In March, my employer shut down. My husband was also one of several employees to get furloughed. Thanks to that, we both ended up at home for one and two months while our state was on an “essential business only” ban. In that time, we used stimulus funds for a major project we needed done around the house and I bought a Cricut the day I was furloughed (impulse I had been eyeing for a year). At that time, we figured I could take the time to work on my side business while my husband worked.
He was furloughed a week later, both of us before the extended unemployment benefits started. I tried to keep the attitude of being on a vacation or taking a break from working as a way to keep my anxiety down and it worked. It felt more like a vacation.
I started working on my Etsy while filling out job applications while my employer continued to pay me, but never heard back. When the Cares Act passed, we were able to relax.
I got a book finished I was working on and started pushing it. Since it’s print on demand, every time I get some books in, they sell pretty quick on my Etsy. My Etsy also fell dead while the shutdowns were beginning so I had time to regroup and rethink. I used the Cricut and started making graphic tees and totes as well as started on my astrological line I was originally intending on making and it’s starting to sell now.
In the time I was furloughed, I learned quite a bit.
I did learn that finding time to work on my Etsy, Etsy creations and books helped me increase sales. Now that I’m back working, I’m trying to find extra writing time as well as trying to spend extra time working on candles and sewing projects. Even though we were both unemployed, we were able to make all our bills monthly and when he went back to work, we were completely caught up.
I also saw how much of a dependence we all have on employers. Just missing work for a few months is crashing so many people—one income stream is not nearly good enough. Debt-free is also the way to go. How many people would end up homeless going a few months without a paycheck? How many would lose their car or end up with collections calling? There are some debts we absolutely need—but we don’t have to spend our lives in debt. It’s not going to be fun and at times may be a bit painful but we have worked out a plan to consolidate debts, froze our credit cards and are working on paying one loan payment off without racking up credit card debt. We will still have car/truck and mortgage but with an extra couple hundred a month, it will help and if this happens again, we will have less leaving every month to take the strain off.
I also saw that running e-commerce is going to be the way to go—instead of working for someone who will lay you off or furlough you without pay or good benefits, e-com was doing better.
With people staying home, they were shopping online and the big chain retailers with strong online apps and websites made it out better than the ones that still aren’t progressing. Online is the way of the future and brick and mortar chains need to get up to date so they won’t be run out of business.
I learned where I waste time and what to do about it. After careful consideration, I decided I spent too much time on my Facebook and it did nothing but stress me out so I deleted it. By next week, my account should be no more. I started slowly deactivating and worked my way up to seeing that I would go on the site and compulsively scroll—and get annoyed. It no longer gave me anything productive and it killed the time I have had to be productive. I still have my business page linked to my husband’s account and otherwise, I’m spending all my time on Etsy that I would be spending on Facebook. Between Etsy and my blog, it’s generating more income than Facebook ever could.
The last thing I have learned is that hanging out all the time with my kids, without us running all over—going to work, school and everywhere else was pretty fun. I’m looking forward to going back to somewhat normal when the school year begins and they want to be around other kids, but if I need to teach them at home, I now know I can.
Now the worst is over, but I’m sure a second wave is going to come along with the schools opening. Those are a few of the things I learned that stood out while our state was on lockdown. I’m sure there are more ways I have changed.
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