SURVIVAL TACTICS: THE COVID WAR DIARIES

When New Zealand’s nationwide lockdown kicked in on March 25th, 2020, there was an air of ‘pinch ourselves’ disbelief among the nation’s business owners. How did we end up here? What does the future look like now? Angst and uncertainty was almost palpable.

The adjective ‘unprecedented’ quickly became the word of choice to describe what was happening around us.

Across New Zealand business plans were hastily recalibrated. We all entered unchartered territory – in desperation the nation turned its collective eyes toward Jacinda Ardern’s government for relief.

Over the past year there have been countless inspirational business stories pumped out by the media. Stories of business owners lifting their enterprises up from the ashes like a phoenix – pivoting and reinventing, relaunching and rejuvenating.

Here are four remarkable stories of survival we uncovered, and no doubt there are countless others still waiting to be told. They all provide valuable lessons.

1. SECRET KIWI KITCHEN: It’s never too late to create

This story is not one of reinvention – more about creation. Secret Kiwi Kitchen’s founders, Lauren ‘Lulu’ Taylor and Clare Gallagher began 2020 full of hope. Lulu was loving her career as a digital marketer. Clare had been looking forward to going back into the workforce, with her youngest of four children starting school. She had previously established a highly successful fudge company in Waiheke Island before selling it in 2016.

Lulu describes Covid’s arrival as a “slow-motion realisation”. Clients slowly dropped away but she knew it wasn’t personal.

“It was scary facing the void of no job. So much of our identities are tied up in the work we do.”

Lulu admits she panicked