COVID-19 and small businesses
Melissa Liu, Copy Editor & Selena DiBiase, Staff Writer
Graphic by Melissa Liu, Copy Editor
*Aaman and Ines are aliases chosen by the Messenger staff to protect the identity of two individuals who have chosen to remain anonymous.
Georgia’s April 3 shelter-in-place has impacted the financial situations of many Northview students and their families. The statewide restrictions limited restaurants to carry out or delivery and forced non-essential businesses, including gyms, theaters, and beauty shops, to close temporarily.
Junior Aaman is among those whose families are taking a hit. Aaman’s father, a self-employed custom jeweler, is no longer receiving new orders due to the shelter-in-place, worsening the family’s already precarious financial situation.
“My family already had problems with money, especially after moving to Johns Creek because the bills and taxes are really high, and my dad had to work a lot,” Aaman said. “Right now we’re all really tense because we don’t have a steady income, and we don’t know what to expect.”
His family does not have to worry about housing and has been able to afford the bills by paying them off slowly, but Aaman worries that their savings might run out if the shelter-in-place order does not end soon.
“I’m honestly just reminded of the time we lived in Norcross, and the fridge just had milk and sauce,” he said. “If I was hungry, I would eat sugar straight from the jar.”
To prevent this from happening again, Aaman’s family has discussed getting jobs that are still available during the lockdown, such as working for a food delivery service or at a grocery store.
“We’d be up for it, but our dad probably wouldn’t want us to,” Aaman said. “He’s pretty protective of us.”
Aaman is not alone in his desire for a job during this time of financial struggle. Other Northview students have taken it upon themselves to support their families by working at local businesses. Sophomore Brianne Daffern, for instance, is an employee at Culver’s, a renowned fast-food chain. Though the restaurant remains open as an essential business, the pandemic has caused a series of major changes to its general operation.
“We are drive-thru only right now, and the dine-in is closed,” Daffern said. “We also have even more intense cleaning processes.”
Other essential businesses are only remaining open for certain days of the week to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Take sophomore Leila Chahboune’s place of work, for example. Chahboune is employed at Bubba's Pet Emporium, a small business that sells pet food for exotic animals like lizards and birds.
“We are considered essential; however, we only work three days a week now,” Chahboune said. “It is a small business and is struggling to stay open during this time. ”
Bubba’s Pet Emporium is just one example of a small business attempting to stay afloat–there are numerous others experiencing financial turbulence. Junior Ines’ parents had to shorten the business hours for their restaurant and only offer take-out. Just like at Bubba’s Pet Emporium and Culver’s, these measures have led to a loss in business.
“Our main stream of income has been cut indefinitely,” Ines said. “My dad has some money saved for emergencies, so we’re using that.”
While Ines and her brother are kept in the dark about the exact state of the family’s finances to prevent them from worrying, the lockdown has placed a lot of stress on their parents.
“I worry most about how long it will take to return back to normal after [COVID-19],” Ines’ mother said. “Everything changed so quickly within just a couple of months. God knows how long it will be until everything is okay again.”
Although the pandemic has caused a financial setback, Ines and her mother note that it has also brought their family closer together and given them a fresh perspective.
“A lot of things that my friends and I expected as a given are being taken away from us,” Ines said. “We’re beginning to learn to be grateful for every moment we have together.”
