably in office environments. Generally speaking, this isn’t really a big deal. Most people understand what others mean based on the context of what they say. Plus, most people don’t need to be printing, copying, and scanning experts for their job. They just need the right tools in place to get their job done.

The ongoing pandemic has hit many businesses hard over last two years. But smart businesses have found the silver lining in the dark cloud of forecasted economic gloom by focusing in on operating leverage. Operating leverage refers to the magic of increased revenue propelled by decreased costs and increased revenue.

The need to be visible to consumers and to provide visible signage regarding health and safety is even more critical in 2022 as the pandemic continues to disrupt business. Companies must differentiate and stand out from the competition, and signage is still the premier way to accomplish this. In fact, the market for wide format printing is predicted to grow to $8.42 billion by 2022, with advertising being the major driver for this expansive growth.

Like other industries, the legal industry is being forced to pivot in response to changing consumer demands, shifting economies, and a major departure from the traditional in-house office work to remote or hybrid work situations. With these shifts comes an emphasis on building out in-house technologies and technical abilities — something that law offices have been traditionally resistant to in the past.

For retail businesses, leveraging an ecommerce presence is an important part of a smart, pandemic-resistant business strategy. With more consumers wanting low or no-contact shopping options, the market for ecommerce is skyrocketing, pushing the global market share of ecommerce to 17% in 2020 alone.

Staff and student retention is still a problem for higher education organizations and the ongoing pandemic has made it all the more difficult to manage the day-to-day tasks of running a college or university. In fact, over half of faculty members have thought about changing jobs — or retiring altogether — in the wake of the pandemic. Large numbers of faculty chocked their new restlessness up to feeling tired and stressed, and some of that undoubtably has to do with digital fatigue.