You could be forgiven for feeling a bit lost or even useless at the moment. We are living in the most incredibly strange times, and our emotions are quite righty all over the place. There is no ‘right way’ to be at the moment and that is okay.
As a small business owner myself, I’m all too aware of the impact the pandemic is having on business. And although in the grand scheme of things it might not seem important given the grief so many are dealing with, the cold hard fact is, when this is over, we will go back to our day-to-day lives. Albeit altered, possibly even unrecognisable versions of our lives.
Be the Change…
But what I am hoping, is that one of the many changes we see, will be the way in which we shop, the choices we make and the impact we can make when deciding how to spend our money.
Promisingly, it does seem like a change is already happening. I’ve seen across social media, people are choosing to shop local and taking advantage of much needed delivery services. Small businesses are changing the way they work and are adapting to overcome the challenges they face.
I have been truly inspired by this and wanted to, in some small way, help promote that. So I put a notice in my local business support group asking for any local folk who have websites and a national delivery service to get in touch. And they did!
To that end, I am delighted to share with you, lots of wonderful Grimsby/Cleethorpes and NE Lincolnshire based businesses who are delivering services and products nationally.
Local Business with a National Reach…
Lilly’s Cloth Nappies have a fantastic selection of reusable nappies and accessories. An environmentally friendly alternative to disposable nappies, they are easy to use and look very cute too!
Natalie is an award winning hair stylist and Make Up artist. She also sells a selection of her favourite products online so you can recreate the look at home. There’s a great selection of hair and make up products and accessories.
Just because our big events and occasions have been cancelled, that doesn’t mean we can’t still plan for them. Isabel at Hats and Tiara’s has the most beautiful selection of occasion headwear, as well as jewellery and accessories. There is also a selection of casual hats, perfect for your daily walks!
I’m a huge fan of Gemma’s work, I have lots of her lovely stuff in my house. Affectionately known as ‘The Pom Pom Lady’ Gemma’s beautifully handcrafted work includes embroidered hoops, pom poms and crochet. It’s instant happy in fabric form!
This is a great one for all you new mums out there. Mumaroo are offering virtual free sling libraries , private zoom one to ones and sling fittings, as well as postal sling hires and purchases across U.K.
The gorgeous Lorna at Baba Roo has a great selection of gifts that can be found at local ace-space Arttopia, she also has an online shop for her gift boxes or “Happy Mail” – which are perfect as we could all do with a bit of happy mail at the moment right?
Lorna says – “We can send them for any reason but at this time our most popular boxes are being sent to those celebrating birthdays in isolation, new mamas who are welcoming new babies with no visitors allowed, to brides who have had to postpone weddings, from friends who wish to send their loved one a smile and hug through the post and our key worker happy mail box is very popular. We stock many items from small local businesses which go in our boxes too so a lot of businesses do a happy dance when we send one!”
Chocolate is great right? Now imagine chocolate that looks like art, but tastes even better. That’s just what Trace at The Chocolat Story does with her handmade chocolate! She creates little pieces of moorish art!
Now more than ever you might be feeling a little bit lost, lacking in focus or clarity. Coaching is great way to start looking at your life and ways to improve it.
Ellie at Clarity Coaching says coaching is “An inquisitive look into your current position in life, where you want to be, which then puts actions in place to enable you to live the life you want to live and be the person you want to be.”
If you’re missing your salon products, the folks at Fusion Hair co. have a selection of Redken Products you can buy online, so you’ll never have a bad hair day again!
Handmade Silver Jewellery by the wonderfully talented Tracey. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Tracey’s business go from strength to strength over the years and love seeing her unique pieces take shape.
Her beautiful creations are made from ethically sourced materials and wrapped in recycled packaging.
If you love your trainers the Boot Room is the place to go, from affordable footwear to high-end kicks, there’s so much to choose from!
In need of a little healing? Maybe just some beautiful adornments for your home? Mary Beth specialises in crystal grid artwork that’s not only super pretty but has healing properties too.
Why not brighten up your home. Let’s face it, right now it’s where most of us are spending 99% of our time right now! We may as well make it pretty.
Home Sweet Home Gifts have a really cute selection of trinkets, ornaments and keepsakes. They are posting every Tuesday, why not check out their facebook page.
Get your fix of cute surf wear and accessories at Reef Rash. This iconic local brand stock not only their core range Cleethorpes inspired clothing, they also stock big name skate and surf brands like Animal and Billabong.
Planning your big day? Jasmin Cottage Studios are not only wedding photographers, but they design beautifully bespoke wedding stationery.
I’ve featured the lovely Hayley on the blog before, her gorgeous handmade candles and wax melts smell delicious! She has since branched out into creating other lovely things like plaques and gift sets!
If you’re using this time to update your business stationery, prepare for events or even start a new business; the folks at JD print offer a full range of print services including business cards, banners, stationery, t-shirts as well as design services too. Check out their facebook page.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my round up! If you’re feeling inspired why not check out your local businesses too. If you’ve got an occasion coming up or just fancy treating yourself, why not give a small business a try!