Startup Guide Issue 18 | Page 10

I CO- FOUNDER OF POLL Y & OTHER STORI ES How has t he cur r ent COVI D- 19 s i t uat i on i mpact ed your bus i nes s ? L i k e ot her c ons umer f a c i ng/ r et a i l - ba s ed s t a r t - ups , we ha v e be en i mpa c t ed by t he c l os ur e of our out l et s i n L a hor e ( Y bl oc k , DHA) a nd i n I s l a ma ba d ( pop- up i ns i de t he US Emba s s y ) a s wel l a s our i na bi l i t y t o del i v er or der s bei ng book ed v i a our e- c ommer c e webs i t e. On t he pa r t ner / a r t i s a n end, we ha v e ha d t o ha l t a l l i n- fiel d t r a i ni ng wor k s hops a nd ne w pr oduc t de v el opment . Shi pment s f or t he ne w s ea s on a r e a l s o del a y ed due t o t he der a i l ment of t he t r a ns por t a nd l ogi s t i c s i ndus t r y . Wha t a r e y ou doi ng t o k eep oper a t i ons up a nd r unni ng dur i ng t hi s t i me? Our fir s t c ons i der a t i on wa s obv i ous l y f or our t ea m a nd pa r t ner s – whet her s ma l l bus i nes s es or Pol l y & Ot her St or i es i s a pl a t f or m t ha t i s on a mi s s i on t o c ha nge t he na r r a t i v e a r ound ha ndma de, Pa k i s t a ni c r a f t a s wel l a s mor e c ont empor a r y c ul t ur a l a nd a r t of f er i ngs f r om t he c ount r y a nd s how t he wor l d t he s i gni fic a nt pot ent i a l of Pa k i s t a n whi c h bel i es t he s oundbi t es on t he news a r t i s a ns . I n t he r un- up t o t he l oc k down, we i ns t i t ut e d f l e xi bl e WF H ope r a t i ons ( r ol l e d out Ma r c h 4) a nd ma de s ur e t ha t e s s e nt i a l s t a f f me mbe r s ha d e v e r y t hi ng t he y ne e de d t o k e e p t hi ng s g oi ng . Mos t of our c or e t e a m i s c ompos e d of wome n a nd ma n y ha v e be e n i n unda t e d wi t h a ddi t i ona l c a r e - g i v i ng a s we l l a s ot he r dome s t i c r e s pons i bi l i t i e s . The s e v a r y f r om home s c hool i ng c hi l dr e n t o ma na g i ng t he ne e ds of t he e l de r l y . Our WF H da y k e e ps t hi s i n mi nd a nd we ha v e t r i e d t o be g e nt l e a nd mi ndf ul i n our de ma nds a nd wha t we hope t o g e t done . We a l s o us e d t he r e duc e d c ons ume r - f a c i ng hour s i n e a r l y Ma r c h t o t r a i n s t or e a nd wa r e hous i ng s t a f f on s t r i ng e nt ne w h y g i e ne a nd pa c k a g i ng pr a c t i c e s s o t ha t a s s oon a s we c a n g e t ba c k t o mor e nor ma l i z e d ope r a t i ons , we c a n e ns ur e t ha t c us t ome r s c a n s hop onl i ne or c ont i n ue t o c ome t o t he s t or e wi t h