Restrategize

When someone is in the process of building and opening a small business, they may mentally draft responses to certain commerce woes like a slow business day or even a petty thief, but most couldn’t imagine how they would tackle closing indefinitely during a global pandemic - it’s not exactly a textbook small business issue.

On March 20th, an emergency meeting was called that prompted the cancellation of church services, the shuttering of dine-in restaurants, and the closures of gyms, salons, and clubs. Overnight, businesses in Sand Springs and across the country had to figure out how to adapt - and they did.

As business owners in Sand Springs have proved over the years through tornadoes and city-wide flooding, they’re a resilient bunch. Here’s how some

Sandite small businesses pivoted during COVID-19, and how they’ve continued serving their customers 26 WeAreSandSprings.com | July 2020 despite the challenges they’ve faced.

OkieSpice and Trade Co. opened in their new location at the end of December 2019, but by midMarch, they were mandated to close. While closed, Kim and Steve Zieg, the owners of OkieSpice and Trade Co., began offering curbside service for some items and redesigned their website to accommodate online inventory. At the end of April, they reopened for instore shopping and curbside service.

Known for their rubs, dips, sauces, and salsas, OkieSpice and Trade Co. reopened at the end of April with new options: essential items, speciality boxes, and produce kits filled with fresh fruits and vegetables. The first day, the produce selection sold out. Now, the mom-and-pop shop has added more offerings, like family meat packs, inventive cheese flavors, and even locally-made hand sanitizer.

While some businesses closed, others remained opened and immediately implemented new procedures and offerings, especially because of product shortages across the country.

Due to limited supply, Coble’s Flowers was unable to procure many of the flowers they usually stock, including roses. But Sandites still wanted floral arrangements, and Shawnda Gaghins and her team came up with a solution: designer’s choice arrangements.

“Our customers trusted us with giving a price range they were comfortable spending, and we designed and did our thing from there,” Shawnda said.

The company also introduced “touchless delivery” and curbside pick-up, as well as a couple fun offerings like Easter baskets and build-your-own-terrarium packages. Birthday arrangements were and continue to be a big hit, too.

Now that restrictions have lifted, the team at Coble’s Flowers intends to offer its touchless delivery by request and continue its curbside pick-up service, plus the team will maintain its adherence to guidelines set in place by the Centers for Disease Control.

“We want to thank our customers for pushing us through the most difficult times,” Shawnda said. “We also want to thank you for trusting us with your tributes to loved ones while you were [unable] to attend funeral services.”

“We take pride in what we do,” Shawnda continued, “and it’s the highest compliment when you choose us to show your love.”

At Spoon Drug, lines in the drive-thru remained long throughout the quarantine period, but it allowed the team to offer no-contact pharmaceutical care, especially for those who needed continued care for health issues like elevated blood pressure or who needed treatment for arthritic pain.

In mid-April, an anonymous citizen placed a yard sign in the Spoon Drug parking lot that read: THANK

YOU ESSENTIAL EMPLOYEES! WE APPRECIATE YOU!

Because of the pandemic, many business owners were forced to shift their plans and offerings, and luckily, Sandites showed up with full support for local businesses throughout Sand Springs.