#2 Adapting to COVID-19: Griottes Polyglottes

Ingrid, the French-speaking entrepreneur and founder of Griottes Polyglottes, shares how she has adapted in the face of COVID-19.

What services/products does your company offer?

Workshops to practice French through theatre and improvisation (language theatre).

What’s your business’ clientele?

• Kids: children and youth in schools, daycares, summer camps, and home school programs
• Adults: individual or group workshops, and corporate team building activities

How are you feeling as an entrepreneur during the COVID-19 crisis?

There is no doubt this is a tough time, my motto these days is: “From chaos, the exceptional can be born, it all depends on how you deal with it.”

So, I’m staying positive. I think now is the time to slow down our daily grind and to realize where we are and what we can change. It’s a time to take advantage of doing all those things that we always tell ourselves that we should do, yet never actually do. This time also allows us to see how we react to such impacting moments and our ability to bounce back from them.

Did you have to adapt your business model?

Yes, it’s in progress! I am restructuring and rethinking my offerings for online activities.

Have any business opportunities risen because of COVID-19?

Yes, there’s a school I wasn’t in contact with until now, and they have requested sessions for online language theatre.

What steps has your company taken in response to COVID-19 to continue offering its services/products?

• I rely on training to be able to offer my workshops online
• I signed up for a course in online theatre to train myself
• I train myself on improvisation activities and adapt them to online activities

What are the impacts (positive or negative) of the crisis on your business? 

On the side of negative impacts, I lost all the animations that were planned for March and April, and I have no orders for the coming months. But there are positive impacts! The situation forces me to be open to the world and to restructure my offerings to welcome customers that I would not otherwise reach.

Do you have a post-covid plan?

Yes, I will add offerings to my catalogue, and potentially reach customers outside Vancouver and around the world.

What are the lessons you will learn from this situation in terms of managing your business?

Nothing is certain or guaranteed in life, everything can change in an instant. We must therefore always remain ready to reflect and bounce back even higher.

Do you foresee a temporary or permanent shutdown of your business if the situation doesn’t improve?

No!