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 businesses run for years to come. Many companies are taking this difficult situation and turning it into an opportunity. In our Positive Pivots series, we are 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 Watcharee Limanon, Founder of WATCHAREE’S, to learn how COVID-19 has impacted her business operations.

What is WATCHAREE’S?

I grew up in Bangkok and was educated in the US and Thailand. I worked as an environmental lawyer and provided consulting services to international development agencies to help improve the environment in Asia. When traveling to Asian countries for my work, I tasted many different cuisines which sparked memories of cooking with my mother. I decided to follow this passion and trained with top chefs in Thailand.

When I returned to the US in 2012, I wanted to share my passion for authentic Thai cuisine and gave cooking lessons in my community. I also noticed that many of the ready-to-eat Thai sauces on the market were not authentic and contained artificial ingredients. I decided to launch a brand of traditional sauces for busy people who crave authentic flavors. After six years of hard work, the WATCHAREE’S brand of authentic Thai sauces is now sold in supermarkets like Whole Foods, Wegmans, and Publix.

Where do you get your supply from, and was it impacted?

We use authentic ingredients from Thailand in our sauces. At the beginning of the pandemic, we experienced some disruptions in the supply chain, but are now back on track and our supply chain has returned to normal.

How else did COVID-19 affect your operations?

We have actually benefited from the lifestyle changes caused by COVID-19. People miss eating out. They miss going to Thai restaurants and ordering their favorite dishes. As a result, new customers who appreciate high-quality, authentic Thai food have tried our sauces. Some of our customers have even told us that our sauces taste better than restaurant dishes!

Many of these new consumers are also demanding healthy, clean ingredients, which contributes to our growth. Our sauces are clean, gluten free, and vegan. We only use the best ingredients and nothing artificial.

What is your best general advice for other businesses out there during this time?

Follow your passion. Starting a business is hard work and requires persistence. Everything takes time, but as long as you stick with it and follow through, you can be successful.