By Frank Witsil
Detroit Free Press
WWR Article Summary (tl;dr) Frank Witsil takes a first hand look at how the Coronavirus could crush some small businesses in Detroit.
Detroit
Squeaky’s Cleaning just became profitable in January, and the new company’s owner, Dave Loria, was thrilled.
This also was about the time that the Madison Heights business owner, and many other entrepreneurs, began reading about a new concern, coronavirus, that first threatened China.
“I thought, ‘Wow, I did it! I grew this company. We’re making money finally. We’re going to pay off some of our debts,’ ” he said. “And then, a week later, I was like, ‘What if we lose everything to coronavirus?’ “
Wall Street is worried as the Dow has its worst finish since 1987, even as the Federal Reserve injected money into the bond market to try to bring some stability to the financial systems and the president declared a national emergency.
On Main Street, business owners like Loria — who operate hair salons, fitness centers, dentist offices, and other enterprises — are soldiering on and bracing themselves for the fallout.
“I’m terrified right now,” Loria, 27, said, hoping that things will return to normal soon.
He estimates if the situation continues another three to four months, the business might go bust.
Not only have his home cleaning customers canceled his services but two of his employees quit to stay home with their kids while the governor orders schools shut down for three weeks, he said.
On top of that, sick workers can’t clean, an additional precaution the company is taking as clients fear that it could spread coronavirus; and healthy workers are nervous that they could catch the virus by cleaning.
Loria said he invested about $10,000 in disinfecting equipment — new sprayers, masks, gloves and staff training — with the hope he might shift or expand his home cleaning services to commercial offices and schools if the virus ever reached Michigan.
But, so far, that strategy hasn’t worked because companies and school districts began to empty out offices and classrooms and ask employees and students simply to stay home so there’s less of a need for the disinfectant services.
Dinita Clements, the owner of the Last Tangle Hair Salon in Detroit, said she hasn’t panicked — yet. Her customers are still coming in for appointments and her stylists have adult or teenage children, so childcare isn’t an issue.
But, she said, with each new action the state takes, she is increasingly wary.
She said she’s reassuring customers that the salon is disinfecting and sanitizing the chairs, scissors, combs; and everyone is washing their hands. But she also is aware that just one coronavirus case could cause serious problems.
“Being a public place, no matter how long a client has been coming to you, you are just praying no one comes through here with it,” Clements, 45, said. “Not only would you have to shut down, you’d have to go into your database and inform everyone.”
At Gentle Dental in Detroit, the patient coordinator said it is difficult to predict whether customers will stop coming in.
“Yesterday was kind of busy, but our schedules are falling apart because of the virus,” Stephanie Varnes said. “To be honest, it seems like a lot of people don’t really care and think that it’s fake, but you also have a lot of people who are freaking out, too.”
A few entrepreneurs see a glimmer of opportunity in the chaos.
Lily Kahsin, an enterprising Ferndale teenager, took to social media to let people know that — for a reasonable fee — she and some of her friends could help out by babysitting.
School is closed, she said, so they have time off and could use the extra money.
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Grindtime Fitness said that, so far, the gym having the best week of the year. That might change, but gym owner John Smith said he has taken steps to assure members that they are aware of the risks and disinfecting equipment.
“I think, a lot of people can’t go to work,” he said. “The churches are on high alert, the schools shut down. Where can I go? The gym provides some stress relief and I think it has been helping.”
But, how long will that last?
“We’ll see,” Smith said. “It’s hard to say because we’ve dealt with anything like this.”
However, Loria, who owned a small marketing company before he opened his cleaning business in late 2018, isn’t taking any chances. He’s going to try some promotional efforts — disinfectant giveaways — to lure some of his customers back and attract new ones.
“This just sucks,” Loria said of the health crisis. “It’s ruining everything.”
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Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
