COVID vs. Small Businesses: A matchup for the decade

The sharp clicks of the high heels echo across the empty showroom floor with each step. The cavernous room only illuminated by a single beam of sunlight that dances across the linoleum tiles. The ink bleeds into the fibers of the paper as Nanette Holman signs the lease. 

“This is it,” Nanette said. “The next step in growing my business.” Things have been going well with the previous location and so expansion was the next reasonable option for Holman. After all, what could possibly go wrong?

Backtrack to the beginning

In the wake of all of the madness following the spread of COVID-19, many things happened. Grocery shelves have been emptied, self-quarantining became the new normal, the economy has declined, and small businesses took a hit. The Pink Cactus Boutique is one of these.

The business was going well, in fact, at the beginning of the new year, things were going better than ever according to long-time employee Cheyene Garza. Sales and growth have been steady, to the point where their boutique was starting to feel a bit cramped and too small. “We were kind of outgrowing the space that we were in,” Garza said. “So we began looking for a place for the business to grow in.”

The process began in November of 2019. A location was found and the new store was coming together nicely. Orders were made for new decor and for new products to fill the sales floor, with a grand re-opening date set for March 20, 2020. Everything was on track until the unexpected happened.

As March rolled around, the concerns about this new virus, COVID-19, began rapidly increasing. When the doors finally opened to the public, these concerns caused poor turnout, attracting only about 20 people, according to Garza. However, it would still not be the worst of the situation. 

In the coming days, the store would be labeled a high-risk location and would be forced to close its door to the public in the meantime. Affecting not only the business owners but the employees as well. 

“Workdays are few and far between, and my check for these past two weeks was only about $90,” Garza said.

Trying to keep things afloat, the staff at The Pink Cactus Boutique worked hard on ways to get their products to the people. From posting products to their Facebook page, setting up an online platform, offering curbside service, and even putting on Livestream showcases for their customers to shop through. 

“Times are hard, there is nothing we can do about that,” Garza said. “We can only try to keep our heads above water long enough for this all to subside.”

Pressing through the pandemic

For the first few weeks of the pandemic, keeping their head above water is the only thing that they could do at the Pink Cactus. With restrictions at a peak, there were days when Holman was the only one allowed in the store to fill orders.

This was how things ran until May 1. On that day, they were granted much-needed relief, as restrictions in Texas loosened and businesses were able to open their doors back up to people. 

Although this resolved some of their initial problems, it also introduced them to a whole new set of them. 

The most prominent of these problems was getting the store ready for customers to come in. In an interview with Holman she shared how important she felt implementing sanitary precautions was for her business. “I have got to think about the customers walking through that door.” Holman said. “If they don’t feel safe, they will not shop.”

As the weeks passed, the restrictions and tensions about COVID-19 seemed to ease. Garza talked with me about the increase in foot traffic she saw throughout these weeks. 

“Life is slowly going back to normal and people come in and shop more frequently.” Garza said. “And some people, they just come in to talk.” 

This blissful reprieve from obstacles only lasted for a month though. With sales slowly picking up, new merchandise was needed to restock the store. 

Much of their distributors are located in population-dense areas, more specifically, Los Angeles. Holman explained how, other than the initial shutdown of the pandemic, this was the biggest obstacle they faced for the business. 

“Most of the fashion industry is based out of Los Angeles, and right now they are under very strict orders.” Holman said. “So getting orders in can be unreliable, with some being filled within 48 hours to some taking a month or longer.”

Problems of the present

The next and final obstacle that the Pink Cactus may face however lies in the possible future. Holman stresses the importance of the fourth quarter of the fiscal year for small businesses like her own. “The fourth quarter is when we make the money that helps us through the bad times.” Holman said. “About 50% of our revenue in the fiscal year comes from this quarter.” 

According to an article by Houston Medical Leading Medicine, the second wave of COVID-19 may occur soon. The article states the research has found that SARS-CoV-2 is gaining momentum through naturally occurring mutations capable of producing mutant viruses that can escape vaccines. 

If this second wave causes another shutdown like the one that occurred at the beginning of the pandemic, all of the hard work done by Holman and the staff at the Pink Cactus will prove futile. 

Defying the odds  

Despite all of these issues that The Pick Cactus has faced throughout this pandemic, they are doing better than most. In fact, according to Holman they are having the best fiscal year ever. “We have actually doubled our numbers,” Holman said. “ I do not know how, but we have.”

At the beginning of the pandemic, the switch to a new location was a prominent worry. Opening a new location is hard enough on its own, not to mention piling on shutdowns and restrictions on top. 

This actually may have been beneficial to the store though. With the pressure of the pandemic, their hand was forced to provide alternative shopping sources. Garza explained how this really sped up the production of their online site. “The website was just an idea when the shutdown occurred,” Garza said. “But just weeks after Nannette had the site up and running.”

Now the site brings a significant amount of revenue to the store. Holman explains that with their increased online presence, they are not only getting sales from locals. “Most of our online sales come from out of town or out of state.” Holman said. 

Although the year did not start the way they wanted, it has not been all too bad. The store has faced great adversity but met it with even greater resilience.

The sharp click of the heels is now drowned out by the sound of customers. The once empty showroom is now filled to the walls with the merchandise. The Pink Cactus did not just survive but thrived.