What Makers + Stores Are Doing to Adapt During the Pandemic
We started getting emails from makers and stores within days of coronavirus hitting the United States. So many stores began closing. And so many makers saw dizzying drops to their revenues. Day jobs were lost; markets closed and heaps of inventory languished; so many people are taking care of small children and trying to save businesses. And above all, everyone had so much uncertainty.
Even with all the uncertainty, makers and business owners are deeply creative and skilled at finding new solutions to evolve right along with these challenging times. We’ve been incredibly inspired by — and grateful for — the makers and stores finding new ways to serve their customers and communities.
Today we are sharing their stories.
ways the Maker community is getting creative
When we reached out to our makers to hear about the impact on their business, home life, and sanity, they were realistic about the serious challenges they’re facing right now. But there was also a beautiful sentiment: this too shall pass… and we’re in this together. We can and should acknowledge the ways in which we are struggling right now, but there is also a hopefulness and resourcefulness that makes us proud to be a part of this group of innovators.
Read on to see if you get a tidbit or tactic that will help your business. But beyond anything else, let these stories reassure you that we’re all facing these challenges together — you’re not alone.
Sweet and dainty compass rose ring by Katie Dean. Via @katiedeanjewelry
Katie of Katie Dean Jewelry is finding respectful ways to engage her community.
When we talked with Katie, she said she was spending a lot of time reworking what she had planned. “We are completely re-doing all of our marketing so we don’t sound tone-deaf to what the world is going through. I've also been reminding our social followers the ways they can help even if they can’t afford to treat themselves to new jewels.” Here are Katie’s smart “asks” for any customers who want to support her but can’t purchase something right now:
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Amy at her sewing maching
Amy of LippyClip is focusing on gratitude, communication, and spreadsheets.
Amy has been walking, running, and staying connected to her church family to stay sane these last few weeks. When we spoke, she shared, “I’ve seen so much support from our retailers and stores. There's such a camaraderie to keeping small businesses afloat and it's encouraging beyond words. I’ve added drop-shipping, removed all wholesale minimums, and lowered the free shipping threshold. We’re focusing on clear and consistent communication more than ever before, steady social media posts and watching our numbers like a hawk.”
Via @towerpress
Tower Press is hosting a virtual block party & maker market
Atlanta-based Tower Press is taking online shopping with their community to the next level. They’ve started hosting a block party to shop online from small businesses to support independent artists during quarantine. Send them a DM if you want to join in!
Via @manreadymerc
Smart indie stores are offering virtual in-store shopping experiences, daily deals,
The Houston store Manready Mercantile is offering Virtual Shopping to personalize the shopping experience — you can FaceTime with an employee as they walk you through the store, prepare a shopping cart, and coordinate curbside pickup or shipping. Plus, they’re offering a daily deal, accompanied by video across all social platforms to keep things interactive and fun!
We saw Smith’s General and Occasionette doing similar things to bring back a taste of their in-person shopping experience.
LEIF, Falling Into Place, and Golden Rule Gallery are three of many stores offering free shipping and other rotating deals. They’ve also done an incredibly honest and thoughtful job telling their story during this time.
Via @joylarkstudio
Jessica of Joy Lark Studio is handwriting cards for social connection during social distancing
Not only is Jessica offering 20% off her entire shop through the end of March, she’s taking her Etsy shop one step further and personally handwriting customers’ messages in a card and mailing it for them! Less wait time for shipping & sending, plus fewer hands touching the goods! During a time where we need to consistently check in on loved ones and let anyone in isolation feel a little less alone, this is the kind of thoughtful shift in perspective that we need to stay connected.
Craft therapy project bags by Blake of Willow Ship Organics. Via @willowship
Blake of Willow Ship Organics is dealing with tough numbers but also embracing the lull.
Blake of Willow Ship explained that the financial side of the this had been hands-down the most difficult part. She said, “We took in a ton of Spring orders, bought the fabric and hand-printed everything... and we're about to pay for the sewing labor. Just as most of our stockists are closing their doors. So, that's really painful. But, a less concrete challenge is the disappointment of what was looking to be a huge growth year... kind of going up in smoke. We're confident we'll eventually sell the merchandise we created for this Spring, but 2020 was really looking like it was going to be bonkers-good.”
So things aren’t easy right now. But Blake she also mentioned was that she and her husband are going to use this time to rest a bit, too.. "My husband and I both work on the business, and we haven't really gotten a break since about a year ago. In our efforts to somehow scale a handcrafted business, we've been cooking up some new ideas and approaches for the business. So we'll have some time to focus on those-plus finally taking a bit of a breather.”
… And more helpful resources for makers and stores finding a way forward
There’s a lot of information floating around the internet as it relates to small businesses and the pandemic, and we’ve started to compile the most useful resources for makers.
Makers Collective is keeping tabs on articles, spreadsheets, and funds that may be of help.
This summary of the coronavirus stimulus package resources is especially detailed and helpful.
SBA Disaster Assistance Loans - these government-backed loans are a potential solution for eligible business owners.
Forbes has reported that Facebook will be offering grants to impacted small businesses.
McKinsey & Company has some interesting theories on the impact on businesses.