The pandemic has taken a toll on business, employees, and customers. Some businesses were forced to shut down while other businesses have slowed down. While many business owners are anxious to reopen to the public, there is still no time frame when that will happen.
Many business owners are anxious to reopen to the public. As of June 1, many businesses that originally weren’t considered essential such as restaurants, barbershops, hair salons, and more, are able to reopen.
Carlos De Santiago, the business owner of a Taco shop in Laguna Beach, CA, closed down at the beginning of March and couldn’t help all his employees financially. He managed to find help through programs offered due to COVID-19.
“It’s stressful to close down my business and continue to pay my bills for my location when I can’t bring any revenue to my business nor help my community. Laguna Beach is a busy location during these times of the year and now there is hardly any traffic,” states De Santiago.
Customers of hair salons and barbers struggle to find places to get their haircuts, especially essential workers that need to look presentable for their jobs. Clara Romo, a hair salon business owner in Riverside, CA, is anxious to re-open because she feels the stress of her clients and knows the importance of her business.
“I keep getting calls from my clients if I can cut their hair, but I can’t re-open my business. It’s still not safe to do so by the state board and California. I can’t risk getting my license revoked and have my business shut down,” says Romo.
Andy Cambroon, a mobile car wash business owner in Temecula, CA, has seen a drastic decrease in his business during this pandemic due to the fact customers don’t want strangers to touch their car.
“People are don’t want to get their cars detailed or washed right now and, as a business owner, I need to find different ways to make sure the customers feel safe. I need to take my pre-cautious with my employees and train them to make sure business can continue to flow effectively,” states Cambroon.
Pet salon owners are struggling during these times because they know this is one of the best seasons where dog owners want to cut their dog’s hair. Sarah Escobar, a mobile dog grooming in Hemet, CA, sees this pandemic affecting her business and struggles to maintain her business flowing.
“Even though my business doesn’t have much contact with humans, my employees fear animals can transmit the virus and dog owners fear that their pet might get infected while in the grooming salon. My business has slowed down and I’m not sure when it will rise again”, states Escobar.
While all these business owners are being impacted in many different aspects, they fear the unknown. Financially, these business owners are being impacted the most because they have had to shut down. This makes business owners think about their future investments and finances.
“You always wish for the best when you own a business and do what you can to prepare for the struggles,” states De Santiago. “Never have I prepared for something like COVID to happen and shut down my business. I feel like I can’t do anything to help it progress.”
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