Kordahi, who has played an active role in the Australian startup and business community for close to 20 years, has pivoted his business DKMBlue, a market leader in promotional merchandise, corporate clothing and personal protective equipment, to solely focus on getting essential items into Australia as quickly as possible. 

“Hand sanitiser has always been in our range as a promotional product for corporates but it’s not a primary vertical for us, however, with stock running out across the country, it made sense to pivot the business to produce it in bulk and get it into Australia.” 

“After 18 years in business, we already have the infrastructure, network, partners and resources set up, so we were able to be agile in our offering and pivot our offering to focus on what is needed right now, which at the moment, is hand sanitiser and masks.” 

“If we didn’t pivot quickly and use the resources we already had, the business would be at a complete standstill right now and we wouldn’t be able to keep our staff employed, so adapting to the climate was critical 4 weeks ago, and it will continue to be in the weeks and months to come.” 

For other business owners, entrepreneurs and startup-founders who are navigating these uncertain times, Kordahi said it’s important to look at what resources and infrastructure you have available, and move quickly to fill gaps that are needed in this new landscape. 

“To survive COVID, pivot your offering, reduce overheads and find ways to increase revenue and sustain the business as much as possible, even if that means doing something that you don’t usually do. 

“You cannot continue to do things as you have always done in this climate and you’ll have to veer from your initial business plan and offering, but if you’re creative, innovative, decisive and open to moving with the landscape, you’ll be able to continue trading.” 

“The businesses that will survive are the ones that act quickly, think outside the box and pivot without hesitation.” 

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