Coronavirus In Minnesota: How You Can Help Businesses Being Affected By COVID-19
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- As many families choose to spend more time at home, local businesses are feeling the impact.
Normally, Fox Den Salon in Uptown would be packed on a Sunday, but not today.
"Everybody is kind of freaking out because we get paid on commission," owner Sica Dawn said.
Dawn says the cancellations just kept coming starting on Thursday. She's had to cut staff hours for front desk workers so far.
Dawn says the salon always uses top hygiene practices, but people can support them other ways aside from a cut or color. She suggested buying products or paying in advance for a future appointment.
"We'd go to bed with full books and wake up and have nothing on the books," Dawn said.
She also encouraged writing reviews online for local businesses to help boost their social media presence.
"I'm scared for the moms and dads and kids that are really impacted," Tinto Kitchen owner Rebecca Illingworth Penichot said.
Tinto's sales were down 50 percent over the weekend. Penichot is encouraging people to support local restaurants which could be dining in, but also through takeout and gift cards if they prefer to eat at home.
"We are taking many precautions," she said. "We're all taking things hour by hour."
Still she anticipates restaurants could be next to temporarily close, following the lines of other states that have already created mandates to do so.
She wants people to be healthy and also hopes they will do what they can to help small businesses.
"It's important that we support each other during this time and you know we, too, can do our part."
The small business association says it will work directly with state governors to help provide loans to small businesses and non profits affected by COVID-19. They are also encouraging employees to wash their hands and to stay home if they are sick.
