Written by Steve Albert
We have been doing an AMAZING job supporting our local restaurants, so let’s keep that energy going for our local retail and service based businesses as well. Most of the “non-essential” shops closed up over a week ago and there is a lot of uncertainty and fear of the unknown within these family owned establishments, who have no safety net in situations like this. There is a common misconception that a lot of small business owners are wealthy, but the reality is they walk a financial tightrope daily and stress 10 times more than the average employed individual. Overhead, payroll, taxes, inventory, workers comp, insurance, the list goes on and on. If you enjoy the small town vibe these shops/services provided prior to this pandemic, I can’t stress enough, how important it is that you help them out now if you want to see them reopen after this virus clears up.
What can you do?
Before you rush to Amazon and panic buy things, please verify if the local shop, where you usually purchase certain products/services, is in fact closed. Several places are still open and doing an amazing job of working safely and efficiently. Most are offering curbside pickup or delivery.
If the shop is in fact closed, there is a very good chance they have a website. A lot of the owners are forwarding calls to their personal devices and still answering emails, or better yet, they have online purchasing options.
Lastly and most importantly, find out if the shop or service offer gift cards or future scheduling. Need a haircut in a few weeks? These people need that money now! Most of you know these owners on social media. Reach out on Facebook Messenger and pay them right on the spot. Paypal, Venmo…etc. You can make a huge difference and still get the product or service in the coming weeks.
We take great pride in our little community and we always help one another and our family owned businesses when the going gets tough. Let’s not let a little distance between us break that beautiful tradition.
(Image by Steve Albert)
