Sara Turack, the owner of a 12-chair salon in Omaha, laid off her staff of seven after she closed in March, around the time nonessential businesses in the city were ordered to close (View Feature Article). At the time, Turack was nervous that customers and staff would be reluctant to return, given how close stylists and customers are situated and because she worried staggering job losses would eat into budgets for services like professional haircare.
Later that month she received a loan through the Paycheck Protection Program, part of the Cares Act passed to help corporations, households, and small businesses through the coronavirus pandemic. By early May, Turack was back open for business. She used her loan to bring back staff and hire three more employees, and she says about 90% of her clients have already booked appointments.
Turack says she’s still missing about 30% of previrus business that came from special occasions, but she’s starting to notice an uptick there as clients schedule family photo shoots and small celebrations. In a sign that some degree of normalcy has returned to parts of the country, Turack had a bride-to-be in the salon in mid-May ahead of her wedding.
What’s Working
Turack says she’s taken a “concierge approach” to reopening. “We have overcommunicated with our clients, maybe to the point of annoying them,” she says, sending status emails throughout the closure and following up with phone calls and emails as she prepared to reopen the salon and rebook appointments. That’s how she communicated new procedures, such as required masks and capacity limits, that seem to have helped most customers feel comfortable enough to come back. Now, as clients return, she’s sending thank-you notes after they come in for services. “It’s a lot but our clients tell us they appreciate it,” she says.
Challenges
Rolling reopenings have been an obstacle to a smooth return to business, Turack says. The county where Lark is located opened before other parts of the state, which Turack says brought some potential out-of-town customers looking to make appointments. Those would-be clients were upfront about being from another county, Turack says, and she turned them down. She also is operating on a reduced schedule, open about six hours a day, in order to try to help limit staff and clients’ exposure.
“You are not going back to business as normal. So you have to think differently,” Turack says. Be nimble and ask for help, and involve everyone on your team in the process, she advises. As small-business owners before the pandemic, “we saw being ‘busy’ as a badge of honor. Being ‘busy’ and efficient/effective are different,” she says.
Later that month she received a loan through the Paycheck Protection Program, part of the Cares Act passed to help corporations, households, and small businesses through the coronavirus pandemic. By early May, Turack was back open for business. She used her loan to bring back staff and hire three more employees, and she says about 90% of her clients have already booked appointments.
Advice to Other Business Owners
Rolling reopenings have been an obstacle to a smooth return to business, Turack says. The county where Lark is located opened before other parts of the state, which Turack says brought some potential out-of-town customers looking to make appointments. Those would-be clients were upfront about being from another county, Turack says, and she turned them down. She also is operating on a reduced schedule, open about six hours a day, in order to try to help limit staff and clients’ exposure.
Turack says she’s taken a “concierge approach” to reopening. “We have overcommunicated with our clients, maybe to the point of annoying them,” she says, sending status emails throughout the closure and following up with phone calls and emails as she prepared to reopen the salon and rebook appointments. That’s how she communicated new procedures, such as required masks and capacity limits, that seem to have helped most customers feel comfortable enough to come back. Now, as clients return, she’s sending thank-you notes after they come in for services. “It’s a lot but our clients tell us they appreciate it,” she says.
Sara Turack, the owner of a 12-chair salon in Omaha, laid off her staff of seven after she closed in March, around the time nonessential businesses in the city were ordered to close. At the time, Turack was nervous that customers and staff would be reluctant to return, given how close stylists and customers are situated and because she worried staggering job losses would eat into budgets for services like professional haircare.
“You are not going back to business as normal. So you have to think differently,” Turack says. Be nimble and ask for help, and involve everyone on your team in the process, she advises. As small-business owners before the pandemic, “we saw being ‘busy’ as a badge of honor. Being ‘busy’ and efficient/effective are different,” she says.
Later that month she received a loan through the Paycheck Protection Program, part of the Cares Act passed to help corporations, households, and small businesses through the coronavirus pandemic. By early May, Turack was back open for business. She used her loan to bring back staff and hire three more employees, and she says about 90% of her clients have already booked appointments.
It Will Get Harder, Stay Strong
Rolling reopenings have been an obstacle to a smooth return to business, Turack says. The county where Lark is located opened before other parts of the state, which Turack says brought some potential out-of-town customers looking to make appointments. Those would-be clients were upfront about being from another county, Turack says, and she turned them down. She also is operating on a reduced schedule, open about six hours a day, in order to try to help limit staff and clients’ exposure.
Later that month she received a loan through the Paycheck Protection Program, part of the Cares Act passed to help corporations, households, and small businesses through the coronavirus pandemic. By early May, Turack was back open for business. She used her loan to bring back staff and hire three more employees, and she says about 90% of her clients have already booked appointments.
“You are not going back to business as normal. So you have to think differently,” Turack says. Be nimble and ask for help, and involve everyone on your team in the process, she advises. As small-business owners before the pandemic, “we saw being ‘busy’ as a badge of honor. Being ‘busy’ and efficient/effective are different,” she says.
Rolling reopenings have been an obstacle to a smooth return to business, Turack says. The county where Lark is located opened before other parts of the state, which Turack says brought some potential out-of-town customers looking to make appointments. Those would-be clients were upfront about being from another county, Turack says, and she turned them down. She also is operating on a reduced schedule, open about six hours a day, in order to try to help limit staff and clients’ exposure.
“You are not going back to business as normal. So you have to think differently,” Turack says. Be nimble and ask for help, and involve everyone on your team in the process, she advises. As small-business owners before the pandemic, “we saw being ‘busy’ as a badge of honor. Being ‘busy’ and efficient/effective are different,” she says.
Turack says she’s taken a “concierge approach” to reopening. “We have overcommunicated with our clients, maybe to the point of annoying them,” she says, sending status emails throughout the closure and following up with phone calls and emails as she prepared to reopen the salon and rebook appointments. That’s how she communicated new procedures, such as required masks and capacity limits, that seem to have helped most customers feel comfortable enough to come back. Now, as clients return, she’s sending thank-you notes after they come in for services. “It’s a lot but our clients tell us they appreciate it,” she says.
Famous Last Words
Later that month she received a loan through the Paycheck Protection Program, part of the Cares Act passed to help corporations, households, and small businesses through the coronavirus pandemic. By early May, Turack was back open for business. She used her loan to bring back staff and hire three more employees, and she says about 90% of her clients have already booked appointments.
“You are not going back to business as normal. So you have to think differently,” Turack says. Be nimble and ask for help, and involve everyone on your team in the process, she advises. As small-business owners before the pandemic, “we saw being ‘busy’ as a badge of honor. Being ‘busy’ and efficient/effective are different,” she says.
Small business in Crisis
Barron’s in coming months will be exploring how the pandemic’s impact on small business is playing out, and how small businesses’ struggles will affect the broader economy and financial markets. Please reach out to us with your stories, questions, and tips to editors@barrons.com.
America’s Small Businesses Are in Crisis. Their Survival Is Key to Reviving the Economy
Rich Rewards. High Risks. Here’s How to Buy a Small Business.
Why Business Won’t Snap Back So Easily After the Great Reopening
How the Coronavirus Crisis Is Pinching Maine’s Lobster Industry
