Small, local businesses survive
the pandemic
Owning a small business is an ever-changing experience, and many local owners in Boulder have had to reinvent their idea of what customer service means. In a partial post-pandemic time, business owners will have to adapt to the fact that many customers fear in-person interactions.
COVID-19 has put many small organizations out of business, permanently. The Med, a Boulder family owned restaurant since 1993, announced on June 8 on their website that they would not be reopening. Innisfree Poetry Bookstore and Cafe, a beloved spot among many students, announced their closure after 10 years on The Hill.
Despite losing some of Boulder’s favorite businesses, other stores are starting to see their business come back again as local streets become busier. Savvy on Pearl is a locally owned shop that sells a wide variety of apparel and accessories for both men and women, that was able to survive the pandemic, but not without its struggles.
“Like most people, we were worried about having to pay the rent out of our own pockets,” said owner Erica Dahl. “We do not sell online, so our revenue relies 100% on people physically coming into the store.”
The owner of Savvy Erica Dahl smiles underneath her mask on Monday, 11/9. Savvy is located on Pearl Street Mall,
which is a beloved Boulder attraction. Photo by Hannah Prince/The Bold.
Savvy is located on Pearl Street Mall, which is a beloved
Boulder attraction. Photo by Hannah Prince/The Bold.
Dahl expressed that the uncertainty of how long the pandemic will last is another major concern for retailers.
“Obviously when we had to close, we had no idea how long it would be for and exactly what kind of hardships it would cause,” Dahl said.
Retail stores have seen drastic changes in sales when compared to the previous year’s sales. According to the City of Boulder Finance Revenue report, apparel store sales declined by 33.7% in April, which was the first full month of COVID-19 closures. Retail sale tax declined by 24.6%, which impacted the city greatly because 77% of sales tax comes from retail.
The pandemic upended small business’ daily operations and forced many companies to let go of their employees. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in Boulder has more than doubled from what it was a year ago, with a rate of 2.1% in Sept. 2019 and 5.3% in Sept. 2020. Dahl said that when Savvy on Pearl initially reopened in May, she worked alone in order to follow COVID-19 precautions and to protect other employees.
“Once we did open it was very quiet, so I worked most of the days by myself, but as it started to get busier, I hired employees,” Dahl said. “Obviously being closed completely halted all of our daily operations.”
For Katrina Miller, who is the founder of Blackat Video Productions, LLC, located in Boulder, the past few months have changed the video production industry.
“It has been a time of so much loss and heartbreak and it’s hard to process at the rate it’s all happening,” said Miller. “When COVID hit, I was on the track to start directing at a Etown, which was a big opportunity for me given by one of my mentors in the business. I went from filming three to four shows a week from in the busy spring, summer season to filming nothing.”
Katrina Miller earned her degree in journalism at the University of Colorado Boulder and started the local video production company Blackat Video Productions, LLC 10 years ago. Miller started her career by working with small businesses to create web content. Following that, Miller began working with the Museum of Boulder and later went on to filming concerts at Red Rocks Amphitheater for the City of Denver. It is because of these previous working relationships that Miller has managed to stay afloat during these uncertain times.
Katrina Miller adjusts to the new COVID-19 regulations at Red Rocks Amphitheater. Photo courtesy of Katrina Miller.
“I’ve been able to keep a steady flow of business through existing work from well-established clients,” Miller said. “Also, interest in some of the projects I’ve created this year has brought in new clients. Recently there has been an uptick in livestream concerts and I’ve been fortunate enough to have been called to be on several of those shoots either as a director or videographer.”
Miller expressed that at times, the pandemic forced her to question her career path. However, she is learning how to navigate the hardships COVID-19 has caused and turn them into lessons.
Katrina Miller keeps busy producing content in her studio despite setbacks brought on by the pandemic.
Photo courtesy of Katrina Miller.
“This pandemic has taught me that I am a true artist at heart,” Miller said. “Up until March, I was very focused on advancing my career by climbing up the ladder at some of the larger venues. When everything shut down, and there was nothing left to climb, I created anyway. Not for a paycheck and not because somebody else thought it would be a good idea. There was no agenda. I just wanted to create something in this silent time where no one was asking for anything.”
The pandemic is far from over, and many local businesses are still struggling. Many retailers will be constantly shifting their operations, depending on the flow of the pandemic and what the upcoming winter season will bring for Boulder.
“Local stores and restaurants will need as much support as they can get during the colder months,” Dahl said.
