The Struggle with COVID-19

It’s hard to believe that the first quarter of 2020 isn’t even over. We’re only in mid-March and already, the year has thrown us a number of curveballs.

No matter where in the world you may be in, you’ve probably been affected by COVID-19 in some way. In Malaysia, our government has announced a movement control order, which means that many of us have decided to hole up indoors.

At BloomThis, the team has started working from home. We’ve also made the decision to pause all deliveries during the two-week period from March 18 - 31.

For us to continue making deliveries, our floral artisans would have to be physically present at their workstations, our operations staff would have to pack items and liaise with the delivery teams. They are valuable to us, even beyond their business functions, and we refuse to put them at risk.

Yes, our business will suffer losses; we’ve had to throw away most of our flowers; we will continue to pay all of our staff. But I believe that as a leader, there are times when tough calls such as these have to be made.

I’m sure there are other e-commerce businesses like ours that will take a hit as well, not to mention other people who may lose jobs in the aftermath of this. Our hearts go out to them and hope that there’s some kind of silver lining on the other side of this.

For now, we need to do our part to flatten the curve and reduce the spread of this virus. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the health care providers, current COVID-19 patients and their families, as well as other essential businesses that continue to run.

In this season of uncertainty, it’s so important to remember your loved ones and appreciate the time that you have with them. A little thought can go a long way, and it’s easy to simply send your love or a surprise gift to cheer someone up or show solidarity.

At BloomThis, we want to do our part to help as well so we’re planning some things that will make it easier for you to send gifts to your loved ones. If you’re afraid of forgetting, you can place your order now and we’ll send them from Apr 1 onwards.

Meanwhile, I hope all of you are safe, healthy and remember to wash your hands!

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