SMALL TOWN BUSINESS, BIG EFFECT
How Does the Average Small Business Effect You?
Growing Up
How important is the small business you visit on a regular basis? Very, right? Of course, it is. Growing up in New Castle, PA, small businesses such as Town Mall pizza, Mays donuts or even Joseph’s SuperMarket have always been the heart of the neighborhoods around us. If you were to ask any kid growing up in New Castle, they would tell you those are places everyone knows. We’ve visited these places with our parents or dropped in on our own. We’ve had tax consultant businesses, BBQ restaurants, bakeries, nail shops and auto mechanic shops all as small businesses in our community. Without them, imagine what our town would have looked like.
No Small Businesses
What if there were no more small businesses in our area? No nail salons, no small markets and no local restaurants, only commercial chains? Statistics report at the time of this blog that Americans have filed over 3.3 million claims for unemployment in America. The highest reported since 1982 according to NBC and Fox News. People are devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic, small businesses included. Being a small business, I have 2 employees and was in the middle of hiring additional workers. That means there are at least 3 people out of a job. The community feels the effect just from those 3 people alone.
New Ideas
The Millennial generation has disrupted traditional big business models with innovative small businesses all across the nation and here in New Castle as well. One of which includes Nails Down Under, a full service nail salon unlike the traditional nail shops typically dominated by the Asian community. Today, more diverse people are populating communities across the nation and entering into this type of small business. In our small town of New Castle, PA , Nails Down Under, has taken the opportunity to present fresh, new ideas and turn the average nail shop visit into a nail salon experience poised to cater to a new generation. Nails Down Under has been a part of this community for over a year now! We celebrated our first year in business this past January. I’m most certain, folks will see many new ideas for our small community in the years to come with our generation. After all, we are the Millennials.
Government Funds
As small business owners, how do we continue to support our families during this time? We’ve all been talking about it, you know, the relief package to all Americans, the big word, “Stimulus”. With the first of the month slowly approaching, rent will be due and some small businesses such as Nails Down Under have only had their doors open for half the month of March. The clock will continue to tick for the upcoming month. The government has been gracious to give small businesses the choice to receive a loan, which may be great for some businesses but what if our doors are not open? How do we pay for that loan? At what interest rate or what condition of the deferment.
Bottom Line
We love our community filled with many small businesses and we do not want to see them fail. When this is over and people begin to pour back out into the community, instead of only running to that commercial chain like the nearest Applebees or Wendy’s, don’t forget to support your local small businesses. Take a moment to come get your nails done at Nails Down Under. Visit your local boutique for that new outfit. Get your hair done by that hair stylist who you have missed terribly. Get that oil changed by your local mechanic then pick your favorite local restaurant to sit down in and say, “glad you made it through!” We at Nails Down Under and all of your local small businesses surely miss your patronage and we all will welcome you back warmly when this unimaginable epidemic is over.
