Friday Things - April 3 - Now that we have the time.. disruption

This post is a throw back to nearly 2 years ago. I wrote it then but of course I got interrupted and I never published it. Still, it is part of our history and this was my truth.

It has been a rough few weeks for all of us, hasn’t it? I was texting a friend this morning and I told her I feel unsettled. When I am feel unsettled I write. These are my thoughts; in no particular order.

I am feeling tremendously grateful for our school district and communications team for the blood sweat and tears they have put in to educating and connecting our children. In 5 days I personally witnessed a 2nd grade teacher hold a daily conference call with 7 students that started out as monkeys on a sugar high and ended as orderly as any adult conference call I have ever been on. As adults we have been known to text our friends on calls without repercussion. As children they are called out for not having heads up and facing forward in learning position. Distance learning plans are challenging for the kids and engaging their brains in ways we wouldn’t do as parents. And when learning objectives are given in the morning with no time frame they are teaching children results management and the power of time management. These kids are our future.

I am grateful for the parents who have navigated through new apps and ways that our kiddos can safely communicate with each other. For kids school and activities are everything - their entire social world. So no school and no playdates is like a big scary wall thrown up that is isolating. Giving kids the tools and freedom to talk and giggle with their friends is the only kind thing we can do.

We are grieving the sudden loss of our normal. It’s emotional. It is DISRUPTION. We have all the time we always begged for but we aren’t allowed to use it the same way. I can think of at least 10 examples. We aren’t able to go where we want to go, or vacation where we might if we otherwise had 3 weeks off, or visit family who we never see enough of. We certainly can’t visit our elderly parents or grandparents now that we have the time. I would love to volunteer. I would love to go to tons of movies and binge on popcorn. I would love to take T to a new museum and explore OUR city, but we cannot. And honestly, the disruption is weighing so heavily I can’t even tell you I am exercising more, or cooking more than I was before. How cannot I not prepare a meal when I have literally been home for 3 weeks and the cupboards are stocked? We are eating sloppy joes and tater tots tonight. I’m not proud.

And what about at home? We have projects. Of course we do. I want hooks in our hall closet, the garage needs storage, the recycling drawer in the kitchen island hasn’t worked for 2 years. All of these are little but have been overlooked because of the pace and schedule of our business. But now that things have slowed way down and we have committed to the Stay at Home Order we still aren’t doing them. There is no sitting back and relaxing. We are wrapped up in finishing, in organizing, in working ahead, in planning. We are in a non stop cycle of communication about what if this and what if that. Three weeks ago we were talking with friends about wondering if March vacations should be cancelled. Two weeks ago we put together a plan for what would happen if we had to stop selling, stop installing, or just stay at home. Last week we felt like we had a good 2 week plan. Today I feel like that was all short sighted. We need a 6 month plan. We need to determine how to sustain our business in a new disrupted atmosphere. We need to do so without hibernating or pulling back crucial marketing dollars. But we also need to do so by marketing correctly and with the right message.

We are small business owners. We are feeling waves of change. We can install. We are prepared to provide virtual appointments. We have hundreds of past relationships we can re-engage with on their projects but how do we do that and remain sensitive. We know each time we pick up the phone we are talking to someone who may not have a job, who may be a first responder or medical worker, or who may be fighting the disease themselves. New windows during this time can seem so trivial. Are our needs to keep the business moving forward more important than their needs? Is our current advertising suddenly way off key? How fast can we change it to something better and when exactly will I have enough time alone to think about it and come up with a plan?

Can we talk about distance learning some more? The challenge from working from home while having a child completing school work from home is monumental. You may or may not know this.. but our office was at home for our first few years including when Tessie was born. I didn’t have maternity leave. I worked less, but I worked. And as she got older I constantly changed my schedule to accomodate hers. I had folders on my desk with times on them. I had a 5 minute folder, 15 minute folder and a 30 minute folder. I also had my days of the week folders. I knew that every day I had work that HAD to be done. And I knew that if tossed a fresh packet of post it notes to my 9 month old I could buy 15 minutes of work time. It was stressful and imperfect but I had a system. That was 7 years ago and I am rusty. The interruptions are louder and more demanding. They often require me to refocus my brain into her school work and before I know it I’m explainging comparing fractions and common denominators. It’s HARD. I don’t have another parent at home with me and I want both of us to get our work done. I am constantly torn between my job and spending time with her. I am never feeling like the right decisions are being made. Even with that my productive hours are reduced.

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Steve the Window Guy for Universal Windows Direct is a full exterior remodeling company focusing on replacing windows, siding and roofing. Steve and his team of are experts in working with people just like you to create a plan for the most cost efficient way to complete your exterior remodeling project. We are part of a national dealer network that has catupulted to the 10th largest* remodeling company in the nation. Locally we have an A+ rating with the BBB with zero complaints. Steve has been recognized by Universal Windows Direct as National Dealer of the Year three times for his hard work and dedication to getting things right. We are locally owned and operated in Bloomington, MN and work throughtout the Twin Cities Metro. Updating your home can be easy.

We believe Steve the Window, Siding and Roofing Guy was just too long of a name.

*Source: Qualified Remodelers Top 500 List, Published September 2019.

COVID-19 Update: MN Stay at Home Order

In light of Governor Walz’s Executive Order to Stay at Home we would like to share the following updates:

We have worked hard the last few weeks to adjust our existing schedule so that we could uphold previously scheduled requests for estimates.  All sold jobs have been sent to the factory for production.  The factory is in Ohio and is still in operation with no disruption to their supply chain as of yesterday.  No new estimates will be scheduled face to face;  we are now offering estimates through video conference.  The previously scheduled window and door installs for the next few weeks will be rescheduled. The only exceptions will be appointments run due to investigate water intrusion into the home through a decaying roof,  or lack of gutters.

While we are pausing face to face interactions for a few weeks everything else is moving forward. Once the stay at home order is lifted we will resume where we left off with our window, door and siding installs. While we would love to continue working right now we do not believe that the potential of exposing your family or our installers to COVID-19 is a risk worth taking. We are confident that when the time is right you are going to love your new windows and we appreciate your support in our decision to pause.

What about roof installs? Roofing installs will begin once the road restrictions lift and we can get dumpsters and materials to your site.

For all of you who have met Steve,  you know that staying home will be hard for him.  His top priority is making sure our customers are taken care of,  and our employees are able to keep working as long as possible.  We will move forward as many items as we can from home and as soon as we are able to return to normal function we will be poised and ready to do so.  Our office prepared for this eventuality last week.   We are not stopping work.  We are focusing on the business and different projects that can increase the delivery of service to you in the future.

The time we spend at home with loved ones is a gift.   We may have been forced in to it but we have the opportunity to relax.   We can now read together,  play more games,  work on puzzles and watch every movie we ever wanted to.    We have the time to cook together,  to bake together, and to do every tiny house project we ever wanted to.   Please do follow us on Facebook for our daily “What is Steve Doing?” picture.   It should be fun.

We believe in showing up.   During this COVID-19 Health Crisis the best way we can show up is to uphold the Stay at Home order.  Showing up duing this time means that we are doing our part to slow the spread and help our health care systems and our supply chains prepare to provide care when we hit the peak infection time.   We are staying home to keep those we love,  and those you love as healthy as possible.  

Be kind to each other,

Steve and Melissa

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Steve the Window Guy for Universal Windows Direct is a full exterior remodeling company focusing on replacing windows, siding and roofing. Steve and his team of are experts in working with people just like you to create a plan for the most cost efficient way to complete your exterior remodeling project. We are part of a national dealer network that has catupulted to the 10th largest* remodeling company in the nation. Locally we have an A+ rating with the BBB with zero complaints. Steve has been recognized by Universal Windows Direct as National Dealer of the Year three times for his hard work and dedication to getting things right. We are locally owned and operated in Bloomington, MN and work throughtout the Twin Cities Metro. Updating your home can be easy.

We believe Steve the Window, Siding and Roofing Guy was just too long of a name.

*Source: Qualified Remodelers Top 500 List, Published September 2019.