The COVID-19 pandemic has turned our world upside down, with small businesses being hit especially hard. This is a pivotal time for SMBs, and the way they respond to the pressure will determine how their business runs for years to come. Many companies are taking this difficult situation and turning it into an opportunity. In our Positive Pivots series, we’re diving deeper into what these innovative businesses have done, and what lies beneath the surface to produce this kind of creativity and resilience.

This week we spoke with Rashee Gupta, Founder of MGS Accessories, to discuss how the company was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

What is MGS Accessories?

MGS stands for MrsGuptaSquared (a lifestyle and beauty blog). MGS Accessories, a vegan and cruelty-free makeup and skincare line, was born in 2017. With a background and career in makeup, I developed my first product, a collection of highly pigmented, vegan, and cruelty-free eyeshadow palettes. It sold out in a few hours! That's when I knew I was onto something. As an Indian-American woman, I never found products with colors I could relate to, so I saw this as an opportunity to bring more diversity to the beauty industry. MGS Accessories is now selling around 100 different products all over the world.

How did COVID-19 affect your operations?

When the COVID-19 shutdown first happened, my supply chain was disrupted. Deliveries from my suppliers slowed down, but I felt fortunate that the delays I experienced were minimal compared to other businesses.

How did you respond to changes due to COVID-19 at your company?

After altering our product catalogue and changing our marketing strategy for the year, we saw a big surge in eye makeup products (eyeliner, mascara, and eyeshadow), which is likely due to more people wearing masks. They’re focusing on their eyes! We also noticed a huge surge in eyelash purchases when the lockdown began because people could no longer get their eyelashes professionally done. We took notice of this and sourced accordingly to keep our catalog up to date and meet these new demand levels.

Has there been a silver lining for your business throughout the COVID-19 pandemic?

COVID-19 forced us to constantly analyze our product line and make adjustments accordingly. It has forced us to be more nimble and resilient.