The whole social distancing thing is VERY necessary, and it does come with some impacts (both good and bad). I’m not going to try and cover the many ways that have been discussed in media. I’m not an authority, and I won’t do it justice.

Instead, I’ll talk a bit about what this means for Knotions and Online Businesses.

Social Distancing for an Online Business

You guys might think that there’s no impact – but you’d be wrong.

Photography

We made the decision to do the photography on a mannequin. This was NOT an easy decision. But, in the end, we believed that the health and well-being of Kellie (the photographer) and the model were the priority.

People need to be safe, even when sacrifices come with it.

Yarn Stores Temporarily Closing

There’s also an emotional toll in all of this, and I think this is a great example. Many yarn store owners and yarn dyeing businesses are friends, and they’re dealing with a lot of impact. I hate seeing this and all the angst.

Less Articles

We had an article planned about H+H. When it got cancelled, so did the article. There will be others. Totally necessary, and the impact on us is A TON less than for many people. But still, not none.

We’re an Online Business Made of People

I touched on this above, but to be clearer – all of these things DO make an emotional impact as well. I’ve personally found it harder to concentrate lately and I’ve heard the same from others too. It’s just part of the ebb and flow of a business, but one that I wanted to mention as well.

We’re in this Together

I can’t say this strongly-enough – we’re all dealing with this and the daily changes on a global-level. I do truly believe that we’ll step up and get through this. I can’t say this strongly enough. We WILL get through this.

Lots of People Have Stepped Up

I’ve been so encouraged by the things that I’ve seen in our industry!

We’ve been mentioning them on both Facebook and Instagram. And this only touches the surface. I’m seeing an amazing amount of support and people banding together. Store closures WITH continuance of salaries. And healthcare. There’s no greater barometer for how someone really is than how they behave in challenging times.

We’re Planning for the Future

Just this week, we’ve done several things:

• Planned the next round of photography
• Discussed ads for the rest of this year and next
• Decided on the topics of the Dailies for several more weeks

Given all of these efforts, I’ll say it again – we WILL get through this TOGETHER.