“For us, the impact was more personal, not so much on business,” said Betty.
Betty now runs the Cottonwood with help from Dennis’ son Dennis Yates Jr.
“You’re just doing the best you can,” said Betty. “It’s a day to day, sometimes minute to minute thing.”
The pandemic was harsh, but it has also rewarded the entrepreneurship that initially drives many small business owners.
For example, the pandemic hasn’t stopped Castillo from taking steps to further expand the business at Salon Estilos, 2423 13th St. In January she started installing a nail salon in the back of the building.
Barbara Jean’s was one of the companies in downtown Columbus that focused its energy on its online presence during the pandemic by doubling down on a website.
“We knew we had to do it, we just got our feet up on it,” said Duffy. “We had to do it a little earlier than we would have, which is not a bad thing.”
Indeed, changes introduced in response to the pandemic can last for many companies.
Platte Valley Printing never closed due to the pandemic, but Hurt cut its working hours from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
