荔枝视频

The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered an economic crisis, but it鈥檚 also spurring innovation as businesses and organizations embrace new technologies 鈥� or apply twists to old ideas.

The ability to move at breakneck speed is an increasingly crucial organizational trait that applies to not only the workforce, but also to citizens who have sprung into action by donating their time and money during these insecure times.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we鈥檙e surprised by the number of small 荔枝视频-based businesses that have pivoted to COVID-19-related opportunities,鈥� says Court Ellingson, BComm鈥�94, vice-president, strategy, at 荔枝视频 Economic Development (CED).

鈥淎long with the City of 荔枝视频 and the 荔枝视频 Chamber, we [CED] recently hosted a webinar where we heard that many local businesses are exploring an online presence and offering e-commerce to their customers.鈥�

Shift to e-commerce

But not all businesses are shape-shifters or can respond nimbly to these new economic needs and platforms.

鈥淎lthough we are more resilient than people may think, there are thousands of businesses in 荔枝视频 that have been impacted by COVID-19,鈥� adds Ellingson. For example, a survey conducted for 荔枝视频 Economic Development found that 55 per cent of respondents reported a direct negative impact from the pandemic. Firms are responding by cutting operational spending, supply spending, and reducing staff levels.

鈥淭he negative impacts of COVID-19 are being felt across the country,鈥� adds Ellingson, 鈥渁nd we are now particularly concerned for the small businesses who will miss the summer tourist season which generates considerable employment and economic activity in 荔枝视频.鈥�

The small businesses that will best weather this economic storm, Ellingson stresses, are those that are adaptable, 鈥渁nd will take this opportunity to learn more about their customers or new ways to communicate with their clients that will lead them to come out stronger on the other side.鈥�

We are witnessing unprecedented agility as well as a shuffle of priorities 鈥� from the  dropping off barrels of hand sanitizer at the 荔枝视频 Drop-In Centre, to real estate developer RNDSQR鈥檚 showcasing some wares made by U荔枝视频 alumni. Here, we check in with four small businesses operated by U荔枝视频 alumni that have made deft pivots to their business models in order to keep going during COVID-19.

EverLine Coatings and Services

After snagging a dream deal on CBC鈥檚 Dragons鈥� Den last November, John Evans, BA鈥�11, president of says, 鈥淏usiness was rockin鈥� and rollin鈥� 鈥� that was, until COVID hit 荔枝视频.鈥� That鈥檚 when he watched 80 per cent of the revenue behind his line-painting and parking lot services company vanish, overnight.

Strapped and desperate, Evans laid off his staff of eight 鈥� though they were hired back once the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) was announced 鈥� and spent a weekend with other franchise-owners exploring one question: What other service could these industrial-strength line-painting machines provide?

As Evans says, 鈥溾�楨ureka!鈥� arrived on Monday,鈥� when the braintrust wondered if their equipment could be used to apply disinfectant that could kill COVID-19 on most surfaces.

After locating a 荔枝视频 manufacturer of hospital-grade disinfectant, the word got out and Evans鈥� first client appeared. The owner of a landscaping company wanted his trucks, trailers, tools and offices disinfected so that his 鈥渓arge essential workforce would feel comfortable returning to work,鈥� says Evans.

EverLine staff now wear a full-face shield, respirator, gloves and rubber boots to ensure they鈥檙e staying safe as they work.

While overall revenue will still 鈥渓ikely go down,鈥� predicts Evans, 鈥渨e鈥檝e been able to keep our staff and we all want to believe that residential sealcoating will be a strong sector this summer with more people working from home. And now that we鈥檝e diversified and can offer a new service, we have regular meetings about improving process and sales strategies.鈥�

SkipTheDepot

Since early March, demand has grown six times for this that picks up your bottles and cans and takes them to a bottle depot for you, says co-owner James Trask, BSc鈥�10, a.k.a. chief empties officer.

鈥淲ith most people staying at home and avoiding high-traffic places like a bottle depot, [it] means we鈥檝e had to scale significantly in a very short period of time,鈥� explains Trask, who, along with partner Tom Gayef, BSc (Eng)鈥�08, launched SkipTheDepot two years ago

Trask says making sweeping changes such as scaling supply from contracting drivers and vehicles, and boosting customer support, software functionality and server resources 鈥渋s difficult in the best of times, but when you add the very important health and safety precautions to the mix, well, it鈥檚 been challenging, but 鈥�  and only in a business sense 鈥� a good problem to have.鈥�

Here鈥檚 how SkipTheDepot works: After this on-demand service has transported your bottles and cans to a depot, you can opt to have your refund e-transferred to your bank account, or you can donate the amount to the charity of your choice. About 30 per cent of each transaction is taken by SkipTheDepot, whose customer base, Trask says, 鈥渏ust eclipsed 20,000 people, and has facilitated $100,000 to charity and non-profit organizations鈥� since its inception.

Hippo Hug Inc.

When COVID-19 struck, the owner of thought she鈥檇 have to shutter her small business. Instead, Leslie Brooks, BA鈥�01, who since 2012 has been producing weighted blankets for those suffering from insomnia and anxiety, has doubled her staff from five to 10 and is now sewing cotton masks, with orders recently topping out at 32,000.

鈥淗onestly, I am now at work at 7 a.m., seven days a week, just trying to keep up with orders,鈥� says the English grad. 鈥淲hen CEMA [荔枝视频 Emergency Management Agency] wanted 24,000 masks ... well, that changed everything. We actually had to hire more staff and buy more machines.鈥�

The day that Canada鈥檚 chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, recommended people wear non-medical masks when in public, Hippo Hug made a quick post on Facebook and Instagram, alerting followers about their selling masks online. In less than 12 hours, it had received 100 orders and the demand has only continued to skyrocket.

The company鈥檚 margins are thin, but the heartwarming inquiries from people who have ordered extra masks for health-care workers and from those who want to drop off masks to seniors, 鈥渉ave made our team feel like we are doing our part,鈥� says Brooks. 鈥淚t might be small, but it feels like something.鈥�

The Crossing

Set on a 145-acre swath of land 20 minutes northwest of Cochrane, is a small meeting centre that offers an alternative space for corporate meetings, personal retreats, and small weddings. By mid-March, the venue had been walloped with COVID-related cancellations, forcing general manager Jori Guetg, MBA鈥�08, to lay off most of their 19 employees.

The federal government鈥檚 CEWS program allowed Guetg to rehire some of her full-timers, who promptly began tackling overdue maintenance projects. But as Guetg and The Crossing鈥檚 chefs surveyed their commercial kitchen, their thoughts turned to the needs of the community.

A kitchen that not so long ago made meals exclusively for guests is now producing 100 meals a week, 100 one-litre containers of soup, and 20 food hampers that are being delivered to three nearby charities: Homes for Heroes, the Veterans Association Food Bank, and Helping Hands.

鈥淚f, back in February, you had told me that I鈥檇 be selling cheesecakes as a fundraiser so we could make meals for people like our veterans, I wouldn鈥檛 have believed you,鈥� admits Guetg. 鈥淏ut, when the veterans want to help our chef distribute the meals to all the homes because they are so grateful and excited that there are people who care about them 鈥� it鈥檚 awfully humbling and gratifying.鈥�

Do you know of any alumni-run businesses or community heroes who are making a difference during COVID-19? Let us know at: alumni@ucalgary.ca.