Growing a Photo booth hire Company in 2020...

Let me start by repeating the intro… When you look back at 2020 next year or a few years from now, you have the choice to see it as a year of growth or a year of despair. A year of learning to adapt, or a year of being consumed by negativity. A year where you relied more on God or a year where you drifted away…

This is the 2020 journey of SelfieBox – the Elite photo booth hire Company of SA during the Covid-19 pandemic:

Let me sketch the picture to put the journey into a better perspective. At the start of March 2020, we were on a high in our business. We had just recently imported new Photo booths and implemented the latest in new software trends. The latest from the Global Photo booth hire market was what we were offering and one of very few in South Africa to do so!

The demand for new and trending products; unique GIF, Video and Photo booths and something fresh is what everyone wanted. And we were blessed to have this in our range of offerings! 

At this point I must add: Nothing that we have is by our own doing or our own accomplishments. Everything that we have is by God’s grace and His favour upon our business. SelfieBox would have been insignificant if it wasn’t for God prospering us!

We were looking ahead to a very prosperous 2020 and the impact of COVID-19 was not on our radar at that stage. When the limit on gatherings was announced by the President on the 15th of March – things changed very rapidly.

We had just completed a very successful Photo booth hire event at the Beauty Revolution Expo in Sandton the previous day. That was to be our last event for the next 6 months… Interestingly, we had our most profitable March of the past 5 years. And it was only based on a 15 day month!

What followed was a journey of trial and tribulation, but we could hold on to what it says in the Bible in John 16:33: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

All upcoming events were initially postponed, until the hard lockdown announcement on the 27th of March. Refunds were requested, weddings were cancelled and all prospective bookings were unconfirmed indefinitely.

At this stage in the Blog, you might be wondering where the “Growing a Photo booth hire company in 2020” fits in…

Well, very often we become so trapped in the rat race – that is running and building a business – that we forget who gives us the power to gain wealth. Deut 8:18: “And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth.” 

COVID-19 was, and to an extent is, a very lengthy press of the pause button on the 2020 playback video of the journey we have gone through.

Despite not being able to do any Events whatsoever for 6 months, we were given the opportunity to strengthen ourselves, our marketing strategies and most importantly – our relationship and reliance on God!

What transpired was a time of reflection, panic at times, re-strategizing, cutting on overheads, planning, exploring various avenues, and ultimately growth. 

Every single one of us in South Africa and probably worldwide, have been affected in some way by the pandemic and ensuing lockdowns. We do however have the choice to see the good, the positive and the growth. Or not…

We can choose to be like David in 1 Samuel 30, when he had lost everything. Way more than anyone of us has ever endured.

1 Samuel 30:1-4, 6, 8, 19: “Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, ² and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way. ³ So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. ⁴ Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

⁶ Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was ^a]”>[a]grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

⁸ So David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” ¹⁹ And nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them; David recovered all.“

Now that is the choice that we are making! We are believing God for a full recovery, full restoration and retrieval of everything we have lost in 2020! We are believing for significant growth in 2021!!

This is why I can give the title to the Blog of “Growing a Photo booth hire Company in 2020!”