Tyler Brûlé on why it’s essential that entrepreneurs are fully equipped to ensure the survival of their businesses.

From meeting start-ups on the rise to discovering how to find your brand, be an effective boss and what to invest in next, we round up sage advice, thoughts and tips from entrepreneurs with years of experience under their belts.

This is going to be a difficult year but amid all the gloomy headlines there have also been slivers of good news. Whether it’s businesses retooling to provide vital medical equipment, professionals finding creative ways to keep their industries afloat or politicians digging deep to get cash to where it’s needed most, here are just a few heroic initiatives making a real impact. What will you do?

Stuck working from home? Thinking about what your company could or should be after all this? Luckily there are people waiting for your call and who – once we defeat this virus – will help you transform not only how your business runs but also how you can do your job with even more passion and precision.

How do you measure a company’s success? We think it goes beyond revenue or profit, as important as they are. It’s also about creating jobs, solving problems, staying relevant and being innovative. Those skills are now more important than ever. From contributing to your city’s development to under-projecting your financials, these stories all have something to teach you about how to succeed against the odds.

Robert Bound reporting from Yerevan: From its start-up scene to coping with the pandemic, Armenia shows how a small nation can benefit from building strong ties to its powerful diaspora.

There’s more to feeling part of a tightly knit team than daily meetings and hasty coffee breaks. We catch up with the thriving businesses that nurture their company culture and have taken team bonding to a whole new level – and ask other leaders how they’re keeping spirits up while working from home.

How have public-focused companies adapted to these challenging times? We speak to three free-thinking business leaders, from diverse industries, who were in a stronger position than many to weather the storm.

How are leading figures from the worlds of hospitality, retail, design and more adapting to a radically altered business landscape? From embracing digital platforms to taking the time to regroup, plan for the future and consolidate their operations, this is a bump in the road but optimism is in the air too. Here are their lessons for the days ahead.

Now is the time to rethink your life and livelihood. Here we offer insights to guide you on your way from the value of running the show – which can’t always be counted in cash – to the appeal of apprenticeships and how the pandemic will affect the way we work.

While you’re stuck at home, it’s a good time to think about what you want from your office in the future. We meet three companies who believe that art enhances morale, identity and relationships.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder – and, it seems, that applies to our offices too. So how can we get the best out of our working environments when we return to them? We’ve sourced 20 items that should be a feature of every workplace and asked 12 creative thinkers to tell us what aspects of their offices help them to get the job done.

Hayley Curnow reporting from Melbourne: A crop of talented graphic-design firms are winning commissions across Melbourne’s property and hospitality industries, providing their clients with elegant branding and the city with a strong visual identity.

Now we are not suggesting you get overly suited and booted while much of the world works from home but a good jacket will still impress on a conference call and a box-fresh polo will sharpen your mood even if you can’t leave the neighbourhood. Plus, when the world revives, you’ll have some looks to take you from a café rendezvous to a meeting with a new investor.

Are you in the mood to plump for a future heirloom or something with a touch of verve to anchor your everyday look? There are a host of new timepieces that have made it to market this year without any fanfare. All are perfect for people with time on their hands.

What are the external factors that help young companies thrive? We profile a trio of clever cities, where doing business is a pleasure – and that are bound to flourish when the world gets moving again.

Josh Fehnert reporting from London: With public spaces shuttered and a third of the world in lockdown, coronavirus has fundamentally altered how we do business. But change isn’t always bad. Here are some positive takehomes.