How To Start a NEW Business During a Crisis
Sisters, Claire + Bronwyn from Mighty Market planned on opening their zero waste, clean beauty, and bulk refill brick and mortar shop in Downtown Martinez East Bay) - little did they know, a worldwide pandemic would shut down retailers across the world. Quickly they adapted to creating an eCommerce website to sell products, and used social media to connect with customers.
Sisters, Claire + Bronwyn from Mighty Market planned on opening their zero waste, clean beauty and bulk refill brick and mortar shop in Downtown Martinez, CA (in the East Bay) in Spring 2020 - little did they know, a worldwide pandemic would shut down retailers across the world.
Quickly they adapted to creating an eCommerce website to sell products and had to figure out how to take a very in-person idea of bulk refills of beauty products and make it easy for customers to order. I loved how they really put some thought into the end-user experience (don’t you wish MORE businesses did that?!?!), and then used social media to push their message out to the community.
This episode of Pivotal - A Focus on Digital Marketing During a Crisis, I interview the two sisters, Claire + Bronwyn, the Co-Founders & Owners of Mighty Market.
Shop from their zero waste, clean beauty, and bulk refill - https://mighty.market/ Also, check out their minimal Instagram channel showcasing behind the scenes of opening a business during a crisis as well! https://www.instagram.com/mighty.market/ (this is how I randomly came across their brand to begin with).
Bringing The Napa Valley Experience Online
The iconic St. Helena winery is known for being Napa Valley's oldest wine estate, their grand estate, and some BIG bold Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. When the “experience” of being at the winery was not allowed during the SIP (Shelter in Place) order for California, the Charles Krug team figured out how to bring that experience online with virtual wine tastings and Facebook Lives.
Saying Jim Morris is one of my favorite people in the wine industry is an understatement. He has been one of my friends, neighbors, and even a client for a while back in the early days of this social media craze. Jim is known for over the top in-person fun, and bringing the same customer service attitude to Twitter.
Jim is also the Vice President, Estate Management and Guest Relations at Charles Krug Winery in St. Helena, in Napa Valley. The iconic Napa Valley winery is known for being Napa Valley's oldest wine estate, their grand estate, and some BIG bold Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Jim has been with them for over two years and was in charge of guest experiences. When the “experience” of being at the winery was not allowed during the SIP (Shelter in Place) order for California, Jim and the Charles Krug team figured out how to bring that experience online. They have been hosting Facebook Lives and connecting even more with their guests through their email newsletter.
Small Business Superpower: Connections with Your Customers Matter
The brick & mortar hair and skin salon has continued to focus on the connections that they have with their customers, and that can be seen as soon as you walk into the salon through smiling faces and repeat customers. When the SIP order went into place for Sonoma County, they had to shut down their salon and turn to online delivery orders, as well as a new Facebook group
My connection with my interviewee in this episode of Pivotal - a Focus on Digital Marketing goes back before I even had my first job. in addition to knowing Veronica since middle school, I also get to brag that I was her first customer back in beauty school.
Veronica Passaqula is the Founder, Owner, and Esthetician at The Beauty Sport in Santa Rosa. The brick & mortar hair and skin salon has continued to focus on the connections that they have with their customers, and that can be seen as soon as you walk into the salon through smiling faces and repeat customers. When the SIP order went into place for Sonoma County, they had to shut down their salon and turn to online delivery orders, as well as a new Facebook group to keep up connections and continue providing support to their VIP clientele.
In this episode, we also talk about how life doesn’t always go as planned, and as long as you have that true connection with your customers - they will be there with you through fires, power outages, pandemics, and even bad wifi connections!
They will be open for retail soon, so shop online for sustainable hair care products and skincare (for curbside pickup or delivery): https://thebeautyspotsantarosa.com/
They have also done a great job showcasing life at home and making their customers understand that we are "all in this together" when it comes to our roots... https://www.instagram.com/thebeautyspot
Going From Selling Wine In-Person to Selling Wine Online Is No Easy Task
In the latest in my video interview series, Pivotal - a Focus on Digital Marketing, I talked to Hannah, the Assistant Manager, Marketing & eCommerce at Bottle Barn. The Santa Rosa brick & mortar wine, beer, and spirits retailer started their eCommerce website just a few years earlier, but the COVID-19 Pandemic made it a greater focus for the 30-Year-Old business.
If you're friends with me on Instagram or Facebook, you may have seen one of my (attempted useful) marketing rants over the past few months during this pandemic. I provide advice to small business owners and marketers on how they can make small changes to pivot their brands to think like a startup, or an Eccomerce company (note, I have been saying this about the wine industry for a while).
The term pivot may sound cliche right now because everybody's talking about it. But is it a great description of what so many brands have to do right now. They cannot rely on the traditional model of events, or getting people into their retail store, restaurant or tasting room.
In the latest in my video interview series, Pivotal - a Focus on Digital Marketing, I talked to Hannah, the Assistant Manager, Marketing & eCommerce at Bottle Barn. The Santa Rosa brick & mortar wine, beer and spirits retailer started their eCommerce website just a few years earlier, but the COVID-19 Pandemic made it a greater focus for the 30-Year-Old business.
It was really great talking to Hannah about how they've used digital tools like email, their website, and social media to share information about what they were up to and how customers could purchase from them. Listen to the whole interview below!
Shop Sonoma, Napa and California Wines (and more) online for both delivery and curbside pick up at https://bottlebarn.com/ - and join their email newsletter for weekly wine and spirits deals!
Their Instagram channel is also a great resource of what's happening behind the scenes as they pivot their sales efforts during this crisis - https://www.instagram.com/btlbarn.
I Started an Etsy Shop Because a Crisis Is THE Time to Do Something New
Finding an article I wrote on my blog back in 2009 about the recession, when I was trying to find a job and get started on my journey into entrepreneurship, was wild to read. So much of what happened in the late 2000s during that recession can be applied to right now.
Obviously, this pandemic and shelter-in-place order are very different. There are so many lives at risk, and not just the possibility of us losing our houses—but one thing has never been clearer: social media can help your business through a recession. My 28-year-old self’s advice:
“If you want to stay relevant and keep your brand in mind when consumers do get their purchasing confidence back, then you need to keep on reminding them that you are still here.”
The article I shared at the end of that article, from social media blogger Chris Brogan, was called 25 Ways Social Media Prepares You for the Downturn. One line from this decade-old article inspired me to start the Esty shop that my husband and I have been saying we wanted to start for YEARS!
The line reads, “If you’ve got to find new ways to make loot, don’t fret. Just put some effort into finding which money-making opportunity might pay off the best for you.” And considering that I lost three gigs this past week, I figure now is the time to do something new.
My new shop: selling snarky sayings on Etsy
I would like to introduce you to the On Brand Store at etsy.com/shop/OnBrandStore. Jeff and I came up with the name because it’s something we always talk about regarding our “brands,” with his brand being his day job managing at Cisco, and my brand being a social media marketer, food lover, and wine geek online. I wrote more about finding your brand passions for social media on my blog a few years ago.
We took some of our favorite social media, marketing, leadership, work from home, etc. sayings and created a series of mugs, stickers (for laptops, of course), shirts, and artwork that would be the perfect inspiration for your home office. We also have an Instagram account @OnBrandStore. Because… duh.
In addition to creating the typography sayings for the stickers, shirts, and mugs, it has been REALLY fun coming up with SEO descriptions for the shop’s Etsy listings. A few keywords mixed in with some snark. I mean, this is what I LIVE for! Fun branding and smart marketing. It’s pretty “on brand” for myself (see what I did there?!?!).
So here are a few of the new Etsy shop products we are most excited about:
It’s Always Cocktail Hour in a Crisis - Ina Garten. So far we have sold 5 of these funny coffee mugs. I like to think it is because we sell it as a great gift for People Who Drink Wine in Coffee Cups (hint hint, get this and a bottle of wine for Mother’s Day). If you haven’t seen the Food Network Chef’s viral video, definitely check it out!
Shop on Etsy.
Find your unique value and outsource everything else. This is my daily motto! You shouldn’t waste time on the stuff you aren’t good at. There are people who do it better. Find which tasks only YOU can do (i.e., your unique value), and find someone else to do the other stuff. This inspirational mug is for you or for someone who just hit a career milestone. It’s perfect for anybody looking for daily inspiration through a cup of coffee.
A face mask - It's Always Cocktail Hour During a Crisis Neck Gaiter - for Men & Women + Kids Masks. These face masks on Etsy are really useful and not as binding as the ones with hooks around the ears. My personal fave saying is this one! Buy on Etsy.
Social media—it’s like Vegas, only your parents can see what you did. You know it's true. And the quicker people realize that their 2007 spring break images could make or break their career in 2020, the better we all will be. What happens on social media stays on Google forever. Shop this mug on Etsy.
Important advice for any laptop owner: Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself. Let your coworkers know you’re hip to ‘90s rap music and that you understand that keeping a check on your emotions at work can lead to a happier work environment for all. Shop funny stickers on Etsy.
I wouldn’t have started this Etsy shop if it weren’t for this pandemic.
If I still had time and Rye was in school, I may have never put my mind to creating this On Brand Etsy shop. And like I said before, right now is THE time to do something new to make money. Whether it’s a side gig, your full-time job, or part-time, finding something at which you can make extra money (just Google “how to make extra money” and a TON of great info will come up) is a good thing in an unknown time.
I have no idea how this new venture will turn out, but I am excited to get started and create something that is very “on brand” for me—fun sayings about marketing and work…on stuff.
Post-Shelter in Place California Business Will Be Different
California Governor, Gavin Newsom shared some of his plans to open California back up after the COVID-19 pandemic slows (still no official date until we see trends in hospitalization numbers flattening). The plan will be lifting SIP in stages. California Small businesses that rely on customers may need to rethink this business plan for life after the SIP orders are lifted - and get creative.
Today California Governor, Gavin Newsom shared a video about the plans to open California (along with the other pacific coast states, Oregon and Washington) back up after the COVID-19 pandemic slows (still no official date until we see trends in hospitalization numbers flattening). The plan will focus on opening the shelter in place orders in batches. He likened it to a dimmer, with small parts of the state, and businesses opening back up slowly.
He also said things won’t look the same when the state reopens.
Using the example that servers at restaurants will likely be wearing masks and gloves, and continue practicing social distancing (aka fewer tables to serve customers, six-foot marks on the floor to wait in lines, etc) for months after (or until we get a vaccination). Article on Eater.com.
This also means that life at wineries, restaurants, breweries, and small businesses won't be going back to "normal" for a while either. No more bellying up to the bar, or standing crowds at Russian River Brewery. No more large wine tasting rooms open to crowds of visitors for a while this summer. No more hair washing stations at salons right next to each other. Possibly no more concerts (whaaaaa), or nightclubs for the summer. Once again, this is just me guessing… There is NO news about any of how post-SIP in California will look like, just a video of Newsom talking about what things may look like, along with the six criteria for how they will know its time to open back up (NBBJ article here has more info).
It sounds like the status quo won't be happening this summer (at least part of it). And that SUCKS. Yes, I am aware that it is needed to keep us safe, so the coronavirus doesn’t flare up again. And I am SO damn proud to be a bay area native (we were the first area to start the shelter in place orders in the country). But, it is okay to grieve the summer we were hoping to go back to. Especially for business owners in the hospitality industry. And even more for my restaurant friends. I want to give everyone permission to complain and grieve (though, I don’t recommend doing this on social media where your customer are).
Right now is a great time to plan for what life MAY be like for your business after the SIP order is lifted, and social distancing (keeping customers, and employees six feet apart) is the new normal. We don’t have all the details because we can’t be certain when the orders will be lifted, and what that looks like. But planning ahead and brainstorming what your business may look like this summer, should be a part of your weekly/daily discussions with your team.
More wine tasting reservations with seated wine tastings? A push for longer wine experiences (a trend we were already seeing), and even more personalized virtual tastings? A continued emphasis on takeout/pick up orders, maybe partnering with another local business to create packages or picnic items? More food trucks? Redrawing floor plans to keep customers away from each other?
...And I definitely hope every business is making sure your website has a way for your customers to order your products or services as easy as possible. And yes, this includes adding new products and services to your e-commerce website.
Creative marketing ideas will become even more important than ever when thinking about business planning for the months ahead. Here are a few more creative marketing tactics from wineries and restaurants.
Obviously these are just my random thoughts after hearing Newsom, so I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I do try to plan for the worst, and hope for the best. ❤️❤️❤️
My plan is to try to be there for anyone who needs help in developing a digital strategy and content creation (looking for Instagram specific help, I have an Instagram Marketing online course, specific to food and wine industry marketers). If you have a quick question, t I am always available through Instagram DM at @sharayray, or email, or let me know if you want to work on a bigger project together.
I want to help out however I can! Because we are all in this together, and right now is the perfect time to plan ahead and make small changes to pivot your business.