Fans helping fans and small business

[SmokinwithWilly]

I'm starting this in the football forum instead of somewhere else because I hope it may be able to help us as football fans. If it needs to be moved elsewhere, mods feel free. 

I'm a small business owner, and frankly, I'm feeling the effects of this shutdown pretty heavily. I'm nervous, I'm scared. I don't know what the future holds and it weighs heavily. The stimulus package won't help me much if at all. I know we're all primarily Panthers fans, except for a couple friendly guys from the Saints we love to hate. Fortunately, my company is on the essential list and I can keep working, even though I've had lots of customers cancelling service because they're nervous about what their financial future holds. It's going to be tight, but hopefully, I'll survive this. My thought was, as a small business, I know what I'm doing to keep going and was wondering what steps others were taking. My hope is that maybe we could pool knowledge and get as many of us through as possible. I don't know how many of you own small businesses, but I know I'm open to any ideas to help keep the doors open and my employees working as well as finding ways to help anyone else. Even if you don't own a small business, but saw something someone else was doing that was a really good idea, I'm listening.

So here's what I've done, maybe it helps. 

1. My employees are working, not a full 40, but I'm paying them 40. I keep track of the hours and bank them for when this is over and overtime starts back up. Then they'll get to reimburse me in time for the pay I've given. It's a little tight with margins, but I hope to make it up later.

2. Each employee gets their own vehicle (I've had to add) and is required to sanitize it daily. They all have sanitizer, towels, and gloves (Harbor Freight was loaded)

3. I'm service industry, so all employees stay separate by at least 50 feet which for me, is easily doable. All my customers are aware we won't approach within 15 feet. I'm cautious. 

4. I've added every type of payment method that gets reasonably used, Venmo, Cashapp, Paypal, Square, Applepay. If there's more that get used frequently, please tell me. 

5. I'm offering discounts during the mandatory SAH period and while people are quarantined. I get some business even if the margins are smaller. Hopefully I'll be able to put more people to work that aren't right now. 

6. I'm trying to keep in touch with other small businesses, especially farmers and meat producers, and a list of what specials they run, or local restaurants that are doing really good deals to keep their employees at least working. Some of these guys are offering great deals because they still need to move the product with so many restaurants limited on ordering. I'm giving this info to my customers who are interested, trying to keep money in our community as much as possible. I'm slowly starting to build a network out here, and it seems to be working so far. 

I know there's a lot of people doing similar things on Facebook and other social media sights, but since this is our own Panthers community, I thought it might be worth it to do something similar here. I don't live in the Carolinas anymore, but I have a lot of friends and family that do. Information is key to getting us all through this, and I'm hoping maybe we can help each other. 

Stay safe. 

 

[Tbe]

What do you do? Is it lawn service?

[Jon Snow]

I'm not a business owner and for now I'm still employed.  I urge everyone still employed to pay it forward to your fellow humans that are struggling with this nightmare.  Please stop hoarding! Order out as much as you can, it keeps people employed.  And for goodness sake give people a decent tip you cheapskates.  I'm doing what little I can as a citizen and would hope you all would if you give a crap about anything but yourself. Rant over.

 

 

[4Corners]

It’s easy to forget sometimes that we are all in this together, regardless of who is in charge and how this person wants to divide everyone and do things that are not in the best interest of most. Supporting local and looking out for your neighbors and fellow humans have never been more important. 

[imminent rogaine]

I ordered a Delivery of a bunch of beer from a local bottle shop which deals mostly in local breweries.

Hero? I wouldn’t go that far; just one guy working hard to make a difference.

[Tbe]

Exactly. Lots of different ways to help. I’ve been ordering from my normal lunch spots even though I’m not going to pick up the food. I’ve just been making a note on the online order form telling them what I’m doing so they don’t make the food. Just $10 here and there but it could help if more people did it.

[SmokinwithWilly]

1 hour ago, Tbe said:

What do you do? Is it lawn service?

That's one phase of what I do, but I also work on large scale commercial irrigation, landscape architecture, hardscape, pretty much all phases of outdoor maintenance and construction. 

[Khyber53]

We're donating money to local shelters and Meals on Wheels. We're also making sure that every take out order we get is from a local restaurant, no chains. Anything to make the money stay in the local area just a bit longer. One of our favorite neighborhood restaurants already shut down forever. Such good people, it really breaks our hearts.

Good luck everyone and we're praying this lifts off of the world's shoulders soon.

[Squirrel]

Company I work for is looking at doing 50% work reduction and 50% paycut. It keeps everyone on the payroll and most importantly keeps everyones benefits.  If you can get your works to agree on a temporary reduction most would understand. 

[SmokinwithWilly]

One project I'm working on is making a deal with local supplier to get a few hundred pounds of pork shoulder for a few of my friends and I to BBq to distribute to our senior citizens. Should be able to get the shoulder for under a buck a pound or close, it helps him sell his excess meat, and we get to kick back, bbq, and enjoy a few jars of apple pie moonshine. Win-win.

[Tbe]

3 hours ago, SmokinwithWilly said:

That's one phase of what I do, but I also work on large scale commercial irrigation, landscape architecture, hardscape, pretty much all phases of outdoor maintenance and construction. 

I read a story a few weeks ago of a small home HVAC install company that pivoted to HVAC repair (home and commercial) in 2008-09. The idea was people would pay to repair what they had vs buying a new system. I guess going all in on the repair side of the biz was new at the time. Anyway, The good will and name recognition they gained during this time exploded their growth after the recession. 

There isn’t much you can do to generate demand if the market isn’t there, but what else can you do with your skill set and equipment that people can’t put off for another day? 

[ECUPantherFan]

4 hours ago, 4Corners said:

It’s easy to forget sometimes that we are all in this together, regardless of who is in charge and how this person wants to divide everyone and do things that are not in the best interest of most. Supporting local and looking out for your neighbors and fellow humans have never been more important. 

Oh FFS.  Lol... you can’t help yourself.

[MMA]

Really good with what you are doing for your employees. I applaud that. But my only question is, if you have your own business and enough money to do what you’re doing for your employees, how the heck are you eligible for this $1200 stimulus package? 

[4Corners]

57 minutes ago, ECUPantherFan said:

Oh FFS.  Lol... you can’t help yourself.

Hey man. Not sure what you are getting at. Hope you and your cat are doing well and are safe during this pandemic.