What if we could help while making a good deal? That was the perfect idea.
Being an entrepreneur is above all having a visionary mindset, knowing how to seize opportunities, being in the right place at the right time, and executing!
The most striking experience I had was setting up a surgical mask factory during the first lockdown in England, with no prior knowledge.
I decided on a Saturday night, in bed, discussing with my wife, after watching a video of an entrepreneur launching his factory in the Paris region. It inspired me.
I contacted my agent in China, searched the Internet, and by the following Tuesday, I had already bought the machine!
All this in just 2 weeks, importing a massive machine by plane.
Many told me it was madness and that I shouldn’t do it.
My whole body was telling me to listen to them, that it was impossible, I was heading for disaster.
I forced myself, it was against my nature, and I stopped thinking.
And I did it…
Factory Launch
In June 2020, the government set up an emergency purchasing unit, and many requests were coming in for millions of masks.
But we encountered a big problem:
The machine arrived broken!
One of the crates had tipped over during transport.
I was devastated.
Lost Hope
We then faced many technical problems with low production, while our salesperson did his best to negotiate contracts.
By September 2020, we had repaired, improved, and replaced essential parts.
Our skills were refined, and we were now able to produce up to 25,000 masks in an 8-hour shift.
However, demand dropped with the massive arrival of masks from China.
The government was providing masks to public institutions for free.
We couldn’t sell to them anymore.
I felt helpless, like a fool.
The promises made to us were not kept.
It was a risk I had to accept. You can’t always win, and I take full responsibility for that.
But there might still be hope…
The New Crusade
It would take more to discourage me. After all, it’s just business.
With 20 years of experience in e-commerce, I naturally decided to use this channel to boost sales.
The site was set up in one day, and it was time to launch the ads.
But unfortunately, all the major platforms were refusing ads related to masks.
The disappointment was immense. How to sell without visibility?
The Rebirth
The end of the year was tough with few sales and heavy losses.
I developed a simple strategy: we are not just mask resellers, we produce quality masks locally.
With perseverance, in January 2021, Google granted us special authorisation to advertise, and we were the only ones to have it.
Our online sales began to increase, and growth was steady throughout the year.
But something incredible happened…
The Surprise Wave
It was time to launch Black Friday, and it was a big Friday with hundreds of sales, and then the news dropped:
Omnicron was found in England, it’s panic!
The website explodes, and hundreds of visitors come in.
My phone is overwhelmed: notifications pile up at an incredible speed:
A new order has been placed…
A new order has been placed…
A new order has been placed…
I had to turn off the notifications.
I couldn’t believe it, I felt chills, and I took a moment.
I was both shocked and moved. I thought back to everything I had been through all the challenges, all the difficulties.
But it was worth it. I was happy. I had succeeded.
The weekend was a tsunami, and I had to make a decision I never thought I would make…
The Victory
We didn’t have enough stock, production couldn’t cover all the orders, we were running out of material.
I cut the ads, set the stock to 0 on the site, and stopped.
I had mixed feelings, I was happy and at the same time sad, the decision was harsh.
The small team was put to work, and we sometimes found ourselves on the floor preparing orders.
Like robots, we had to prepare thousands of orders.
It took weeks to deliver everything and fill the van with dozens of Royal Mail bags…
The Adventure
In 2022, the UK was one of the first European countries to lift restrictions and no longer make mask-wearing mandatory.
Sales began to decline. Despite everything, that year was marked by optimal production and sufficient sales.
With the end of the pandemic, it was time to make a decision.
In September 2022, we stopped production with a million masks in stock.
The website is self-sufficient, and everything has been outsourced, including customer service, and logistics:
The business is automated.
Happy End
Today, I don’t work more than an hour a week. The site operates autonomously, and customers are satisfied.
I learned a lot in a short time and met incredible people throughout this journey.
The life of an entrepreneur is full of challenges to overcome.
It’s an adventure.
And if I had to do it all over again? I wouldn’t change a thing.
Believe in what you do, and do what you love. Passion and conviction are the cornerstones of true success.