Where we are right now

Eight weeks ago, as school closures were announced here in the UK, we made the decision to pause shipping physical goods until we'd had time to take stock and figure out how to continue. After a week or so we came back with a plan: to do a small update every Monday, cycling through our stock so that only a limited range would be available each week. We were hoping to strike a balance between receiving enough orders to keep us afloat, and being as safe and cautious about social distancing as we could be. We've only had one person working in our studio space at a time, and we've been shipping all of the past week's orders out in one batch on Thursday afternoons. It's been working much better than I could have imagined at the beginning, thanks to our wonderful team, and to the support of our customers.

Our newsletter this week was a little different than the updates we have been doing. Our team has been working really hard to get those ready, ship everything out, and answer your questions. We all need a chance to rest, and focus on the other areas of our lives, and with a reduced team the best way to do that has been to slow down a little and make sure everyone can have a little time off without the stress of increased productivity beforehand. So instead of a big new update with this newsletter we’re highlighting some things you might have missed recently, and we’ve had a chance to review, and add to, our clearance section.

At the end of last week, the First Minster of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon announced a four-phase lockdown exit strategy. It means that in some ways, restrictions will ease. However, what has become clear, not just in Scotland but globally, is that our lives and the systems we work within have been fundamentally changed. It will be a significant amount of time before things will no longer include elements of social distancing and shielding the most vulnerable members of our communities. Safety remains the highest of priorities.

What does that mean for Ysolda Ltd.? Well, for the foreseeable future, shipping will need to remain limited, so we can maintain social distancing. With that in mind, we are turning our thoughts to longer terms plans, what restocking might work like and of course where there might be opportunity for sales, celebrations and new releases. As always, we will keep you informed via our newsletter first. Thanks so much for coming with us on this ride. Small business life feels more nourishing than ever during this time of uncertainty.

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