I wrote this blog post in early June...I never posted it because I thought that we were doing so good...
anyway here’s a peek behind the curtain - please remember your business owning friends right now....
Rachel xx
What it’s really been like as a business owner during Covid 19 levels from 2-4-3-2-1
(And STRAIGHT BACK UP TO 3 🙄)
What it’s really been like as a business owner during Covid 19 levels from 2-4-3-2-1
It’s all Fucked...
But seriously...it’s actually fucked 😂
Owning a business through the last 14 weeks has been incredibly challenging, it’s been heartening, fun, there have been things to celebrate and commiserate things to plan, pivot and pray for...
It’s been amazing to see resilience in action and also to be a support and be supported by many.
I wanted to give you a peep behind the curtain of what your business owner friends/family/bosses/brands have been going through, hopefully it helps you understand some of the actions,activities and emotions that some of your faves have been dealing with in a daily ( hourly 😂) basis
Some call it business - we call it the #coronacoaster
- Surreal /confusion Covid really reared it’s ugly head for my business ( retail sector) at a time when we were truly just hitting our stride again after some previous challenges, we were in the midst of a trade fair which was weird...there was a eerie feeling, and a lot of (cautious) interest in our products, we took some new stockists on board which was a high, and overall our sales were stronger than the previous year...lots of wait and sees and my feeling after the fact was that Covid was definitely hamstringing us even before an alert level system was a twinkle in Jacindas eye 😉
- Questioning- A lot of what’s gonna happen questions - BUT as soon as the government announce the alert level plans, a feeling of gratefulness in the fact that there was a plan in place,albeit a very rushed one - Also I think it’s fair to say I didn’t have any real comprehension of what going to level 4 would really truly mean for our business and our economy) 🙏thankful that the wage subsidy was easy to access ( filling out forms in a crisis can be really crushing)
- Overwhelm & questions level 4 came around very quickly, not only did we need to make arrangements in business but us owners have families too- freezers to fill and booze cupboards to stock too ( not to mention some toilet paper to buy 😂) Many things to think about...when will I be back in this office ? What will the world look like then?
- Euphoria /relaxation day 1 with a four year old and we walked, read books, watched a movie, played soccer etc etc and had a happy hour, I think we video called some peeps and the sun was shining, it was hot and fun...and the realisation that businesses were legitimately closed for 4 weeks with little expectation and a whole lot of understanding from customers and colleagues in the same boat and I’ll be honest a little euphoria and relaxation crept in...as an owner there is rarely ( if any) several consecutive moments like this, there was an air of hope, ideas and possibility...how could we change and be better at the end of 4 weeks?
- Reality check Wow 4 weeks is a long time early on I kinda got my head slightly around the fact that this was amazing, and a blessing of sorts it was also a loooooonnnng time without revenue and that while the wage subsidy was amazing, it didn’t touch the sides for us and our retailers in what would normally be flowing through the business.
- Frustration It’s really hard work, innovate, pivot, parent, be a great spouse, try and stay relevant in business without being insensitive, inspire and encourage others when you are challenged yourself + never really getting alone / down time
- Jealousy - some businesses I know we’re still thriving ( revenue wise ) in level 4, business owners witholder children or without children or with shared custody arrangements had some amazing quiet time to focus on their business - they could have a zoom call without someone interrupting them to wipe their bottom in the middle of it ( true story!) so it’s fair to say there were green eyed moments.
- Fear - the 20th of the month came around..( a big day in most biz owners calendar ) and payments were trickling in...but the understanding that each of our retailers had also lost their revenue overnight and therefore some of their payment abilities was sobering indeed. - and then of course the realisation that the 20th of May was about to be even more dire!
- Hope although our level 4 was slightly extended the levelling down to level 3 provided us with some hope- what is life without it? We extended bubbles and drunk coffee, couriers came and went with packages and we heard little cha-Ching noises from our website sales again, most of all there was some much needed connection back to our businesses ...Hope was an incredible respite from the ups and downs of the last 6-7weeks ...but then the corona coaster begins again - confusion - questioning -overwhelm-euphoria-reality - frustration -jealousy-fear- HOPE!! Remember your biz friends, boss/owner, your favourite brands right now - they are often trying to make this process look as seamless as possible, all the while experiencing these ups and downs constantly !! Thank you for your support - it truly does mean the world!!!