I have been the owner of a small business for a long time now. I have seen it all as far as trends in the market and economy, but nothing compares to what has just happened with the effects of COVID19. That’s right - the global pandemic has caused unprecedented change to people like me who own small businesses, and I am honestly sick of all the hassle of owning a business in person. First things first, I am an honest man who tries to stay in my lane and just make a humble way for my family and myself. However, I have been known to get a little stirred up if something comes between me and making money.
In this case, the thing that came between me and my money was the pandemic, and also the United States government. If you haven’t heard of what happened to small businesses or are not aware, then I will give a brief summary so you can understand the context needed for this article. Basically, when the pandemic began to get worse in the United States, the government stepped in and forced most businesses to close down in order to limit the spread of the virus. Presumably, people shopping in stores all over the country caused the virus to spread more quickly and the government was trying to limit this. Never before have I seen entire sectors of the economy completely shut down, with absolutely nothing that could be done about it.
Once I learned that my business was going to be shut down for weeks on end, I did all I could to try to fight back. Though some of my peers and I put up a pretty good fight for a couple of small business owners in Indiana, we were eventually forced to shut down or face severe legal consequences that could include felonies and the stripping of our title for our businesses. You have no idea of the emotional distress that this put me under, and I was constantly worried about how I would be able to make ends meet. However, I learned quickly that a lot of people began selling their products online that could no longer keep their storefront open. I decided that I would try my hand at selling my products online as well, because I really had nothing to lose. In all honesty, selling my products online was really easy and it began to be a lot more profitable than when I was selling in my shop. It turns out that there is quite the market for my products from the younger generations that see my products as trendy but would never set foot in my actual store.
All I really needed to do was invest in some different internet, technology, and lots of shipping supplies. I was receiving more orders in a day than I ever had before! The lesson I learned from this whole ordeal is that the government is mean and likes to bully small business owners. I also learned that shipping supplies are relatively cheap and the world of eCommerce is extremely lucrative. I think that I will not reopen my business in person with all the risks involved, and instead focus on creating a better eCommerce business. So take that Uncle Sam, you can’t stop me from selling my products even if you tried.
