What It Costs to Reopen a Business

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Reopening a business now can be risky — and costly. CharlotteCowles spoke with three New York business owners about what it takes to welcome their customers back in, and what scares them about the months ahead

Photo: Kanawa Studio/Getty Images With COVID-19 restrictions lifting all over the country, many business owners are cautiously reopening their doors after months of closure. But it can be risky to do so, especially since life is hardly back to normal and regulations for reopening aren’t always clear. Here, three business owners in New York discuss what it takes to welcome their customers back in, and what scares them about the months ahead.

Closing down completely wasn’t an option. I couldn’t afford to do that. I’m not in a financial position to just sit at home for a few months and wait it out. I wish that I could, to be honest, because I’m exhausted. But we never got any concessions on rent, so we had to find a way to pay that. But I never fell behind, this whole year. My rule for my businesses is that I never rent a space that costs more than what I think my business can produce in one day.

We just reopened our second location three weeks ago. It took a few months to figure it out, business-wise and logistically. It used to have eight seats, like an intimate luncheonette; we took those out and now you order from a window. In addition to rebuilding the interior, we also had to hire a new trash company, create seating outdoors, and hire new staff because we lost our former staff when we closed.

In New York City, facialists weren’t allowed to operate until August. I decided to move to a bigger apartment in Williamsburg, where most of my clients are, and just reopen at home. I rented a two-bedroom, and one of the bedrooms is my treatment room. My clients like it, it’s super safe, and it’s less overhead for me, so it’s less stress. I didn’t want to have to hire any employees and worry about them following safety protocols.

I’ve also been working on some side hustles. The pandemic has really taught me that I can’t put all my eggs in one basket. Plus, my schedule hasn’t been consistent — some weeks I’m busy, and others I have just two or three appointments. So I’ve been taking Zoom classes on how to brew beer, and I’m starting to get into music PR. Eventually, maybe I’ll work in a brewery for a few days a week, and maybe book music for them too, and do facials a few days a week as well.

 

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