ensure the smooth and safe running of the business, whatever the future had in store, and it meant I could continue the whole operation following every Covid guideline and safety measure to the letter and beyond! Just before we had to close, the team was right in its stride and closing for a second time was a real body blow. To say there were tears and an air of utter dejection on our last day together would be putting it mildly... No more team nights out, social days or baby showers (two of our team returned to work in June with ‘lockdown’ baby bumps). The annual Christmas outing and various other festive celebrations all looking increasingly unlikely. I had to really stretch to try to catch onsidering that in January, I’d hand sanitisers throughout, spaced out a glimpse of the silver lining that I knew our fitting areas and appointment times, would be there if only I could see it. never even heard the word quarantined gowns, and scrubbed and Then I realised it was right in front of me ‘furlough’, this concept has cleaned between appointments like our all along. It was the team itself. now become my new best lives depended on it... because maybe My wonderful group of ladies, who friend. I feel like the ‘f’ word and I have they actually did! all love each other like family. These truly bonded. It’s just as well really, as, We wore the face masks, we ladies carry the reputation of Bellissima after finally getting the whole team washed and sanitised our hands until like a precious jewel. They strive to back to work, we had to put most of ! they hurt, we kept our distance, we succeed in their jobs and show me a them back on it for a second time this limited customer numbers, retrained, passion and love for our business with year. reconfigured, and for what? To be told every comment, idea, and middle-ofJust at a point when we thought we that, despite all of this, we were having the-night bright-idea text they send. were getting somewhere and when to close again. These ladies ARE my silver lining. buying confidence was returning, I struggled (and I still do, in truth) For them, I made a pledge that we‘d there we went again. When taking to understand why appointment-only do everything in our power to ensure orders behind glass screens, OCD sectors like ours couldn’t continue to they have whatever they need to cleaning and ‘talking with our eyes’ continue to make the dreams of others was becoming less odd, and projecting operate, assuming there is any merit at all in all the precautions we’d been come true once we reopen. our voices through face masks at a instructed to take. If these measures I haven’t furloughed everyone this considerable distance was becoming don’t work, then why on earth were we time; some of the team are working with easier, we had the sad duty of closing our doors and calling all our customers continuously required to jump through me behind closed doors. We are remerchandising, going over all aspects once again to console, reschedule and so many hoops to comply in the first place? of the operation: training, planning, reassure. Being someone who usually sees prepping, communicating with our Once it became apparent that no the positives in everything, I don’t mind customers and selling the dream. We’re amount of tiers, local curfews and admitting to a couple of wobbly days on zooming the furloughed members for common sense were going to save us that point. My level of annoyance was chats, and raising a glass to each other from a potential bashing by a second from the comfort and safety of our wave of Covid, I think we all collectively such that I had to give myself a pretty homes. started to dread that chilly shadow cast stern talking to. We had a full diary, our new fittings suite was just ready to This time we refuse to be down; we by the prospect of closing again. open. are celebrating our successes and At Bellissima, just like most other The acquisition of a whole new floor banking those wins. 2020 has taught businesses across the land, we’d done had been my first lockdown project us more than we could ever have all we could, and at great expense, and, going forward, it will allow us to imagined and, through it all, we will rise to ‘Covid-proof’ our premises. We’d stronger and more together than ever. serviced and changed the filters in the operate fittings and changing areas We owe it to ourselves. We owe it to air conditioning, invested in Italian glass completely privately, with each having its own entrance. This was done to our brides. Onwards! screens around our counters, placed
The ‘F ’ word
Laura Daly discovered that silver lining just when she thought it had vanished permanently into the grey clouds
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N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 0 ♦ W E D D I N G T R A D E R ♦ 71
