BLOG 2: Lessons from COVID

• Posted on 11 March 2024
• By LB
• Posted in small business
• 0

We are closing our store in downtown Alpharetta due to Covid but not for the reasons you may think

We are closing our store in downtown Alpharetta due to Covid but not for the reasons you may think

Covid taught us so many things we cannot ignore and that will forever change some of the ways we practice business at ElleB gifts

For two months  in 2020 during Covid we had to close our Alpharetta store and Ansley and I worked together out of our Windemere location. First of all Ansley and I did not realize how much we love working together! We have very different skill sets that we bring to LB and although that can be challenging at times elleB Gifts is better when we are together.

The shop looks better,  the merchandise is better,  the website is better,  the social media is better, and the creativity is better.

Profits may not be better with one location, but at the end of the day we are not all about profit - much of the time we are mostly about people.

If there is anything that families in business share and will totally understand is that it is difficult in times of disruption to let go of what isn’t working. Whether it’s because of habit, tradition, legacy, our people or our pride it is hard to admit that change is needed and/or that mistakes were made. The only mistake we made in opening a second location was assuming that our small business wasn’t enough.

But there is also one other thing that family owned businesses share and that is that we put relationships over profits, traditions over trends, heart over HR, grace over growth and molding over Management.

We promise to stay a one store small business, keeping our eyes and hearts on what is important and continue to serve our wonderful community as long as you will let us.