COVID-19: How I chose to position myself as an entrepreneur.

COVID-19: How I chose to position myself as an entrepreneur.

We are currently experiencing an event that pushes us to think and reflect. And when we find ourselves in the midst of a hardship as intense as this one, people have many ways of facing it.

In my case, COVID-19 represents a great opportunity to innovate, do my part and help others. Would I have preferred to have done without it? Of course! But at least it is a great way to put my expertise at the service of the community. The key is to stay as relevant as possible while staying aligned with your values.

Become an agent of change, one innovation at a time.

Remaining relevant means to be willing to transform yourself. Even if this reorientation is temporary, it can have an extremely beneficial impact on the community.

Many people are willing to start this metamorphosis because they have a deep desire to help others. Since the beginning of this “Covidian” crisis, I have noticed a tremendous movement of mutual support around me, and it inspires me greatly!

The case of Nicolas Duvernois of PUR Vodka springs to my mind. He has recently announced that he was ceasing the production of spirits to turn to manufacturing disinfectants with the alcohol available to him. These are the kinds of gestures that inspire me and make me want to innovate in order to remain relevant to the community.

In my opinion, every entrepreneur has the duty to honestly answer the following question: "How can I help my neighbour in the face of such an unforeseen event?" Because, let’s be honest, we are faced with a situation that is anything but trivial. In my mind, it has become clear that the period we are living in will go down in history, and it is our duty to stick together.

It is for this reason that I am looking for tangible ways to do my part, whether through my business or my expertise.

Obviously, one must examine the situation with fresh eyes. We need “before” and “during” Covid perspectives. In our case, for example, we had just launched our dish cleansing paste. But we put everything on hold. For us, it no longer made sense to continue our initial trajectory amid a health crisis. We had to adapt and stay relevant.

This is the reason we have offered our The Essentials line of products at a more affordable price. This was to allow as many people as possible to fight the crisis in a certain way. And we continue to question ourselves on a daily basis to find other concrete solutions and help people in a relevant way.

Keep your values in the right place.

Authenticity. Transparency. Proximity. Humanity. These four values guide my approach on a daily basis. In times of crisis, I believe it is essential to preserve them.

It is precisely for this reason that I attach so much importance to quality interactions and mutual support on social networks. How? By interacting with my clients, taking their minds off things and giving them concrete advice on ways to disinfect their environment. But it's not just about the customers, we shouldn’t forget the employees either.

Do not forget about your employees.

If we are to get through this crisis, I think it is crucial not to forget the importance of our employees. Even if we must lay off workers and that often breaks our hearts... We must remember that in many cases, it is only temporary. Let's keep our hopes up.

Personally, I try to remain present, positive and available, even if I had to lay off my team. We keep in touch and I always keep in mind that, despite this COVID-19 crisis, we remain a family.

And above all, let's pull together!

More than anything, there is one thing that inspires me right now and it is to see the superhuman effort deployed in the medical world, which is invested in finding a solution against COVID-19. It is an unprecedented form of collaboration.

It's an interesting comparison to make, especially if you look at what's going on in the business world. We create alliances to help each other in order to come up with innovative solutions. The differences no longer matter. Besides, people are now more than ever aware of the importance of buying locally. We can never emphasize enough how important this is!

My only hope is that the barriers that we are now breaking down to help each other will not close back again once the crisis is over. I wholeheartedly hope that people will remember what we’ve been through together.

But I am a positive person and I am convinced that #ItsGoingToBeOk. Now and after COVID-19.

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