Starting a business during COVID19

Hello fellow bosses! In today’s post I wanted to share some of my thoughts on being a new business owner during the COVID19 pandemic. I’ve been seeing a few posts online of other businesses sharing their successes during these times and I’m beyond happy for them while at the same time it’s also important to explore the other side (the not so good side) that some businesses may be going through during these times.

I’d like to begin by saying these are all my own opinions. If you have any thoughts that are not similar to mine please share in a respectful manner in the comment section so we can discuss. I legally started my company, Skin Sezson Inc. back in 2019. When I say ‘legally started’ I mean that I filed my company with the province of Ontario and with the Canadian government. It is a recognized company. With that being said, I had plans of launching my products on May 11 2020. The same day that I had made the announcement of my company on all social media channels.

Due to COVID19, I realized that this wasn’t going to happen. Back in March, the world started recognizing that the pandemic was real and lives were at risk. If actions weren’t taken to keep us all safe we’d all be at risk. In my province and in other areas lockdowns began; lockdowns of all businesses and services. At the time, I didn’t know if my manufacturer was still operating; there were a lot of unknowns going on in the world. A few weeks later I learned that my manufacture was still operating. Of course they were/are operating abiding to safety and sanitary precautions which I am so grateful for.

As a new business owner I decided to not rush things and postpone launching my products instead of reacting without strategy. The main concern I had was not taking a risk of ordering items that may be at risk of being exposed to contamination while being shipped. At the time of these thoughts there were no mandated provincial regulations and I didn’t want to put myself or my future customers at risk. As of now, there are regulations and rules that are in place, and at the same time business are starting to open up and I’m more comfortable picking back up where I left off.

Starting a new business during a pandemic has led me to rethink and redo how I do things.

• Safety first! All my products come sealed to me from the inside out. I will now add mandatory sanitizing (washing my hands, and sanitizing them) during packaging.
• Thinking about packing; I’m looking to have my packaging simplified. The less things/exposure to items that have been touched by people through shipment the better.
• When it comes to shipping customer orders I’ve decided to use a company that has been following and abiding by safety precautions from the onset (at least as far as I know, as shared publicly). I’m feeling good in sending out my products safely.
• Be open to risks. Things can change in an instant. There are still so many unknowns based on the pandemic. I’ve now set up systems in place for my business to recognize this. Being an agile business owner was something I’ve had to learn fast
• Listen to your customer. Before launching my products for sale I knew exactly what I was going to launch. However, this pandemic reminded me that I created Skin Sezson to cather to the skin care needs of others. So I began making polls – asking followers on social media what they’d like (for example, do you prefer scented or unscented body care products). I found out, most people prefer unscented body care products which is something I would not have know if I didn’t ask my potential/future customers first.
• Do what you can. I’ve recognized that I don’t have control of everything during these times and I can only do what is within my power and reach. The first priority is the safety and health of my self and other first. Everything else is secondary.

These are unique times that the world is in and I’m grateful for the opportunity to begin a new business that will provide products that cater to your well-being.  I’m so looking forward to launching Skin Sezson! If you haven’t already be sure to follow Skin Sezson on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @skinsezson ! I’ve also started a YouTube channel for the brand which you can check out HERE.