It has quickly become our way of life, this quarantine. Here in Huntly, Virginia we are trying to use it as time to reflect, reset and recharge. And honestly, it has been effective.
We have rediscovered some of the simple pleasures of life such as watching sunsets, listening to birds chirp in the morning hours, working in the garden, and splashing in a puddle (when was the last time you truly did that?!).
It has reconnected us to nature and to our families, refocused our priorities and goals, prompted a re-evaluation of lifestyle.
For Sítrónu, it has been challenging to say the least. We are a small business that relies mostly on inns and bed&breakfasts for our clientele. We have had no orders from inns since early March. Understandable, given the circumstances.
So we had to reflect, reset and recharge our business.
In a word we had to pivot. How can we approach our business given the existing conditions? Especially since we have no idea how long this will continue to have repercussions on our clientele and income.
Our pivot came in the form of new products to fill a void, broadening our retail clientele base, and strengthening our social media/marketing strategies. Luckily, given the down time, we have had time to invest in this.
Sales of our natural hand sanitizer, sanitizer spritz and guardian oils have done well and gotten great reviews from customers. We will continue to make these sanitizing products as long as possible. It has been increasingly difficult to source the ingredients, particularly the isopropyl alcohol. And the price of the rubbing alcohol, plus the aloe vera gel, has escalated based on current consumer demand.
These new products plus an energized social media marketing campaign has invigorated our retail client base - we are still not at levels to surpass our innkeepers, but relevant. Very much so.
We have initiated weekly sales on our products as well as more regular blog posts. We have energized our Pinterest following, accessed new followers on Facebook and Instagram, and strategized our website to optimize our customer service.
We strive to remain true to our brand and values while expanding our reach. We will always source the best, plant-based ingredients possible and offer our products at the most affordable prices that we can. We will always respond to our customers quickly and honestly. We have learned during this quarantine process that human relationships matter most. We will continue to serve our innkeepers as well as our new retail clientele with these values in place.
We appreciate your continued support. Remember to support small business when you can and spread the word about Sítrónu - referrals work!
Stay healthy, stay safe.
Amanda
owner/founder
Sítrónu