During a pandemic, it can be very easy for most peoples to overlook the businesses on which they so greatly depend. With the recent opening of the mall, movie theatres and many stores of Troy, businesses have to keep up with regulations to take an active role in stopping the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Many small businesses have dramatically been hit by this pandemic and many have permanently closed their doors from the shaky and unstable income as a result of the pandemic. However, difficulties aside, many of Troy’s small businesses have proven they will stay in the game longer by finding different ways to engage their customers while also keeping them safe.

Miko Manaloto from Cafe Immortelle, a local tea and espresso bar in Michigan, explains how they are keeping business going, and the effect the pandemic has on their small business .

“The biggest challenges we faced during the pandemic was basically keeping sales enough to pay for our monthly fixed costs”. Manaloto says. “During the on set of the pandemic where everyone did not want to go out. It was hard to get a sale from everyone. Given that we also just newly opened second half of next year, we could also not make great efforts in getting new customers for the shop.”

An article from CNBC shows how other small businesses around the United States feel about the dramatic decline in customers and sales in general. 

“Mo Issa is the owner of Brooklyn Fare, a chain of three grocery stores and a three-Michelin-starred restaurant in New York City,” the article said. “..He says most of his days are spent trying to persuade scared employees to come to work, making sure the stores are supplied and keeping up with the surge in online sales.” 

Another viewpoint to be recognized is that of the consumer. Senior Alia Burgett talks about the opening of small businesses she visited before quarantine and the difference now. 

“Everyone now has the ‘required to wear a mask’ sign now which is good and to be ‘six feet apart.,” Burgett said. “I go out all the time and it’s kinda always been like that since about two months after the closing of school. Always just wear a mask when going inside, try to give people some space, and use hand sanitizer. We all miss being able to just walk around and do all the fun things that we want so please just be smart and safe!”

It is no wonder that being a small business comes with a lot of hardships nowadays, however, many small businesses everywhere have one thing that most corporate businesses lack: creativity and the work ethic to do better.