Whoa! What a year... what a ride!

​Blinkin heck, just when you think things are falling into place something happens to make you fall flat on your face!

Three weeks before celebrating my first year in business and on top of learning that Seriously Pickled is a Kapiti Top Shop 2021 Finalist (fantasically surprising news for my wee, still relatively new business, yay!), we are hit with a Level 4 Lockdown. Thanks Covid-19!

Sitting here writing this I can not tell you how truly frustrating this period has been. After getting to the point of almost being able to predict the trade of a certain day and more importantly how many cheese scones to make, it is slightly irritating that we have to start all over again!

Never before have I had to pivot and learn a few new tricks to navigate the way forward so abruptly. There are days when it feels like I am pivoting so much that I am going around in circles! There are days of loneliness when big decisions need to be made. There are sleepless nights because there is no money coming in and bills to pay. There are days of fear because I have never been here before… what exactly lies ahead in these uncharted waters. Who knows! Yet here I am…. my head is still just above water and I am lucky. I am a very small fish in a big pond. Goodness knows how the bigger fish cope when pickings are small. It’s stressful!!

Don’t get me wrong it is not all doom and gloom. During those wakeful hours I have had to think about how we do things ‘contactlessly’. I have taught myself how to take my very basic website to have an e-commerce platform. There was (a bonus) stock take and uploading images of all of my wonderful suppliers products onto the website so that they fall into the ‘click and collect’ cache. The feedback has been great and to be honest it was time to do this. It’s a win win for everyone, right? Except for the fact that I then had to restock many and next minute … my reserves are gone and I’m asking for an extension on a plumbing bill. Eek!!!

I have also needed to kick start the brain to think hard and fast about how I was going to reopen when my customers couldn’t enter the premises. Another pivot and all of a sudden I am cooking up a storm then sending out FaceBook notifications of offerings to be collected the next day…. I am not going to lie, it’s been a bit full on!

The upside of this situation is this:

• The support from the local community has been uplifting. You guys are why I do what I do. To see your smiley eyes at my front door has been so wonderful. It has given me courage to keep going. You guys rock!!
• The support and encouragement from other small business owners has been incredible. I have had to ask for help (which is never easy!) but there is plently of help out there if yo seek and ask. Thanks SOS Cafe. We truly are in this together!
• The kind words from family (the checking up on me to see if I am ok!) and friends has been heartwarming even on the darkest of days. I love you!
• The realisation that you have the strength to fight for something you love to do is not so difficult. Just do it!

At the end of the day…. yesterday was the past and this difficult time will pass.
Tomorrow is a new day and I can’t wait to see who walks through my front door!
Kia Kaha x 

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