We’re all in this together

Having spent the better part of a year in various stages of lockdown, I know too well the impact it’s been having on mental health, motivation, and the small businesses in our community. It seems like everyday I’m seeing a small business in the community close down as the owners just can’t keep going, and it’s heartbreaking for us all.

Over the last year, Timely has rolled out a number of initiatives to help our customers and the broader Beauty Industry. Much of this has been focused on the themes of how to keep your business going, and how to work on your business during lockdowns.

But we’ve heard from so many people in our community that enough is enough, and like me, we’re all over it. We’re sick of being told to “be productive” and “use this time to work on yourself or your business”. Not everyone wants to be working on their personal development, and that’s okay. Instead, we need space, time, and self-care to get through this period. Timely is a business made up of 120 real people experiencing the same emotions, and for us it’s crucial that we focus on the wellness of our staff, customers, and their clients throughout this time.

What does ‘wellness’ mean?

Wellness has a different meaning for everyone. It might be taking time out, going offline, self care, meditation, or exercise. Maybe it’s just getting through the day without crying or throwing something at the wall in frustration! For me, staying well has meant making sure I get outside each day – walking my dog Ruby makes that easier, but some days even that can be hard. I’ve made sure to keep up my gym sessions, because this does wonders for my mental health. I also have a diffuser and some essential oils I use every couple of days to keep focused when I’m working.

In managing the teams here at Timely, we’ve been checking in with them on a regular basis; ensuring they have everything they need and supporting them if they need to flex their time due to burn out, family, or homeschooling. We also ran the same mindset and resilience workshop for our Melbourne team that we did for our customers last week, which had such a great response! That will be available soon for everyone to access.

Staying well is the only priority

There’s no one size fits all approach to wellness, so don’t compare where you or your business are at with anyone else.

We’ve got your back through this; for however long it takes, with whatever you need, in whatever moment you need it. So, we want to know; how can we help you? What do you need from us? We’d love it if you could send us an email to let us know how we can best support you during this time.

Finally, we’re looking forward to when our customers can reopen safely and with confidence.

Stay safe, we’re all in this together.

Michael