--- title: Business Lessons Learned in the Toughest of Times description: Turn your current marketing struggles into wins! Implement strategic changes based on business lessons we learned in the toughest of times. image: https://info.mssmedia.com/hubfs/Images%20Jul2020/Architecture/Shay_Studios_Miami-103.jpg --- [![MSSmedia](https://info.mssmedia.com/hubfs/MSSmedia_February2020/Images/ico_logo.svg "MSSmedia")](https://mssmedia.com) - [Expertise](https://mssmedia.com/our-expertise/) - [Media + Advertising](https://mssmedia.com/our-expertise/mediaadvertising/) - [Digital Media](https://mssmedia.com/our-expertise/digital-advertising-management/) - [Public Relations](https://mssmedia.com/our-expertise/public-relations/) - [Campus Marketing](https://info.mssmedia.com/campus-marketing) - [Higher Ed Marketing](https://info.mssmedia.com/higher-ed-pillar-content) - [Property Marketing](https://info.mssmedia.com/property-marketing) - [Government](https://mssmedia.com/government) - [Work](https://mssmedia.com/our-work/) - [About](https://mssmedia.com/about/) - [Blog](https://info.mssmedia.com/blog) - [Let's Collaborate](https://mssmedia.com/lets-collaborate/) # Business Lessons Learned in the Toughest of Times Topics: [Marketing Toolkit](https://info.mssmedia.com/blog/topic/marketing-toolkit) Posted by: [Marketing](https://info.mssmedia.com/blog/author/marketing) For almost all of us, the past few years were a real shock to the system. Around the world, people faced a [wide range](https://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/en/themes/social-challenges) of unexpected personal challenges, while business as usual was upended and companies struggled to hold on through the worst of the global pandemic. At MSS Media we believe strongly in meeting every obstacle with determination, a positive attitude, and a growth mindset. Here are the biggest business lessons we learned in the times of COVID and the changes we made to enable us and our clients to continue to thrive. ![Shay_Studios_Miami-103](https://info.mssmedia.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Images%20Jul2020/Architecture/Shay_Studios_Miami-103.jpg?width=750&name=Shay_Studios_Miami-103.jpg)   ## Be Nimble For MSS Media, these challenging times highlighted the importance of both personal flexibility and company agility. Although the transition to a work from home environment (and back again) was not without its hiccups, our team members stepped up willingly and made the best of a difficult situation. As a small media and PR agency built on selling [our services](https://mssmedia.com/our-expertise/), we needed to shift focus quickly in order to survive the rapid changes and the long and bumpy road ahead.  ## Service Over Sales By looking to our company’s core value of creating a sincere difference for our clients, we were able to align our motivation and actions around serving our clients in the new normal rather than focusing on simply trying to sell the services that had proven successful pre-pandemic. By embodying a positive attitude and honing in on [the three important areas of focus for corporate communications in times of crisis](https://info.mssmedia.com/blog/public-relations/communications-in-the-time-of-crisis), we not only weathered the worst of the storm but also helped guide other small businesses to better times ahead.   [**+ Engage your target audience successfully, even during a pandemic.**](https://info.mssmedia.com/blog/how-covid-19-is-affecting-marketing-campaigns)   ## Innovate for Growth As a small business, the [gig economy](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/gig-economy.asp) allowed us to continue to pursue organizational growth (even in incredibly uncertain times) while maintaining a keen eye on our bottom line. Thanks in large part to the challenges of COVID, we forged ahead in new and unanticipated ways.  The use of platforms like [Upwork](https://www.upwork.com/) and the rise in virtual communications expanded our network of experts in the field, allowing us to bring on superior talent we would not otherwise have had the opportunity to engage with here in Miami.    [**+ Successful back-to-college advertising in the time of COVID**](https://info.mssmedia.com/blog/back-to-college-advertising-in-the-time-of-covid)   ## Always Improve Additionally, we took advantage of the unexpected transition time to hone our marketing craft in order to serve our clients more effectively than ever before. We ramped up our original content creation to provide much needed educational marketing resources customized specifically for the target sectors we serve.    [![VIEW OUR MARKETING TOOLKIT](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/6893619/eef74d23-567c-4feb-b570-52f427df0a1e.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/6893619/eef74d23-567c-4feb-b570-52f427df0a1e)   We also amplified our [digital marketing offerings](https://mssmedia.com/our-expertise/digital-advertising-management/) in order to maximize our clients’ results, even in the midst of these challenging times.   > ![QuoteMark](https://info.mssmedia.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Misc%20Images/QuoteMark.png?width=140&name=QuoteMark.png) > > “The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it.” > > - MOLIÈRE   *Here at* [*MSSmedia*](https://mssmedia.com/lets-collaborate/)*, we’ve been providing Education, Government, Real Estate & Lifestyle clients with succinct, optimized, and successful marketing solutions for more than 15 years. Consider MSSmedia a full-service, one-stop shop for all your Media and Public Relations needs. Your goals are our motivation. And our mission is to propel your message, further and faster, to achieve the outcomes you’re looking for. 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