US Small Businesses Set About Reinventing Themselves

Small business owners are worried about how to keep operating under restrictions¹ aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus.

Reinvention may be the most important idea.

The U.S. Congress passed a measure that provided billions of dollars to small businesses to keep them from collapsing². But even with that assistance, "many small companies are still struggling to reopen, and others will never reopen," said Tom Sullivan. He is the vice³ president for small business policy at the U.S. Chamber⁴ of Commerce in Washington, D.C.

There are 30 million small businesses in the United States and most have fewer than 75 employees. They need to reinvent themselves, Sullivan told VOA. "There's definitely a new normal, and I don't think companies can go back to the way they were before COVID-19."

Markos Panas is the founder⁵ of the Bread and Water Company in Alexandria, Virginia, outside Washington, D.C. He knows this very well. "When the coronavirus kicked open the door, it was sink or swim, and we realized we had to make a lot of changes," he said.

Like many small businesses, Bread and Water lost at least half of its revenue after the virus hit. The number of customers quickly went down to nearly none as people stayed home.

Panas said a $10,000 CARES donation from congress has helped the bakery remain open.The money is meant to help small businesses keep workers on the job through the health crisis.

Panas said the crisis actually forced his company to simplify its business. "Before we were trying to do too much, and just breaking even as a wholesaler⁶, restaurant, and bakery," he said.

"We became a full-time⁷, carry-out operation, with online ordering, something we hadn't done before," said Panas.

He also learned that less can be more.

"We've reduced our bread and pastry⁸ offerings, and provided a better variety" of other products, he said. Panas added that he trained his employees to do more than one job.

The company is "already making more money than we did before," Panas said.

Companies that are not making changes are going to find it difficult to survive, said Joe Shamus. He is a former military pilot who is the co-owner of Flags of Valor⁹ in Ashburn, Virginia.

The business employs combat veterans who handmake American flags from wood.

"Our company has had to change the way we do business," Shamus said.

Like Bread and Water, Flags of Valor cut its retail¹⁰ sales and changed some of its products including: "...smaller, more affordable¹¹ flags for the average consumer," he said.

The NightLight Pediatric Urgent Care clinics in Houston, Texas, decided¹² the internet was the way to go.

"The eight clinics are in shopping centers, so in a way, we run it like a retail business..." said Zawadi Bryant, the company's chief.

After COVID-19 arrived, "there was a major drop in the number of children we were seeing."

As a result, he said, the company started to agree to see patients online. He said parents love it because it is easy.

Couch Clarity provides mental health services in the Chicago suburbs. It also provides services online. Company president Melissa Bercier said her workers were trained almost "overnight" to provide "teletherapy" which they had never done before.

Bread and Water Company's Panas said, changing is not easy, "...but now is the perfect time to reimagine what you can do."

I'm Susan Shand.

Words in This Story

revenue–n. the amount of money that is earned

customer–n. a person who buys things

wholesaler–n. someone who sells products to other retailers¹³

variety–n. several different items

retail–adj. a store that sells to the public

affordable–adj. something that is not costly¹⁴

clinics–n. small medical facilities

1 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

2 collapsing   

压扁[平]，毁坏，断裂

参考例句：

• Rescuers used props to stop the roof of the tunnel collapsing. 救援人员用支柱防止隧道顶塌陷。
• The rocks were folded by collapsing into the center of the trough. 岩石由于坍陷进入凹槽的中心而发生褶皱。

3 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

4 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

5 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

6 wholesaler   

n.批发商

参考例句：

• We're the largest furniture wholesaler in Illinois. 我们是伊利诺伊州最大的家具批发商。 来自辞典例句
• These are used to create profiles for each wholesaler. 这是他日常的工作或通过与批发商的正式会谈。 来自互联网

7 full-time   

adj.满工作日的或工作周的，全时间的

参考例句：

• A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
• I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作，我不知道她是如何对付的。

8 pastry   

n.油酥面团，酥皮糕点

参考例句：

• The cook pricked a few holes in the pastry.厨师在馅饼上戳了几个洞。
• The pastry crust was always underdone.馅饼的壳皮常常烤得不透。

9 valor   

n.勇气，英勇

参考例句：

• Fortitude is distinct from valor.坚韧不拔有别于勇猛。
• Frequently banality is the better parts of valor.老生常谈往往比大胆打破常规更为人称道。

10 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

11 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

12 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

13 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

14 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。