Adapting my business, and my family, to survive Covid 19
PANIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So the virus struck, and gradually the world locked down, a domino effect going from country to country. And although we could see it coming, there was literally nothing we could do to prepare for it, or, stop it happening. Within a fortnight the events industry had come to halt.
Now I am not going to lie to you, my first reaction was shear panic! Followed by more panic. Followed by a little self pity, then some determination, then more panic, well you get the picture. And then after eating my body weight in midget gems, liquorice and prawn cocktail shells, I gave my self a slap, and said,
" You've worked too dam hard to let this destroy it all, turn that frown upside down girl and come at this from a different angle! Just think of all the free time you are going to have to get all those little, 'when I get time' jobs done!"
Then I ate more liquorice.
It's been one week since lock-down, and a whole week of firsts for me, my family, and most of all my business. I have taken all my consultations online with video calling, meaning I have had to learn use Zoom, and Whats-app video calling. God I feel old! Oh and I finally built the filming equipment I purchased last November at Cake International.
I have spent hours moving my couples to new dates this year and through into 2021. I have managed to get the decals onto my new car, ( I have had this car a whole year, so its not really new any more, who knew it would take a worldwide pandemic to push me into this job!)
I have finally become more media present, either through boredom, or necessity, but either way its a good thing. And I am finally setting up my blog, you may judge for yourself if that's a good thing or not......
And 2020 will forever be the year the nation , and indeed the world, home schooled their children. No more could we wave our little darlings off in the morning, with paternal pride and a packed lunch. Oh no! Because now we were going to be the ones stretching those little brains with our infinite wisdom!
Homeschooling, well, wow. I mean, I like to consider myself quite an intelligent being, but never in my life have I been trained to teach an anxiety ridden 11 year old with a fear of chaos, and an infinitesimal need for routine. There were tears, the odd tantrum and a serious overindulgence in caffeine, and that was just me! But what seemed like an impossible task seven days ago, has weirdly gone, kind of OK, and we are all still here, and still mildly sane. And what last Monday felt alien and confusing and just really far too much to handle, really, thank you very much, well this Monday will be part of the new routine.
And it's weird to think, but completely true, that by the time everything goes back to 'normal', the normal is gong to feel like the abnormal way of life. And while its been lovely to see the fantastic sense of community that's shone out in so many places, how quick before that light goes out? I am making those 'new year' kind of promises, that I will keep up with my new paper work system, and I will carry on with all those little 'when I get time' jobs, and I won't allow my self to get behind with technology again. But as with those pesky new year resolutions, come February, I'm always eating the prawn cocktail shells again.
But one thing I am determined to keep up with is my new venture with my little man, set up as a free baking lesson every Wednesday, This Boy Bakes has been a whole new learning curve, but more about that next time.
Oh, and I think the strangest thing I did this week was parcel up eight of the greenest bananas I could find and post them to my mother!
