Startup Guide Issue 18 | Page 11

c ompl e t e pe a c e of mi nd. F or now, s t a f f me mbe r s ha v e be e n s e nt home wi t h f ul l pa y . We pul l e d up our pa y me nt c y c l e t o e ns ur e t ha t a l l pa r t ne r s a nd v e ndor due s we r e c l e a r e d be f or e t he s t or e s a nd of f i c e s ha d t o s hut down. Ou r s oc i a l me di a r e ma i ns v e r y a c t i v e a nd we a r e t r y i ng t o pr ov i de c ont e nt t ha t k e e ps a udi e nc e s e ng a g e d. Thi s i nc l ude s a ne w s t r e a m on s e l f - c a r e a nd c opi ng wi t h t he i mpa c t s of t he c or ona v i r us pa nde mi c . Thi s i s dr i v e n not b y a n y ne e d t o s e l l – but r a t he r t he i mpe t us t o s t a y c onne c t e d, t o ma k e s ur e e v e r y one i s doi ng ok a nd t ha t we a r e a l l pul l i ng t hr oug h t hi s t og e t he r . We a r e a l s o us i ng t hi s pe r i od t o de v e l op pr e - pl a nne d e c omme r c e e xpa ns i on a nd ot he r di g i t a l oppor t uni t i e s a s we l l a s unde r t a k i ng v i r t ua l me nt or i ng of s ma l l bus i ne s s e s . F ol l ow our s oc i a l me di a f or mor e ! We ha v e bi g pl a ns f or Apr i l a nd be y ond. W hat t ool s ar e you us i ng t o s t ay pr oduct i ve and s t ay i n t ouch wi t h your t eam? We ha v e a l wa y s ope r a t e d a s r e mot e t e a ms ( c ur r e nt l y our t e a m me mbe r s a r e di v i de d be t we e n Ka r a c hi , L a hor e a nd I s l a ma ba d i n Pa k i s t a n a nd NS W i n Aus t r a l i a ! ) s o di g i t a l s ol ut i ons ha v e be e n a hug e pa r t of our ope r a t i ons f r om t he g e t - g o. We ha v e r e g ul a r t e a m me e t i ng s on S k y pe a nd Wha t s a pp a nd a da i l y c onne c t c ha t g r oup . We a l s o us e Dr opbox, Goog l e Dr i v e a nd Zoom. We k e e p c ommuni c a t i ons ope n a nd f r a nk – i t ha s be e n a ha r d t i me f or ma n y of us a nd of t e n t he t e a m i s e a c h ot he r ’ s be s t s uppor t g r oup . W ha t a r e y ou doi ng t o s t a y pos i t i v e ? A t d i f f i c u l t t i me s , t h e b e s t r e s p o n s e i s t o f i n d a mo me n t o f c a l m, s e a r c h wi t h i n y o u r s e l f a n d f i n d y o u r p l a c e o f a b u n d a n c e . We d i d t h i s a s a t e a m a n d k n e w e a r l y t h a t we h a d t o c o n t r i b u t e b e y o n d j u s t g e t t i n g o u r wo r k d o n e a n d b e i n g t h e r e f o r o u r p a r t n e r s a n d a r t i s a n c o mmu n i t i e s . We h a v e t r i e d t o b e c r e a t i v e i n u s i n g o u r s k i l l s . F o r e x a mp l e , s o me t e a m me mb e r s h a v e v o l u n t e e r e d t o h e l p d i g i t i z e d a t a b a s e s o f d a i l y wa g e e a r n e r s i n Ka r a c h i , s o t h e g o v e r n me n t c a n k e e p b e t t e r t r a c k o f p e o p l e wh o wi l l b e mo s t i mp a c t e d b y t h e c r i s i s . We a r e a l s o d i s s e mi n a t i n g c o n t e n t o n s o c i a l d i s t a n c i n g a n d h o w t o a v o i d g e t t i n g i n f e c t e d t o a l l o u r r u r a l a r t i s a n c o mmu n i t i e s i n Ur d u a n d o t h e r r e g i o n a l l a n g u a g e s a n d d e v e l o p i n g a f u l l s t r a t e g y f o r h o w we c a n c o n t i n u e t o s u p p o r t t h e m e mo t i o n a l l y a n d e c o n o mi c a l l y i n t h i s d i f f i c u l t t i me . I c a n s a f e l y s a y I h a v e n e v e r b e e n p r o u d e r o f T e a m P o l l y ! How wi l l we l ook ba c k a t t hi s s l i c e of our l i f e ? Wi l l t he wor l d r e a l l y c ompl e t e l y c ha ng e pos t - c or ona ? No o n e c a n s a y f o r s u r e ! B u t o n e t h i n g we c a n e n s u r e i s t h a t wh e n we a r e p a s t t h i s a n d we r e f l e c t o n wh a t we f o c u s e d o n , a s i n d i v i d u a l s a n d a s a s o c i a l e n t e r p r i s e , we wa n t t o b e a b l e t o r e me mb e r t h a t wh i l e we t o o k c a r e o f o u r s e l v e s a n d p r a c t i c e d s o c i a l d i s t a n c i n g , we o p e r a t e d f r o m a p l a c e o f l o v e a n d c o mmu n i t y a n d we u s e d o u r t i me a n d r e s o u r c e s t o h e l p o t h e r s t o o . How woul d y ou pi v ot a nd wha t woul d y ou do di f f e r e nt l y i n a pos t - c or ona wor l d? T h a t ’ s s u c h a c r i t i c a l q u e s t i o n , i s n ’ t i t ? At P o l l y HQ, we h a v e k n o wn f o r s o me t i me t h a t we n e e d t o f i n d s i mp l e r a n d mo r e t e c h - b a s e d wa y s o f wo r k i n g wi t h a r t i s a n a l a n d s ma l l b u s i n e s s p a r t n e r s – t h i s wa s b o t h t o r e d u c e o u r c a r b o n f o o t p r i n t d u e t o t r a v e l a s we l l a s s h o r t e n t i me t o ma r k e t f o r a r t i s a n s . T h i s c r i s i s h a s o n l y a mp l i f i e d h o w u r g e n t t h i s n e e d i s a n d g i v e s o u r wo r k a n e w f o c u s . T h e p a n d e mi c i s a l s o b r i n g i n g t o l i g h t s o ma n y t h i n g s t h a t a r e wr o n g wi t h h o w we l i v e a n d wo r k n o w. Mu c h h a s b e e n s a i d a b o u t h o w i t i s t e a c h i n g u s t o s l o w d o wn , t o t h i n k o f o t h e r s a n d t o f i n a l l y g e t a s e n s e o f wh a t s u s t a i n a b i l i t y r e a l l y me a n s . As a s l o w f a s h i o n , h a n d c r a f t a n d a r t i s a n - b a s e d e n t e r p r i s e , t h e s e h a v e a l wa y s b e e n P o l l y ’ s c o r e v a l u e s . We k n o w t h a t e v e r y d a y , o r d i n a r y c h o i c e s , l i k e c h o o s i n g t o b u y h a n d ma d e , s ma l l b a t c h p r o d u c t s f r o m s o me o n e i n a s ma l l b u s i n e s s wh o r e l i e s o n t h i s i n c o me , c a n h a v e a n e x t r a o r d i n a r y i mp a c t o n t h e wo r l d – b o t h i t s e n v i r o n me n t a n d i t s p e o p l e . T h e c h a l l e n g e f o r u s i s t o t a k e t h i s mo me n t a n d c o n v e r t i t i n t o a mo v e me n t ! My h o p e i s t h i s c r i s i s wi l l me a n t h a t p e o p l e wi l l u n d e r s t a n d t h a t “ b i g g e r i s n o t b e t t e r ” a n d t h a t “ f a s t e r , n o t f e we r ” i s n o wa y t o l i v e . We mu s t b r e a k o l d p a t t e r n s a n d f i n d n e w, mo r e mi n d f u l wa y s o f l i v i n g a n d c o n s u mi n g .