Digital platforms: solutions to face the financial crisis

The world is facing an economic crisis derived from the effects of the covid-19 pandemic, whose impact, together with other events, triggered inflation in one of the most stable economies: that of the United States. That according to the latest indicators, closed June with an annual 9.1%, this being one of the highest results achieved since 1981 and which will lead the Federal Reserve to continue raising interest rates.

(‘Digital platforms weigh almost 0.23% of GDP’: leader of Alianza In).

In this context of high inflation and scarcity of resources and interruptions in the supply chain, it has led to the yields of Treasury bonds and the dollar soaring, while the futures of US stocks fall more every day.

Which in turn led to in the devaluation of the Colombian peso and other world currencies.

The situation is not easy at all and affects most Latin American companies, which began to face facts such as the reduction of investment capital by international funds, the inflation of essential products or raw materials and the fall of their markets, among other things.

However, in the face of this crisis, digital solutions are emerging, offered by start-ups that have designed a series of technological products to support companies in facing the post-Covid era on different fronts of action, such as financial, logistical or professional. .

Among a wide variety, WorknMates, has been one of the many startups that is helping companies to be more efficient, by more strategically using your capital for workspaces and thus reducing fixed costs.

How it does it is under a model that they offer on their platform that allows companies to implement hybrid work through an option that connects employees with different spaces so that they can carry out their work activities anywhere in the world and only they pay at the end of the month for the spaces they used.

And it is that the pandemic showed that having a large office building, with empty areas on many occasions, is more of a counterproductive fixed cost than an indispensable asset. “From there the ‘Hub & Spoke’ concept was born, a trend in modern companies according to which they have a hub as a central office that is complemented by radios, that is, other smaller meeting spaces or satellite offices for employees” , explains Gonzalo Aguero, co-founder and CEO of WorknMates.

This issue carries much more weight considering that just a few days ago the Dutch Parliament passed a law to establish remote work as a legal right, making the Netherlands one of the first countries to formally enshrine such flexibility and what it has prompted other nations in Europe to follow the same path.

This model offered by WorknMates is reflected more than ever as a solution against this type of regulation that is already beginning to work in Colombia, and allows companies to reduce fixed costs by up to 50% compared to having their own facilities, as well as less expenses in services, furniture and maintenance cost of a property, without the need to lay off staff.

“We know from experience that this is the proportion in which they can reduce their costs and, in times of crisis, when organizations consider choosing how to cut them, we know that it is easier to change offices. The places are replaced, the best talents are not, “ the manager pointed out.

To efficiently optimize costs in times of crisis in the capital market, WorknMates –which has a global network of more than 22 countries, more than 500 cities and more than two thousand spaces– aims to become an ally of the companies at this moment in the world economy. “So, my advice is to freeze unnecessary costs right now, control expenses and prepare for the change,” Aguero highlights.

“As a start-up, we highly value our clients, we give them benefits and support so that they continue working on their tasks without this representing a profound cost that affects the efficiency of the companies”, adds the CEO of the company.

Currently digital platforms will be that lifesaver that puts innovative solutions within reach of governments, companies and societies in the midst of one of the worst crises plaguing the financial world today and whose effects are beginning to affect emerging and developing economies.