It’s been quite the year and the Covid-19 Crisis has created unprecedented challenges for our small business community. It’s more important than over to support our small businesses, but in order to truly support them it’s first important to understand their challenges and so we asked them to tell us about how the crisis has affect their businesses.

Reda Hicks | Practicing Attorney, Founder + CEO of GotSpot, Inc.

Typically, GotSpot is in the business of finding other businesses space for daily use. But in the wake of COVID-19, with stay-at-home orders in place and many businesses closed, this model really hasn’t worked. GotSpot’s typical traffic ground to a screeching halt. What we quickly learned, though, is that while businesses aren’t currently in need of space, there are plenty of emergency response activities happening right now in which space is a critical component. Community kitchen space is needed; warehousing to store relief goods and then space to distribute them is needed. Read more>>

Paris Dowd | Photographer & Graphic Designer

The Covid-19 crisis is a shock I was not prepared for when starting this 2020 year. This year I had planned to create bigger and better mini sessions, hold more holiday events, and attend more vendor opportunities. However, most of them have fallen threw due to Covid-19. The crisis hit right before one of the biggest holidays for photographers, Easter. All sessions and events had to be canceled immediately. Leaving my small business closed for nearly two months. However, when something challenges me that doesn’t mean to give up instead I have adapted to my new work-life balance. I have taken this time to focus on my family and design work. Read more>>

David Joon Kim | Entrepreneur

On Jumping World: Covid-19 negatively impacted almost every type of business out there, but unfortunately, some more than the others. The entertainment industry has been immensely hit hard from this pandemic. Even right now, we are not allowed to reopen in any of the three states that we are currently in. The closing of all 11 of our locations couldn’t have happened at a worse time. It happened during half of our locations’ spring break vacation which we have historically have done well. Not to mention, we were gearing up to open up our 12th location in El Paso, Texas during the month of May. Read more>>

Andreea Mut | Pianist

As a freelance classical pianist, the Covid-19 crisis impacted my life in a dramatic way. Not only have I lost income from several canceled recitals, concerts, and festivals, but I am currently stuck in Europe, banned from returning to my home in Houston, TX because of my non-permanent resident status. I have lived in the U. S. since 2011; at first on a student visa, during my Master’s and Doctorate degrees, and afterwards on a O1 visa, a non-resident visa for people who demonstrate extraordinary ability in their field. When the Covid-19 crisis reached a critical point in the U.S., in March 2020, I happened to be traveling in Germany. Read more>>

Lauren McPhail R. | Artist

It has for sure affected my art sales, the opportunity to show my work, and I lost a lot of money on exhibition fees for submissions that did not happen. I will say that the shelter-in-place orders have more benefits than cons to my art. I don’t have any external social pressures that would keep me from working in my studio, I know I have more time to work on pieces so there is not this weight to create a masterpiece in 2 hours, and the lack of exhibition opportunities left me the freedom to play. My time in my studio feels lighter and playful. That is a sign of forward momentum for me. Read more>>

Laura Butler | Co-founder of the Anna Cheri Foundation

Due to the social distancing recommendations our country is under, unfortunately one of our fundraisers “Strike it up” for Orphans- bowling tournament was cancelled. 😷 So we started a new “adoption movement in April”… HOW? You ask?? For the month of April, The bowling registration/ donation of ONLY $30- allowed the community to ADOPT a healthcare worker who is working the front line of Covid-19!! That’s right!! We adopted our soldiers who are on the front lines. The enemy is invisible and our hospitals are the war zone! Read more>>

Jillian JJ Simmons | Speaker, Author, Self-Love Coach (Former Radio Personality)

I had quite a few speaking engagements and projects that were cancelled due to Covid-19. Honestly, I’ve been maximizing my time by taking courses, reading and building out virtual programs. Read more>>