What do, a fitness instructor, the owner of a hair salon and a restauranteur have in common? 

Under normal circumstances, not much, really... but in today's COVID-19 crisis, all three of these people have a lot more in common than you might realize.

Below we feature three of our fellow entrepreneurs who are struggling to survive the economic challenges brought on by the forced closure of non-essential businesses. 

Nothing compares to the risks and sacrifices being made by our frontline workers and we have the utmost respect and admiration for the incredible work they are doing. At the same time, we believe that entrepreneurs are the main pillars supporting our economy, and deserve recognition as well. Unfortunately, many of them are at considerable financial risk because of this crisis. 

Cary Devine, the co-owner of Duke & Devine’s Pub in Beaurepaire Village, has felt the effects firsthand. Since March 24th, the day the government put a stop to all non-essential business activities, he had to lay off his entire staff, discontinue alcohol sales, and close the restaurant to eat-in diners but, with no break on his rent payments, Devine had to find a way to keep his ship afloat. He managed to keep the kitchen open with just himself and his head chef manning the fort. They devised a take-out only menu with an emphasis on “Family Style” meals, complete with main dishes, salads, and desserts. So far the response has been positive, and the Pub is seeing a rush of daily orders between 4:30 – 7:30 pm. This even allowed Cary to hire back 2 more employees to keep up with demand. We ordered their fish and chips the other day and it was absolutely delicious as usual! He’s now about to expand his menu offerings to include grocery baskets – which will come in “veggie”, “protein”, or “pantry” varieties so people can avoid having to go to the supermarket or deal with the long delays from ordering online. https://www.facebook.com/Duke-Devines-Beaconsfield-Beaurepaire-968240353262721

Over the past month most men out there have either resorted to growing their hair long, or shaving their heads at home with a pair of clippers. But for the ladies, things aren’t so simple! That’s where another local small-business owner has courageously stepped up to help. Also forced to lay off her entire staff, she has had to get extremely innovative in order to maintain services for her clients. She has literally transformed her apartment into a laboratory, warehouse, and distribution centre, where she is preparing colour kits with customized formulas for her clientele. Asking to remain anonymous, she has also been extremely active on social media where she features instructional videos on how to apply the hair dye safely and effectively from home. She coordinates pick-ups from her two hair salons every two weeks, and even delivers to clients who can’t travel themselves. Just amazing!

When it comes to excuses, most of us can always find one for why we don’t exercise. “I’m too busy with work.” “I just don’t have the time.” “The gyms are all closed.”. Well for Jennifer Arditi, there are no excuses! As a fitness instructor at Klub20 in Beaconsfield, Jen felt compelled to still be there for her clients despite the forced closure of the gym. She knew there would be some demand from her die-hard regulars, but it wasn’t until she started her own Facebook Group that she realized how big it was going to get. “At first I thought it would be 20 or 30 people who knew me from the classes… but now we’re about to hit 5,000 members!” With zero background in technology or online marketing, she had to learn it all as she went. Jen quickly recruited some of the many other instructors she knew from over 20 years in the business. The Facebook Group now features 27 instructors offering all types of fitness classes from yoga, to pilates, to strength and conditioning. She began this as a free service and a way to give back to her community. “We haven’t asked anyone to start paying a subscription, but we did set up a GoFundMe page so that people can donate any amount they want. Everyone has been very supportive so far which is great because some of our instructors are single moms and none of us have seen a paycheck since mid-March.” https://www.facebook.com/groups/1320480181480392

We wish we could showcase the stories of other local businesses who are also struggling to survive this crisis any way they can. So if you or someone you know is doing something extraordinary to survive during these unprecedented times, please let us know about it and we’ll feature them on our Team Broady Facebook Page. 
 
If there’s anything to be learned from these three stories, it’s that small business owners are the backbones of our community. So please support our local entrepreneurs, and show them how much they’re appreciated!

Signing off....

Capt'n Mark