COVID …a year on.

What a difference a year makes. This time last year we were about to go into the first National lockdown. Nobody knew what was going to happen in the next few days, let alone the next year!

This past year everyone has been through difficulties. Everyone I know has been affected by this pandemic. Wether that be by loosing a loved one, loosing a business, loosing income, battling with chronic health conditions in a time of uncertainty, shielding, isolation, loneliness, anxiety, depression, juggling home schooling and work - you name it we have all been affected in some way.

In my previous blogs I have touched on some of the struggles I have had with regard to my business at this time. These pale into insignificance compared with what others have been through.

Lockdown

When I closed my workshop door in March 2020, after Boris announced the first lockdown, I closed it with a heavy heart and tears in my eyes. I remember thinking - that’s it, my world has collapsed.

We had wholesale orders that were booked up for the next 18 months get cancelled overnight. I had just moved into a new workshop, I had staff that were reliant on work to pay mortgages and feed families. Stress seems such a small word - but my goodness it was huge!

I was completely naive to how fragile my work was and we were in trouble.

Survival mode

Wholesale was gone - retail was strong. Everyone is at home, everyone is buying online - no physical shops were open. They only thing you could buy was essentials (remember the toilet paper debacle!). So I needed to connect with my customers.

Being a small business I have the privilege and advantage of doing things differently very quickly. It’s not like a huge cruise liner that takes an age to turn around, it’s more of a dinghy - nimble and agile that can turn on a sixpence.

But how to reach customers? Many of my retail customers where from craft shows and local people that came to my workshop. I didn’t have their email addresses, I didn’t know how to connect with them.

Cue social media……

Social media has been a life line to many over this past year. We have all used it - loathe it or love it, it has been a way of keeping lines of communication open. I have seen so much good come from social media allowing communities to pull together.

I always thought of social media as a faceless, soulless place however I have connected with my customer base in a positive way. A way that has been quite surprising.

It has reconnected me to my customers. During the pandemic I have been able to get to know my customers - some personally. My wife Claire, a critical care nurse has the perfect skills to take charge of customer service. Making sure each and every customer query is responded to, any problem resolved and most importantly - every customer is listened to.

Offering a bespoke, personal service to each and everyone of my customers is what makes us stand out. Yes, I hand make all the garden and home items - which in itself is unique, but having customers at the heart of what we all do here at Paul Cox Sculpture is what it’s all about.

Thank you to each and everyone of you who has supported me over the years, this past year and beyond.

There will be up coming offers throughout the year (look out for FREE chocolate in your parcels during the Easter period)

Each and everyone of you are amazing and I feel blessed to have such amazing customers

Keep washing those hands!

Paul and Claire