Midland Businesses are Getting Creative

28 Apr 2020

News

Midland businesses are adaptable and innovative. They are demonstrating that spirit in the creative ways that they are serving customers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most businesses have altered how they do business, but that doesn’t mean they are closed. In many cases, they have simply moved online or to a remote ordering system. For example, Salcido Family Medicine is now offering real-time, live video appointments so community members can receive healthcare from the comfort of home. Midland Health has added tele-mental health to their remote offerings. Halo Hair and Beauty Bar is selling salon kits for customers to use at home, and Gerardo’s Casita set up a small grocery market inside of their restaurant, in addition to offering food to go. These are just a few of many Midland businesses which have taken creative steps to sustain operations during the COVID-19 crisis.

How to Safely Support Midland Businesses During COVID-19

It is possible to continue supporting local businesses, even if you are unable to physically shop or dine there. Think about the businesses that you typically buy from, restaurants you eat at, ice cream shops you visit for desert, and boutiques you rely on for birthday or anniversary gifts. Then visit their website and Facebook pages to find out if they are taking orders online or over the phone, if they offer curbside pickup or delivery, and if they are providing services virtually. In many cases, they will be. For example, Mulberry Cafe is offering to go orders and The Fitness Professionals are offering a free 21-day fitness challenge online.

Continuing to purchase from Midland businesses, even in a reduced capacity, can help keep people employed. Other suggestions include -

Visit www.PermianStrong.com for up-to-date information on how to support local businesses
Visit the Midland Chamber and the Midland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Facebook page for information on businesses which are open
Order food from local restaurants on #TakeOutTuesday
Purchase gift cards to be used at a later date
Order dinner delivery for friends, family and colleagues you would normally have dined with
Maintain subscriptions and memberships with local organizations
Use Facetime or Zoom to get bids from contractors for projects that can start immediately once the restrictions have been lifted

Buy Local to Support Our Economy

By supporting local small businesses during this time, you can make a considerable impact on our economy. Every dollar spent at a small business supports another 50 cents in local business activity. As an added incentive, every ten jobs created at a local business support an additional seven jobs within the community, according to The Small Business Economic Impact Study conducted by American Express in 2018. - The study reveals that for every dollar spent at a local businesses:

67 cents stays within the local economy
50 cents is created in local business activity outside of that particular business

Consider those numbers for a moment. If every ten jobs created by local businesses creates another seven jobs, what would the loss of ten jobs do? The ripple effect can be devastating for the local economy. This makes it critical to keep small businesses operating. Doing so is necessary for our ability to rebound quickly after COVID-19.

Additional reasons to support small businesses -

Small businesses pay local taxes and employ local people, which helps build local economies.
Local business owners are neighbors, colleagues and friends. Supporting them helps build community and social capital.
Local businesses are more likely to have unique, handmade or one-of-a-kind products that can’t be found at chain stores or big online retailers.
Small businesses positively contribute to the character of our community, making it a special place to live.

The COVID-19 pandemic will pass and when it does, it is important for us to continue supporting one another. We don’t yet understand what the full economic impact of this will be, but we do know that we are strong as a community that supports one another. As always, we are here to support local businesses which need information and assistance.

References

American Express. (2018, November 13). Small Business Economic Impact Study. Retrieved from American Express: https://about.americanexpress.com/press-release/another-reason-to-shop-small-on-small-business-saturday

More Topics

In Focus: Mitigating Risk with Aggressive Support in Economic Development

Apr 27 2020

The rapid global spread of the COVID-19 virus has left businesses frantically looking for viable solutions to protect employees and consumer health and presents tough choices for business leaders. The coronavirus has desperately affected the business community and, in particular, the supply chain. For example, here in South Carolina,...

Texans Helping Texans

Apr 27 2020

Texans are battling a colossal challenge—an invisible enemy that has tested our lives and our livelihoods—but overcoming challenges is part of who we are as Texans. We have shown that Texas can continue our efforts to contain COVID-19 while also adhering to safe standards that will allow us to...

COVID-19 Financial Aid: Stimulus Checks are Arriving

Apr 26 2020

Amid the Covid-19 crisis, many non-essential businesses have had to close their doors to the public. Unemployment has become a major issue for most Americans and others around the world. Nearly 17 million Americans have filed for unemployment in the three weeks' time after statewide shutdowns and closure...