BIG RAPIDS — It has been more than a year since the first reported case of COVID-19 in Mecosta County, and local small businesses are still feeling the effects, in terms of staffing and an increase in costs.
In a recent survey by the Small Business Association of Michigan, rising costs and finding enough staff are still the top threats faced by small businesses in the state.
The survey, conducted between Sept. 10-17, one week after President Joe Biden’s federal vaccine mandate, concluded that 58% of small business owners are opposed to the mandate, while 29% are in favor and another 13% expressed no opinion.
A total of 77% of businesses included in the survey said COVID-19 had a negative impact on business in 2020, while 67% say they are still feeling these effects.
Local staples in downtown Big Rapids, such as the Old Pioneer Store and Serendipity, have not been exempt from some of the hardships brought about by the pandemic.
Old Pioneer Store co-owner Brian Rose said he is thankful that he hasn’t run into any staffing issues to this point, but added that product availability — or a lack thereof — has been difficult to cope with as time passes by.
“That’s been a challenge, to get items we need for gifts — even with our Kilwin’s products — things aren’t available,” Rose said. “It’s been either long waits, or (products) haven’t been available at all. That’s been the main issue for us.”
Rose added that the scarcity in some products only started to become noticeable after the pandemic had made its way to the United States and, indeed, to Big Rapids.
It seems this continued lack of resources has had a trickle-down effect on the way local stores have been able to conduct their business.
“Companies that we do business with, as far as supply, have obviously been shorthanded, which is true, not only here in Michigan, but across the nation in general,” Rose said.
Jeannette Line, who is the manager of Serendipity in Big Rapids, hasn’t encountered too many rising costs as a result of low product availability, but has seen difficulty in maintaining a traditional full staff.
Typically, Serendipity employees somewhere in the ballpark of four-to-six employees, but Line explained that she has had a plethora of no-call, no-shows since the first pandemic lockdowns took place in March 2020.
In the past, on any given day, Line said she would have as many as eight people lined up for an interview, and every one of them would show up at their scheduled time.
Now, Line says, it’s a rarity for even one of her scheduled interviewees to show up. In some cases, she’s hired a new employee, only for them to not show up on what would have been their first day of work at Serendipity.
“I don’t know if people are still on unemployment and they just don’t want to work,” Line said. “We’ve never had that issue before. (Before) we would have numerous interviews and, on a given day, have six-to-eight lined up, and every one of them shows up.
"Now, we can line up six-to-eight, eight-to-ten, and maybe three show up. It’s very disappointing.”
Despite some of the hardships faced by Line and her staff at Serendipity, she said she remains grateful for the many customers who have continued to support small businesses during the ongoing pandemic.
“We’re very appreciative of our local support,” Line said. “(We) could not be happier with our local, small-business shoppers. They know the importance of it and we value it.”
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September 21, 2021 at 05:11PM
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New survey shows rising costs, staffing shortage still hurting small businesses - The Pioneer
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