How to Support Local - DEVerse Designs Edition

Who doesn't love a good custom home decor piece? DEVerse Designs can get it done! A personalized wine glass - YEP, DEVerse Designs will have you sipping out of your own perfectly designed chalice! Whatever it is you need customized, Devan from DEVerse Designs will stun you with her work! Here is what Devan told us about business:

Tell us about your business and why you decided to open.

DEVerse Designs is a small local business offering completely custom and handmade items. Anything from custom cups and glasses to wooden signs and growth charts. We make wedding gifts and favours, and anything else for special occasions. If you see something online, we can most likely recreate it!!  I’ve always had a creative mind, and loved making personalized items for family as Christmas gifts. I received a Cricut machine for my birthday one year and decided to open up my own business and share my creativity with everyone around me. I started by making wedding presents for friends who were celebrating their big day, and then grew from there! Since opening up in October of 2018, I’ve been able to grow and learn so much! I enjoy being able to put a smile on everyone’s face who place orders with me!  What business was like before COVID-19?

Before COVID-19, I was always very busy! Everyday I would get messages for orders and inquiries on products. I worked a 9-5 job and would come home and get started on orders that I had for that week. I was able to meet with clients and hand deliver their pieces, as well as be able to go out and pick up supplies that I needed in order to create their orders. 

What has business been like since the outbreak of COVID-19?

Business has definitely dropped in the last few weeks due to COVID-19. Though I can still create small orders with supplies that I have at home on hand, I have lost orders due to the fact that I cannot go out to the store and grab supplies. I am still trying to reach out and complete as many orders as I can to keep myself busy and motivated, but with people off work, and not spending money on non essentials, it definitely doesn’t allow me to be as busy as I was. 

How will this impact your business long term?

Because my business is mainly word of mouth customer based, it will drop sales. It’s hard to grow a business when you can’t network to customers - You can’t go out and do vendor shows and customers aren’t spending money on non essentials. The summer is prime time to set up at shows and promote your business, but with no one being able to go out and lots of things in the future being cancelled, the future is unknown!  How can people help? People can help out by continuing to show support through social media by sharing and liking posts, as well as spreading our name to people they talk to. I’m still trying to be active on Facebook and Instagram as I continue to fulfil as many orders as I can during this time!