The pandemic has left billions of people around the globe locked up at home. A quarter of a billion jobs were lost due to the economic shocks of the virus. Guy Ryder, director-general of the International Labor Organization, said it was the worst crisis for workers since the Great Depression of the 1930s. According to the data of the Bulgarian Registry Agency, a total of 372 insolvency proceedings were opened for the first nine months of 2020. Compared to the same period of 2019, the growth is - 4.5%, but the increase is significant in the third quarter when it reached 59.8%.
Despite the shocking data and the fear of measuring life by counting the number of lockdowns, there is room for hope. Staying at home gave birth to new businesses and revived some forgotten old ones.
Stay hydrated! Use glasses Ekaterina Lashova's studio.
Ekaterina Lashova is one of those far-sighted artists who have turned their studio into their second home. At her place, creativity and beauty are never quarantined. Together with her team, she creates unique porcelain cups and objects with love and inspiration. The personal utensils she creates are a true delight for every sense and a nice gift you can make for your loved ones. She has themed series for Valentine's Day, Christmas, Easter, and every other day of the week if you feel like getting something special for yourself or someone else. Ekaterina's trademark is the so-called "Crushed glass", but you can get acquainted with all her work on her Facebook page: Ekaterina Lachova Love. With Ekaterina's ceramics, you will instantly forget the plastic cups at the office or those from your takeaway lunch. You will hold something unique and professionally made. It's no surprise- the ceramic designer has French and Belgium degrees for her skills.
Regular handwashing is important! Iva Parvanova crafts soaps from natural colors and fragrances.
Iva was born in Kalofer and probably slept on pink sheets because that was what inspired her to make handmade soap from Karelian rose clay, rose essential oil, coconut oil, shea butter, and a sprinkle of Bulgarian rose. All this, while sitting on the couch waiting for the pandemic to go away like a soap bubble. This pink fantasy is booming because it's a killer of microbes, and a great protector for dry/ sensitive skin. The range is enriched with natural ingredients of dried calendula, poppy seeds, turmeric, cocoa butter, volcanic clay, ground grape seeds, and more. The soaps are marketed under the "Life from Nature" brand and can be found on Instagram.
Light up 160 candles and put a smile on your face under your face mask!
Three crazy dreamers start their adventure in a kitchen, loaded with 3000 jars, a little wax, and a lot of desire. This is how they create natural candles with a quirky, spicey burning sense of humor. Each candle of 160 candles is hand-cast and contains natural soy and coconut wax, a wooden wick that bursts like a lighted fireplace, and French natural aromas. If you are getting married or making corporate gifts, you can take advantage of a personalized message, a package of recycled paper, and a fragrance of your choice. The aroma workshop, where the magic happens, is no longer in the kitchen - 47 Cherni Vrah Blvd., Vitosha Business Center. For questions, orders, or just a little laugh, visit www.160candles.com at any time.
Wine for well-being from the online store.
What do you do at home in the evening, after you shut down your home office? Crack open a bottle of good wine, which you selected with exactly 3 clicks, during your lunch break. It is not healthy to drink just any wine. Wine should always be a cure for the soul, and if it has to be Italian - www.kinoivino.bg, and if it should be Bulgarian - www.calacria.com.
Both online store owners say that the pandemic brought them more customers because people have finally incorporated the "In vino veritas". The site www.kinoivino.bg offers about 100 labels of imported Italian wines, the quality of which is beyond doubt. Julie and Vesko Savovi, known as the founders of Sunnyfilms in Bulgaria, hence the name of the online store, are on the market for 10 years. If you opt for Bulgarian wine, www.calacria.com offers the wine production of a unique vineyard between Kavarna and Balgarevo with the resounding name “Reggio di Calacria.” There, you can order directly from the producer and you can try Traminer, Glera (known as Prosecco), Chardonnay and fragrant Tamyanka.
Let the record play ...
Currently, more vinyl records are being sold in the United States than CDs, and a vinyl record factory has opened in Madrid for the first time in over 20 years. The founders of the Mad Vinyl Music plant decided to get ahead of the wave and launched production in December 2020, at the height of the pandemic. Bulgaria didn't lag. Vladimir Stamenov from TABA record store (Sofia, 52 Tsar Asen Str.) shares that more and more people want quality sound, the opportunity to feel the music in their hands, put it on the turntable, and relax on the couch. Their store is focused on electronic music, where you can find the world's biggest labels. Second-hand tiles are also regularly selected. Recently they have been making a selection of audio cassettes, which are also expected with a huge comeback and more and more Bulgarian and foreign artists are preparing to release tapes. In the TABA record store, you can also find quality turntables with which to start your journey to a more conscious music world. Out of love for music and in support of Bulgarian art, they invite Bulgarian DJs to in-store sessions on Sundays, which are broadcast live on YouTube and Facebook.
You order, Glovo delivers from Spain to your door in Bulgaria
At the beginning of March, the Spanish company Glovo for delivery of various goods entered the Bulgarian market. The Barcelona-based company offers food supplies, but also many other products - flowers, supermarket goods, pharmaceuticals, and more. Delivery times are optimized by algorithms so that orders are placed in the fastest possible manner. The application is available for both Android and iOS users.
Fly first, then pay - Pay if Okay, maybe even to Zanzibar.
Kaloyan Georgiev is a Bulgarian entrepreneur who has gained more than 20 years of experience with projects related to healthcare, pharmacy, health insurance, real estate, tourism, IT, etc. He has toured over 140 countries and developed business in half of them. He is one of the co-founders of K-Pharm Global Group, a pharmaceutical corporation present in over 50 countries in Europe, Africa, and Asia. He also came up with the idea for the free mobile app "C0LIBRA", which aims to pay compensation for flight delays over an hour. The product is COVID oriented - Pay if Okay. It allows you to choose a destination and date without paying in advance. Upon arrival, when the flight has passed without problems typical for the corona crisis - cancellations and delays, the client pays the amount. If any problems occur they can receive a voucher for another flight.
In March 2020, he and his family went on vacation to Zanzibar for a week. The Covid pandemic blocked them on the island and the developer decided that now was the time for investing. They bought a very profitable place, with a top location on the beach in the Sultan Sand resort, and decided to create a co-working center, or a place for digital nomads - people working remotely anywhere in the world… and they actually work!
