Sonia Haumonté: Listen, change and adapt

Everyone and all businesses in the world have been impacted by this terrible pandemic. It is frightening yet reassuring that we are not alone in dealing with the struggle of living during these times and making a living. Our Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a very early lockdown to protect and ensure the safety of New Zealand or Aotearoa (its original Maori name) with very strict restrictions, where businesses not deemed to be “essential” were shut for two months.

Personally, and spiritually, I have been keeping well during the lockdown, able to spend quality time at home with my family, ironically the greatest gift Covid-19 has given me. We had been living at such a fast pace that we had forgotten to appreciate the small things in life we should be grateful for and that make us happy.  
Also, this period has made us aware of the true heroes in our communities: frontline medical workers, police officers and parliamentary staff who kept our country together, ordinary citizens who stock supermarket shelves, remove the rubbish (my son loves their big trucks and waves at them), street cleaners, public park maintenance people, those who deliver goods to our homes, public transport staff and wonderful neighbors who shared their home-baked goods in letter boxes or helped the elderly to go out and buy essential items.    

So, despite the anguish, this time has allowed me to rewind, to breath, to think about my personal life and my business.  I am a mother and a wife, bringing love and happiness to my family.  I am also a business owner who has to ensure we can operate and remain viable, that my co-workers are safe and mentally well and that they will still have a job when we come out of this. I have also realized that I belong to a community. My customers have made it clear that we are more than just a pastry shop selling special treats, cakes and coffee. We are part of their happiness and their emotions and they know our story, our ethics, our values, our motivations.  They drive half way across town to buy from us, they were there to encourage us when we started with a small market stall, they were there to help me clear tables when I was pregnant and still working, they were there when my son was born and saw him growing up playing in the patisserie, they sent me cards and flowers when I was in hospital, they were there to offer me a helping hand to fold cake boxes when my team and I needed help, they gave me cash in envelopes during lockdown so we could survive.  

The impact of Covid-19 on our business and economy has been huge: we continue to pay bills with no income, my masterclasses were cancelled, many jobs are threatened, many will have less to spend. Reality and consumer habits will change, so we started planning during lockdown for an alternative future. Communication is key and we will increase our presence on social media and send newsletters to our clients, as well as signage on our shop window, including advice on safety. We will improve and push online sales, create new recipes and launch new limited range products on sale for one weekend only to make it special. We have implemented strict distancing rules since we have reopened for pick-up and are making sure everyone understands why it is important to respect them. For the sit-down Salon du The, we will go beyond official guidelines to keep everyone safe.

Production planning and cost control is also most vital during this time. Rent is our main expense, which we can’t do much about and second, there is payroll. Effective planning and management of kitchen productivity is key, as is management of unnecessary costs, which we are effectively reducing. Customers play a big part in this.  We educate them about food waste, its impact on our business and the environment.  We encourage them to pre-order or pre-purchase through our website so that we throw away less and inform them on how this can help us with production planning.  Once people understand how the food business works, they are more compassionate and willing to help out.  

I don’t think anyone can predict the best business solutions for moving forward post-Covid.  Consumer and customer behavior, their wants and needs are key. This is why it is so important to really know your customers and connect and communicate with them efficiently.  Our Government has done an incredible job, and so has our people.  We know we will probably have to go through something like this again. As a business owner, I need to constantly be informed, prepared to listen and ready to change and adapt to any situation while staying healthy and positive.

July 2020