Ventura County businesses struggle, ask for community support

This yr, Small Enterprise Saturday — the Saturday after Thanksgiving — has by no means been extra necessary for companies making ends meet within the face of evolving COVID-19 restrictions.

In March, the pandemic pressured homeowners to rethink the way in which they did enterprise seemingly in a single day. Security tips made it so that companies could not do indoor service or group occasions, which pressured some to shut outright.

Forgivable loans via the Paycheck Safety Program and grants from Ventura County Community Foundation, all funded via the federal CARES Act, supplied some aid to Ventura County employers early on.

Nevertheless, companies are fighting continued bills and no finish in sight to the pandemic.

‘An existential disaster’

“Briefly, I would say small companies are dealing with an existential disaster proper now,” stated Kevin Clerici, government director of Downtown Ventura Companions.

“Small companies throughout our neighborhood are deeply dedicated to doing the fitting factor and being protected, however additionally they want prospects to outlive,” Clerici stated.

However enterprise homeowners have gotten artistic about proceed their service. Some have moved extra enterprise on-line both via direct gross sales or digital choices comparable to fitness center courses. Others have moved extra providers outside. These entrepreneurs have taken on extra advertising and marketing through social media to draw new prospects.

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The security protocols are acceptable however they’re unfunded mandates, he stated.

The unpredictable change in restrictions has additionally proved to be an issue. Closures have been troublesome on enterprise concerned within the nightlife scene, together with bars and golf equipment, stated Abel Magaña, government director of the Oxnard Downtown Administration District.

When the county moved again into probably the most restrictive purple tier, companies like eating places and gymnasiums that had opened limited-capacity indoor service needed to stop doing so.

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Not all is so dire, although. Clerici stated there are some companies which can be doing higher than they did in 2019. Metropolis initiatives, like Ventura’s “Main Street Moves” program that shut down 5 blocks of downtown Major Avenue to permit small companies to develop exterior, have helped.

The eating places had a barely simpler time adapting to security protocols, particularly as a result of most of the “mom-and-pop” retailers did an excellent portion of their enterprise via to-go orders, stated Magaña.

“That’s really one of many silver linings,” he stated. “They’re venturing out into areas that they might not have anyway.”

For instance, he stated some companies are paying extra consideration to advertising and marketing and placing the phrase out on social media. Others, after a tough stance in opposition to supply, are providing the service as a approach to enhance enterprise.

The Star interviewed a number of small enterprise homeowners across the county. Here is what they needed to say:

Kinsie Flame, MOMS of Conejo Valley and Tang Soo Do College

Kinsie Flame, a 37-year-old Newbury Park resident, owns two companies.

The primary, Tang Soo Do, is a martial arts studio she and her husband have run since 2003.

In regular occasions, the studio was open six days per week for in-person courses. The enterprise held quite a lot of vacation camps and demonstrations for native firms and colleges. Camps earned hundreds of {dollars} in income.

In pandemic occasions, enterprise could be very restricted, Flame stated.

Flame stated she and her husband actually prided themselves on being versatile to households’ wants — “no matter class and day labored for you,” she defined. Now, due to security protocols, the studio instituted class registration.

When the pandemic pressured closures and restrictions in March, the studio started holding courses over Zoom six days per week. When it was protected to take action, they started to carry indoor courses with minimal college students to stick to native and state tips.

Now that Ventura County is again within the purple tier, the couple created an area outside — dubbed the “karate patio” — for youths to attend courses.

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They arrange chairs and a mat exterior, however due to Daylight Financial savings Time and cooling temperatures, Flame stated they’ve needed to buy additional provides like heaters and lights. Flame stated her husband had spent greater than $1,000 to arrange the patio.

“Attempting to vary our enterprise plan many times with totally different components (we) can’t management may be exhausting at occasions,” stated Flame.

She additionally runs the 22,500-member Fb group MOMS of Conejo Valley. She will get income via operating commercial for native companies.

Members who would make crafts to promote like soaps or jewellery have stopped or diminished enterprise as a result of they do not have sufficient funds, and, in some circumstances, as a result of they do not have sufficient time with children collaborating in distant studying from dwelling.

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Timmy Heague, Arsenal Comics & Video games

Timmy Heague, a 28-year-old Ventura resident, is co-founder of Arsenal Comics & Games. He runs two places – one in Newbury Park, which opened six years in the past, and one in Ventura, which opened two years in the past.

The primary week closures started due to the pandemic was “one thing else,” Heague stated.

“Proper earlier than the closedown comics distribution was placed on maintain,” he stated. “Fortunately, earlier than all this, we had at all times been fairly good on eBay and the web site, however this actually pressured us to up that.”

Nonetheless, it proved to be an enormous change. Heague stated he needed to rethink the enterprise in each manner attainable to nonetheless get prospects via the door.

On prime of pandemic worries, the Newbury Park retailer was damaged into in April.

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“The entire place was ransacked,” Heague stated. “It was a nightmare from the shut right down to this monetary nightmare on prime of the money movement.”

However after posting about it on social media — one thing he was reluctant to do — assist got here flooding in.

The co-founders ended up beginning a GoFundMe, which raised $7,413 in three to 4 days. Between that and folks wanting to purchase comics to assist the enterprise, Heague stated it was an immense assist.

He described his thought course of as, “If I can get via this, I can get via no matter COVID is gonna throw us.”

Thus far, enterprise has been “booming” each on-line and in-person, stated Heague. Foot site visitors has been fixed, to the purpose the place he has an worker assigned to control how many individuals are within the retailer at any given time.

“I’m working the toughest I’ve ever labored but it surely’s an excellent downside,” he stated.

Malory Taylor, Ojai Lingerie

Malory Taylor’s enterprise, Ojai Lingerie, launched final summer time.

“My intention with it was to create an area the place ladies really feel snug and type of the place I promote plenty of physique positivity,” she stated.

Taylor, 35, curates a mixture of well-known and indie manufacturers with a purpose of serving to prospects store ethically and assist ladies.

She was contemplating whether or not to resume the lease on her retailer when the pandemic shut issues down. So much weighed on her: There was so little info to go off of at the moment, the long run was unpredictable and she or he had her 3-year-old daughter to consider.

She determined to not renew her lease.

“I felt like we had been in for a protracted haul (with the pandemic),” Taylor stated. “This could be the most secure approach to preserve my household and neighborhood protected.”

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It wasn’t a simple selection. Taylor stated there was some ego concerned particularly as a result of she had simply opened the shop. It was doing effectively earlier than the pandemic hit and slot in effectively in Ojai.

It did drive her to deal with on-line gross sales, which Taylor known as “an entire new enjoying area.” The Ojai Lingerie web site solely launched in January.

When the Black Lives Matter motion gained momentum in June, Taylor, a Black enterprise proprietor, noticed a lift in gross sales as individuals sought to assist black-owned companies.

As she began getting new followers, one thing else occurred: representatives for Oprah Winfrey reached out. One in every of Taylor’s items, a bathrobe, was featured on Oprah’s Favorite Things 2020 List launched earlier this month.

Thus far, enterprise has been good and sooner or later, she hopes to have a bodily storefront once more.

“It’s at all times been my ardour to work with ladies one-on-one to essentially assist them love their our bodies,” Tayor stated. “I really feel like the one manner you are able to do that’s in particular person.”

What you are able to do to assist

“Folks being proactive to buy regionally goes to be a make or break for lots of companies,” stated Flame.

She requested individuals to check-in on social media, go away a Yelp evaluation or unfold the phrase a couple of enterprise amongst private connections.

“Amazon doesn’t want any extra money,” joked Heague. In seriousness, he stated prospects might “masks up” and are available into the shop, or make on-line purchases, relying on their consolation degree.

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