Panic Buying

Literally my face last week when I saw the stock arrive.

How many times in life does a mistake turn out to be a blessing in disguise. They are normally testing times, but you learn from these hard lessons and come out stronger. I must admit I am very careful not to make a mistake as time is money and mistakes normally cost money.

My business partner cocked up on one of his orders last week and it was a big mess up. Two interlinks of stock arriving in Johannesburg that was completely wrong didn't look great at the time. An Interlink is one of those big trucks that carries around 30/32 pallets.

Luckily the lock down announcement happened last night and businesses went into a panic mode today. It hasn't just been the people on the streets plundering the shops for anything they can get their hands on food wise but businesses being caught out as well. Essential businesses are allowed to continue operating ,but they also need supplies which I will gladly supply.

I had been a little down over the weekend as I saw plenty of my profit tied up for weeks if not months. The businesses that have to remain open have been caught on the hop though as certain supplies they just wont get. SASOL our raw material supplier is out of raw materials so our competitors cannot manufacture until after the 16th April. This was the moment I knew we could turn this around and move quickly. Opportunity knocks not very often, but when it does you need to jump on it immediately.

I made some calls this morning telling my clients and hopefully future clients how dire the situation was. I then offered them my partners mistake stock as a way out of a tight situation and more than half has been sold in one day. I expect the other half to be all sold before Thursday and the panic from our side is over. A good mistake if you like, but a really lucky one at an opportunistic time. If the lock down announcement hadn't of happened then we were in a pickle.

It is amazing what business can be drummed up when the backs are to the wall and you have a story to go with it. I have always had the gift of the gab and the personality to sell anyone anything especially when times are looking at their bleakest. The one thing is you always need a story in order for it to work. The funny thing is we made more profit as it was sold retail and not directly at wholesale prices where the shipment was originally intended.