Big Picture - October 2020 - 10

extreme vinyl

Planning
with Optimism
How an unexpected year brought in new business and a positive outlook for 2021.
| by Matt Richart

BIG PICTURE

October 2020

think we can all agree that 2020 has been one for the ages.

[See Marty McGhie's September column for a similar
opening line]. Who could have predicted any of this
coming down the pipeline? It's been a rollercoaster for us
all, and has made conducting business more challenging
than ever. I tell my staff that every day over the past seven
months has been like Groundhog Day. To write about optimism
is a breath of fresh air. As a business owner, I have a bad habit
of being a pessimist. I tend to focus on everything that could go
wrong first, before moving onto the positives. But this year has
surprisingly left me full of hope.
In March, most of us were scrambling to see if we were even
labeled as essential workers. We were lucky that our industry
provided some quick information explaining who was allowed to
stay open and who was deemed non-essential. That month was a
learning experience on how to conduct our business. Our doors
were closed to the public and only our employees were allowed
in our facility. All vehicles were dropped off outside and keys put
into a clear box. We wore plastic gloves and facial coverings
when we pulled vehicles in and out every single day.
Once our new process was set, we noticed the phones
weren't ringing like they used to and our walk-in business
declined by 75 percent. Our incoming phone calls decreased by
75 percent for the first three to four weeks of March, but we were
able to maintain our momentum. Our staff saw many construction companies, boat manufacturers, landscapers, service
industry clients, and any businesses dealing with remodeling or
home improvement features were staying busy. This led to new
business for us. It was a blessing, and we continued to take care
of those clients from March through May.
In June, we received our Paycheck Protection Program
(PPP) money. It allowed a safety net in case we had any

MATT RICHART is the co-owner of Digital EFX Wraps, a full-service,
one-stop shop in Louisville, Kentucky. Matt leads country-wide demos
and training sessions on how to sell, market, design, and install for
the wrap industry. Follow him on Twitter @digitalefxwraps.

setbacks. I want to be transparent; we did have to lay off three
employees during that time for four weeks. It was a tough
decision to make, but we wanted to ensure our company was
going forward and not backward. The PPP loan allowed us to
bring back our full staff and continue to conduct business as if
nothing ever happened. This was what the PPP money was
intended for. We were lucky to receive that financial help
during these tough times.
After the first three months of the pandemic had passed,
our production, communication, and focus on each job was
improving. Closing our doors to the public actually allowed us
to spend time on our standard clients, which made us more
productive. We were able to schedule sales calls and vehicle
inspections, and it showcased what we usually call time
wasters. We all have these potential customers, but sometimes
they can help pay the bills - even if they are $50 jobs. This year
we can use every dime that comes through our front doors.
We also took the time to ask our clients if they noticed a
change in our communication and if they were okay with our
new system. To our surprise, most of our clients had adapted
the same or similar procedures. Once these were in place and
our staff was back in full action, we started to book up for two
to three weeks in advance, which was another blessing.

https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_202009/index.php#/p/10 https://www.twitter.com/digitalefxwraps

Big Picture - October 2020

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