This interview is part of a series chatting with local business owners, artists, organizers and people in our community who are learning to adapt during COVID-19.
Melissa Haig – KKP Belleville
Describe your business.
KKP Belleville is a one-stop shop for all things signage, printing, copying, design, digital, mailing and promotional items. Our motto is – Yes, we can! We work with clients large and small to find solutions for their business, organization or personal needs – be it signage, simple or complex mail-out packages, targeted mailing, annual reports, manuals or information packages, product identification and quality control communication. We are locally owned and have been in business here in Belleville for 33 years this fall.
What does working from home/your workplace look like for you right now?
Being a business that produces a physical product most of the time, we’ve remained on site throughout the crisis but with amended work spaces and customer access. We have new barriers, signage and limitations on how many people we have in our storefront. We’ve always tried to be flexible meeting our customers needs, even before the pandemic. Online ordering is common here, but perhaps used more heavily, as is our delivery service.
How have you adapted your operations during the pandemic?
We’ve expanded our product offerings to include plexiglass barriers and floor signage. We have a variety of products suitable for different applications. New products are common to our industry, so we roll them in as required. We’ve worked really hard to keep costs down and to work with our clients to help determine what their space needs for reopening. We know expenditures during uncertain times can be stressful – so we work to make it simple as possible.
How have you been supported by the community?
We are very fortunate to have a loyal base of long term customers and they’ve been very supportive. We work hard to get them whatever they need to keep their businesses and organizations moving forward. People have been letting others know about our expanded capabilities with availability of COVID materials and we’re very appreciative that they are spreading the word!
What is something good that has come from this difficult situation?
People in this area really care about their local companies, and we really care about them! I think it’s been really positive watching the community pull together to make PPE in the early days and now with everyone making an effort to support local businesses — that has been a bright spot in these uncertain times. In terms of my business, I’m feeling good about our business plan and our ability to withstand challenging times.
What advice do you have for other business owners at this time?
For other business owners out there, my recommendation is to ask your suppliers to help you find solutions to your current challenges. We’ve all been forced to think outside the box and we’re all motivated to keep each other going. Sometimes bouncing ideas off another business owner really helps formulate your new plans. We’re always happy to chat with people about what their situation looks like, what challenge they are working to overcome – whether it involves our products or not. We’re here to help.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
I’m very grateful for the support of local organizations in promoting local businesses, to our customers for continuing to come to us with their needs and to my staff (Debbie, Don, Frank, Glenda, Karen and Mike) for showing up with a positive can-do attitude throughout this pandemic.
Stay tuned as we share more local folks who are Makin’ It Work.
