The most important thing for us is the health and safety of our customers, employees, community, and partners during these challenging times. We’re following the developments of COVID-19 and are doing all we can to keep help out where we can.
How COVID-19 Affects Sutro
Our manufacturing team in China was out of the office for the better part of the last month as a precaution (Mid-February till early March). Thankfully, no one has been infected with COVID-19, and as of last week, they are back at work. This is a good sign since it appears that China has now contained the outbreak and is getting back to work.
This also means that our initial batch of Smart Monitors will be delayed a bit, but we’ll keep you posted when available. Our beta testing has shown that we’re in a good place, and once it makes sense, we’ll be able to start shipping units. We have completed over 50,000 unique water tests through our beta program from cities all across the US.
As many of you are home and trying to keep the kids entertained – we’ve gotten a lot of inbound on how to get your pool (or spa) up and running. If you’d like any help — head over to our FB page and ask a question. We’re here to help!
Why Launch Now?
Sutro has been working on the Smart Monitor for the past five years. We’re proud of what we have built and feel that it will make owning a pool (or spa) simple, safe, and seamless.
We know that a lot of our potential customers will soon (if not already) be under “Shelter in Place” orders. This is both necessary and required to help all of us stay safe and get a handle on this pandemic.
With that, we felt that the Smart Monitor can help pool (or spa) owners and professionals keep safe during these times. It’s important to us that we do whatever we can to enable that and we feel that the Smart Monitor can be a small part of that.
A Smart Monitor in your pool (or spa) will help keep your water safe by ensuring that the most important parameters are in range. When pH, Chlorine, and Aklinity are in balance, you’ll be confident that when your family uses your pool or spa that it’s safe. This always important but more so during times like this where social distancing and reducing trips outside the home are so important. We feel that by using the Smart Monitor, you’ll have one less thing to worry about.
If you should have any questions, please email us hello@mysutro.com or swing by our Facebook group. We’re here to help.
How to Stay Connected & Productive at Home
As COVID-19 spreads, more of us will have to be at home where we are safe. If you’re not used to being at home for long periods (especially with kids), it can be a bit daunting to be productive and stay connected with your community. Here is a brief list of what works for us. We’ll add to it as needed:
- Wake up at the same time: The commute might be shorter but keep the routine. It makes it easier to keep a routine.
- Create a workspace for you and your kids: Make a space that’s for work and one for everyone else. Do that for the whole family. People need their own space to call their own, especially if you’re working from home.
- Sign up for an Online Platform: Zoom, Slack, Microsoft Teams, G-Suite, or Webex. All have a free version, and some will be giving people access during these tough times.
- Keep the same work hours: The temptation is to either slack or work too much. Keep your work hours consistent.
- Schedule virtual hangouts, happy hours, and playdates: It’s important that we all stay away, so we can “flatten the curve.” We’re all in the same situation so make sure you still keep in touch.
- Take a walk: Get some fresh air. Move around. It’s essential in times of stress to move your body to get rid of nervous energy. Check out Fitness Blender for some great at-home workouts.
- Have some alone time: Maybe meditate for 10 minutes a day. It’s important to have some alone time to recharge and defuse any tension.
- Shut it down: Stop working at the usual time.
Interesting Reads + Resources
We have been following the COVID-19 progress since it started in China. Here are a couple of really good resources that we found both informative and interesting.
- Coronavirus: Nine Reasons to Be Reassured
- How to Work From Home Without Losing Your Mind
- Talking to Teens and Tweens About the Coronavirus
- Coronavirus: Why You Must Act Now