Ana Riley is the owner of Valise Designs in Adelaide, South Australia, and she has a knack for operations management and running profitable, well-optimized businesses.
In today’s interview, she has agreed to share some tips with us about how to run a successful business in uncertain times, as well as some of her top tips for optimizing your business and increasing your profitability.
Currently, Adelaide is doing well during the pandemic. There are a lot of local supports and grants for small and medium sized businesses from the local and federal government, allowing businesses to continue operating.
“Adelaide is a developing city and there are a lot of opportunities for advancement and expansion,” says Riley.
“It is also ranked number one as the most liveable city in Australia. It has good universities and is ideal to raise a family.”
Ana Riley says that she is fortunate that the global pandemic did not have a massive effect on the local economy.
“When the pandemic started in 2020, it came as a shock,” says Riley.
“Being in the manufacturing and importation business, we rely heavily on international cargo shipment deliveries.”
Undoubtedly, the global pandemic has drastically affected the movement of the global supply chain, but businesses like Ana’s have remained resilient during unprecedented times. As people are getting vaccinated, things are only looking better for Adelaide and Australia as a whole.
“My customers experienced a temporary shortage of supply and delays in delivery,” says Riley.
All this, however, was to be expected.
Here are Ana Riley’s top tips for remaining resilient amidst the shifting global marketplace:
Firstly, according to Riley, it’s important to build up local inventory when possible. This way, you can maximize the opportunity to stock up on contingency supplies to prepare for the event of another border closure.
Another tip she has is to allow for flexible timelines that can accommodate potential delays in the supply chain.
“Give the supply chain room to move in case of future delays caused by the resurgence of COVID-19.”
Ana Riley also established a practice of checking out local manufacturers. While they are more expensive than their overseas counterparts, having products manufactured locally can be beneficial during uncertain times. Not only can this help you make up for delays and border closures, but it also supports the local economy.
Ana Riley encourages business owners to, “consider alternative options as well. That way, you can continue to supply customers with goods despite external global challenges.”
To learn more about optimizing your business processes or about operations management, you can visit Ana Riley’s personal website.
