Botanical PaperWorks receives relief grant

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This article was published 07/07/2020 (2081 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a test of strength, resilience and adaptability for businesses, including Botanical PaperWorks.

As a manufacturer of biodegradable and seed-infused paper products, such as invitations and packaging used for events, businesses, and correspondence, Botanical PaperWorks saw a downturn in revenue as pandemic-induced cancellations came into effect.

The Pacific Avenue-based company is one of 62 small businesses in Canada — one of two in Manitoba — to be awarded $10,000 from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and Salesforce.

The grant is part of the Canadian Business Resilience Network Small Business Relief Fund, managed by the chamber.

“It is such a gift,” Heidi Reimer-Epp, chief executive officer and co-founder of Botanical PaperWorks, said.

According to a press release, Botanical PaperWorks was among the companies to best demonstrate its financial strain, how it would use the grant to change or innovate and how that would help its recovery.

The funding will be put towards the company’s efforts to reduce its “physical footprint,” as well as to prepare for business to pick up again, Reimer-Epp explained.

“One of the things that I’ve said to my team this whole time is that we should be using this time, this slower, quieter time, to prepare for ramping up,” Reimer-Epp said. “Essentially we’re using this lull as a chance to invest in our processes.”

When sales began to slow down at Botanical PaperWorks, the company started to look for ways to accommodate the new needs of customers during the pandemic. This inspired the company to release a new encouragement product every week, such as postcards with uplifting messages that people could send to their loved ones or colleagues.

“I do think that there’s always a drive as humans for connection and our products are made for connecting and spreading beautiful flowers, but also they’re given out as gifts a lot of the time. So even though people weren’t getting together for those large events, there was still this need to encourage and uplift and support,” Reimer-Epp said.

Customers also found creative ways to adjust their paper orders, such as including the video link for Zoom weddings on invitations.

For more information about Botanical PaperWorks, visit https://www.botanicalpaperworks.com/