Dot It Featured in the Wall Street Journal - How Dot It Pivoted During the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic is high on the radar of everyone right now, and this is especially true of small businesses. Many have not fared well, some even closing their doors permanently. However, Dot It’s small but mighty team was able to adapt to survive. Because of this, we were highlighted in the Wall Street Journal as one of five small businesses that pivoted to persist through the hardship.

To read the full article, visit the Wall Street Journal. The following is an excerpt from their article "Covid-19 Shuttered More Than 1 Million Small Businesses. Here Is How Five Survived."

All Hands on Deck

Dot It Restaurant Fulfillment, an Arlington, Texas, maker of labels and other restaurant industry supplies, struggled for two years to attract interest for one of its newest products, SecureIt, a line of labels that deters tampering with home food deliveries. That changed when the pandemic hit.

Dot It sold more than 860,000 rolls of the new labels in less than four months, up from just 10,000 in the prior two years. Sales also jumped for social-distancing floor arrows, acrylic dividers and “open for takeout” signs, products that didn’t even exist back in January.

“We are small and nimble,” said Dot It President Keri Smith. “We saw the market need and adapted to it.” The business is a division of National Checking Company in St. Paul, Minn., a 115-year-old family-run producer of guest checks to take food orders and register rolls to provide receipts at the end of a meal.

The new offerings allowed Dot It, which mostly works with fast-casual eateries, to add about 15,000 new restaurants to the 38,000 the company normally serves. Some restaurant chains requested help solving other challenges, such as securing gloves and napkins. Ms. Smith hopes they will remain customers even if SecureIt sales dip when the pandemic ends.

Meeting the sudden surge in demand was a challenge for the tiny printing and fulfillment company. “There were many days that myself as president, my executive leadership team, team members from purchasing, sales and customer service were all out on the floor helping move product, pack boxes, prepare orders,” said 39-year-old Ms. Smith. “It really was all hands on deck.”

The new offerings helped offset a decline in orders for labels for pre-wrapped sandwiches and signs announcing monthly specials. Sales fell 10% in the second quarter, not the 50% they would have otherwise, Ms. Smith said.

Dot It laid off 25 of its 100 workers after the pandemic hit, then brought staffing back up to 90 after receiving a $900,000 PPP loan.

The struggles reinforced the need to diversify. The company is looking at selling signs and other items to plant nurseries and hospitals.

“This has taught us we need to look outside restaurants,” Ms. Smith said. “I think we will come out of this a different company.”

To read the full article, visit the Wall Street Journal.

About Dot It Restaurant Fulfillment

Dot It is a single-source brand partner specializing in food safety products and print solutions. We offer comprehensive fulfillment solutions—sourcing, printing, kitting, order processing, warehousing and distribution—for growing brands looking to streamline their supply chain and maintain brand consistency.

Dot It can also help you learn how to improve food safety with our free resources. To learn more, email sales@dotit.com or call 1-800-642-3687.