Shutdown hitting small businesses the hardest

As a new business that opened its doors on March 10, 2020 only to be mandated to shut down nine days later, the past year has been an incredible struggle. This past 18 months has been the most emotional year of my life, full of peaks and valleys, and I know I am not the only one who feels this way.

We, as a business, have been trying our absolute best to pivot at each new regulation put in place and, for the most part, we have managed to make the best of the pandemic.

We are a small salon with only five stylists. The government has done very little to assist us financially, especially due to the fact we are so small. We truly appreciate the little help we have been given, putting it back into keeping our business afloat. We are also extremely unlucky in the landlord department and have gotten no assistance on that end.

This last shutdown was the first time we all truly felt scared. Personally, I had finally felt I was getting my head above water after losing a quarter of my yearly income. I now have to rely on money I saved to pay my income taxes to support myself through another shutdown.

The worst part is the utter uncertainty of when we will be able to reopen. I do not think our business, as well as a vast majority of other small businesses in Halifax, will be able to sustain themselves financially for another three-month closure. I live in a small household of only two people and bubble with my mother to stay sane. I get a rapid test once a week, even though I only leave the house to walk my dogs and get groceries.

I find it so difficult to watch many other Nova Scotians and larger businesses take this pandemic lightly while I watch my livelihood disappear. I have heard of a number of office spaces remaining open, with employees disregarding the rules and working mask-free. How can entire offices remain open in small quarters while sharing spaces, but we cannot operate with two to four employees, spaced six feet apart and going through more lysol wipes than Shoppers can keep on their shelves?

All we have been hearing is “don’t look for loopholes,” which is ironic because I feel as though government has created loopholes for certain businesses (mostly larger corporate ones) and allowed them to remain open, even in places it is nearly impossible to ensure public health guidelines are being followed.

It was beyond disheartening this morning to see another salon decided to take matters into their own hands, to see churches offering large group services, and to see students who couldn’t care less what happens to not only their health, but the health of everyone around them.

If people continue to disregard measures put in place, it is only going to prolong this shutdown.

I suggest the government shuts down every business for two weeks if they are serious about containing the spread of COVID-19. If we really are “all in this together,” shouldn’t we all be closed together? In the name of Stephen Mcneil, Stay The Blazes Home!