Bdaily Festive Focus 2020: Sweet Cures marketing director David Smith says this year has highlighted the importance of working together

For today’s festive focus, Bdaily chatted with David Smith, design and marketing director at health supplement specialist Sweet Cures.

David spoke about the growth of the natural health sector, investing in the future and the importance of working together.

How has 2020 changed the way that you live, work, and think?

“The natural health sector has been growing for many years now, with this year seeing a further focus on our health and wellbeing.

“It’s fantastic to see people of all ages taking control of their health, and it’s a privilege for us to be involved with so many positive personal health journeys, even during this difficult time.

“I also think some trends, like the switch from high street to online, has simply been accelerated.

“It’s been positive to see many of the businesses we work with adapt to this trend by changing the channels they are selling by.

“We’re also much more aware of everyone’s wellbeing. We’re taking more time to speak to our customers, traders, and staff to make sure everything really is OK, and helping wherever we can.

“It’s been a difficult year, for some more so than others, and we remain humbled and grateful for every single customer, trader, and interaction we’ve received during this year.”

What has been your single biggest challenge and how have you overcome it?

“It’s difficult to say - a lot of challenges have arisen this year as a result of the pandemic, and, like many businesses, we’ve made some big changes across the company to meet new needs.

“Throughout lockdown, we continued operations at our main York HQ, ensuring we met Covid safety guidelines with all of the appropriate risks assessed and managed securely, while also working to safely retain staff on their contracted hours.

“We also made the move towards flexible working, to further accommodate staff shift patterns, offer the team more flexibility and provide customers with a longer window to get in touch with any queries.

“Customer service has always been a big part of our business. We take pride in creating the purest supplements on the market, with fast delivery and exceptional customer service.

“Like many online retail businesses, we rely on a supply chain of key partners, such as delivery services.

“When they slow down, it can impact the overall customer experience. So, with this in mind, we reduced the cost of next day services at our own expense and are in advanced talks with different postal service providers.”

What has been the biggest unexpected positive to come out of this year?

“The renewed focus on health and wellbeing has seen the business develop quicker than ever. Not only have we been able to make improvements to the business’s infrastructure and customer service offer, we’ve been delighted to see this translate to an uplift in sales.

“As a result of a 30 per cent increase in sales, we’re now in an exciting position of growth.

“We announced plans in November to recruit four new positions at Sweet Cures HQ in York, with further plans for expansion and product development in the future.”

What does your ideal Christmas look like?

“We’d love it if we could get the whole team together for a meal or even a simple gathering.

“However, we know this isn’t looking likely this year. Our top priority is the health and safety of our employees and their families.

“Instead, what we would have spent on a Christmas meal out is being donated to charity.”

How do you think people and businesses can support each other during 2020’s festive season?

“This year has highlighted just how important it is for everyone to work together to achieve a common goal.

“We’ve never worked in collaboration with so many like-minded businesses and charities as we do today.

“We’re always open to forming new relationships at both ends of the business, be it a new trader looking to sell unique and pure supplements or a new customer looking for natural health solutions at the right dosage without any nasty additives.

“I hope to see more of these kinds of collaborations in the coming years.”

What does 2021 look like for you and your business?

“We’re investing in making 2021 another strong year and our recent recruitment drive will allow the company to focus and grow different areas of the business.

“Sweet Cures also has several new products launching between Q1 and Q2, and new variations of our award-winning Waterfall D-Mannose.

“I believe the natural health sector with continue to grow year on year, which provides a fantastic opportunity for Sweet Cures to continue our plans for expansion.

“Of course business growth is important, but that’s nothing compared to a customer leaving us some positive feedback, or calling us to say thank you for helping them.

“Next year, I’m most looking forward to reaching out and helping new customers, and hearing more of these success stories.”

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