Businesses contend with virus’s challenges
During the past three-and-ahalf years, I’ve profiled several south suburban small-business owners in this column. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to claim lives and damage the economy, here is a look at how some of those businesses have been impacted in the first ofwhat will be an intermittent column series.
After more than 30 years in business, Blue Island-based Vision Salon Eye Care Associates has endured economic ups and downs, noted founder and clinical director Ansel Johnson.
“This is the biggest threat we’ve had to contend with,” he said of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Thiswas truly the most challenging.”
Vision Salon Eye Care Associates, which during normal times typically sees about 1,200 patients annually, is considered an essential business, said Johnson, an optometrist. But when the pandemic emerged, many patients whowere fearful of contracting COVID-19, postponed their eye care.
Johnson’s practice over the years has placed a high focus on servicing diabetic patients and helping identify diabetic-related eye problems early. Individuals with diabetes are at high risk of negative outcomes if they contract COVID-19, as are seniors.
“We see a lot of seniors, and a lot of seniors are afraid to come out, but they are coming out a little bit more now,” said Johnson.
Johnson temporarily stopped seeing general appointment patients and saw only emergency patients at the start of the pandemic. The practice is now back to seeing both emergency and general appointment patients in person and also offers telemedicine options to patients. But revenues are down roughly 45% from last year, he said.
Before the COVID-19 heath crisis, the practice had six employees.
“We (temporarily) reduced staff by half to three part-time staff” when COVID-19 first emerged, he said.
He also had conversations with his landlord regarding lease payments as revenues fell.
“Wewere able to get some relief,” he said. “But nowwe have to go back and start paying the rent the normal way.”
And given that income still isn’t where it was pre-COVID-19, “that’s an adjustment, but we’re pushing forward,” Johnson said.
He sought assistance through government COVID-19 relief programs, including the federal Paycheck Protection Program.
“Wewere one of the small businesses thatwere shut off fromthe first PPP offering,” he said. “We applied. They ran out of money. We also applied to a state of Illinois emergency loan fund. We applied pretty shortly after itwas announced, and then I got an email thatwas out of money. We did get the second round of PPP. Itwas an extremely stressful time becausewe didn’t knowif wewere going to get any kind of relief.”
Johnson said staffing is now back up to six full-time employees and stressed safety has been a top priority for staff and patients. Before opening back up, staff went through two full days of training on safety, sanitation and scheduling procedures, he said. Expenses have risen as his practice has made investments in additional medical grade air filters and personal protective equipment, sneeze guards and sanitation materials, he said.
His biggest concerns today are “expenses and trying to safely see patients at a healthy pace,” he said.
“We’re not going to have full waiting rooms like we used to. We have to adhere to social distancing. We’re asking our patients to be patient,” he said.
Asked what would he like to see legislators do to help small medical businesses that have been hurt, he said, “As health care
providers, all of our overhead and staffing is dependent on seeing a certain volume of patients, and that’s cut back. Reimbursements don’t generally go up every year and not substantially. Iwould like to see more grants and increased reimbursements for our services, even if it’s temporary, to help cover our additional expenses.”
Arlicia’s Posh Fashions
How am I going to pay my rent with no business coming in?
For Arlicia Alston, owner of Arlicia’s Posh Fashions, a Lansing-based-women’s apparel boutique, thatwas a major worry when COVID-19 suddenly forced a nearly three month shutdown.
The boutique represents a long-held dream realized for Alston. She worked for 26 years as a Chicago Public School teacher before retiring and deciding to focus full-time on the boutique she founded nearly three years ago. She is dedicated to keeping her dream alive despite today’s unprecedented pandemic challenges.
In the beginning of the pandemic, sales instantly dried up, she shared. To generate sales when the store, like other businesses, were forced to temporarily close, she focused on marketing her store’s fashions on social media, took orders fromthe platforms, had customers pay online and customers did curbside pickup, she said.
That generated very little business. She reopened to in-store customers in June, and sales initially were 50% belownormal. Sales have increased since then, but still aren’t back to their pre-COVID-19 norm, she said.
Due to the pandemic, Alston has had to cut her hours and days of operation. The boutique which pre-COVID-19 was only closed on Sundays, is now also closed on Mondays. Its hours also have been trimmed from11 a.m. to 7 p.m. to 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Were it not for the pandemic, Alston would be looking forward to hosting a boutique party in November to celebrate her threeyear anniversary. She previously strategically held boutique parties throughout the year, with food, wine and fashions that generated strong sales, she shared. The pandemic has forced the cessation of that.
Alston has prioritized safety and making customers aware via social media, emails and her website that she is open for in-person and online business.
“We don’t have more than six or seven people in the store at a time,” she said. “No one can come in without a mask. When you walk into the store, you have to stop. There is a machine, and you have to put your hands under there and sanitize before coming in and touching clothes. Everyone is 6 feet away from each other. We continuously wipe down the register, the counter, the doors.”
Alston, who gets her store’s fashions from vendors in New York, Los Angeles and overseas, says her business felt the repercussions as the supply chain was hurt by the pandemic.
“A lot of thingswere shut down andwe couldn’t get any merchandise for a good little while,” she said. “Once things reopened, all the boutiques were trying to get merchandise. It did affect my business.”
Alston’s biggest concerns for her business today are “that people will stay employed and still shop.”
“I know some women are staying at home,” she said. “They had to leave jobs because of the situation with the schools, because kids have school online and parents don’t have anyone towatch them. Some customers are not working anymore. So, it’s just the necessities now. My boutique is not a necessity. It’s stuff that youwant.”
Asked if she worries that the pandemic may ultimately force her to close her doors, she says she’s relying on her strong faith.
“I’m looking at it in a spiritual way. Regardless of what’s going on, I’m staying faithful and prayerful,” she said. “No matter what, God’s got me, and I’m thanking God for every penny, for every dollar.”
She says it’s important for lawmakers to provide more grants and loans to assist small businesses that are hurting. She sees it as an important investment.
“You have a lot of people that shop through small businesses, Black owned businesses,” she said. “A lot of people don’t realize small businesses in the neighborhood carry your neighborhood. They help carry your area. They employ people in the neighborhood, so much is at stake. It’s not just the business.”