This won’t be your typical “How we are responding to COVID-19” discussion. Here at Sticky Toffee, we’ve been working remotely for years. Our US team is spread across multiple locations in multiple states and we have more meetings via webcam than we have in person! We have been using Basecamp to communicate with our colleagues overseas for over a decade. “Working from home” is just “work” for us!
Of course, that doesn’t mean current events don’t impact our operation. Let’s all be honest with ourselves—work has been a lot harder to focus upon over the past couple of weeks. Things we’ve taken for granted as bedrock are now shifting sand beneath our feet. Going out to dinner with friends has turned into curbside pickup for just my little family. A trip to the grocery store now feels like a big risk!
None of us are immune to these impacts. As much as we want something in our lives to be “normal”, it’s really hard to find those things right now. Our relationships with the brands we trust and the businesses we rely upon are no different. The common denominator whether you shop at the largest retailer or the smallest boutique is that these places are run by PEOPLE, and as people we are all affected by these disruptions.
Decision-making in business is now much more difficult due to all the unknowns. How long will this last? Will people still be able to afford to shop for our products? How long will factory shut downs and work from home situations persist? What about ships and trucks that move our products around? The mind starts to spin just thinking about all the ways things are different! And that’s just business. I also have to worry about some of the basics of life, like food for the kids and even, yes, toilet paper…
With that in mind, let’s tell it like it is. Things are different, and we don’t know all the ways they are just yet. It’s impacting each of us here at Sticky Toffee in different ways. But we will get through it. The sun will rise in the east and set in the west each day just as it has for billions of years. People will smile and laugh when they can, and some day soon we’ll all be able to break our “social distance” and give people a hug when they need it most.
We appreciate you shopping with us when you can. We appreciate your patience if we experience a delay in fulfilling your order, but please know that you are very important to us. As much as possible, we will try to be a little piece of “normal” for you when everything else is not. If you need a little pick-me-up, check out any of our flour sack towel designs. We always try to keep the message positive and inspiring, and in times like these, we could all use a little pat on the back!
Sincerely,
All of us at Sticky Toffee