A question I have been asked enough , how does a small business find volunteers to pack for BIG orders when full time staff is not feasible?
The answer is easy, they are hiding in plain sight,in every nook and corner of this incredible country. Buckle up, cause we're about to share some of our wildest & downright strange stories of how we uncovered our hidden artisans & volunteers.
When we started we were desperate for volunteers to help with packing for busy days. We put up posters, sent out social media pleas, and even bribed our building & neighboring help with free chai & samosas plus a good daily wage, nothing seemed to work. As a result we burned the midnight oil quite often.
In those early struggling days, we received a huge order from a global giant who loved the mission and the handmade craft- but a night away from deadline, we realised we overshot. There was no way we could complete this. Gifts were ready but 650 boxes needed to be cleaned,packed with multiple items & loaded into trucks & paperwork ofcourse, all before 10 am.
This grave realisation came, albeit superlate at 2 am - it felt like there was no winning here. Grudgingly we took a dinner and venting break, voicing our anger and helplessness loudly into the universe.We worked so hard & this end was undeserved. If ONLY we could find people who would be awake at 5 am ! That was the Eureka moment, there is one group of people who ARE awake, the doodhwalas.
My husband had a restaurant and one of his team members ran the morning circuit to send some extra cash back to the village .We woke him with an urgent desperate phone call and to our surprise he assured it would be done. We had nine doodhwalas arriving at our office at the sharp committed 5.30 am after their deliveries, fresh and ready to help. I have never been happier to see these big aluminium vessels loaded on cycles.
After a quick ten minute briefing they worked seamlessly and we could finally breath easy. The despatch finished before time and that entire day we couldn't stop smiling.
Eversince they still remain in our roster of volunteers, always willing to step in wee hours when all helps lost.Our secret superstars are now fully proficient in packaging details and sometimes teach us a lesson or two.
If you are looking for handmade & meaningful gifs and resonate with our homegrown & handmade mission, pls drop me a message. If you have a similar crazy story,do share. Would love to connect and collaborate.
Ritu Malik
SMS Founder
