The coronavirus pandemic has walloped the U.S. economy and for so many small businesses, it’s been a time of survival.
Keeping afloat requires the ability to pivot and demonstrate nimbleness. Four businesses came together Saturday for a virtual discussion about how they suddenly changed their way of working. Some are even thinking about how they can apply their newest innovations to their future operations.
Jeweler Mallory Shelter, restaurant owner Nick Wiseman and two other small business operators were brought together for the virtual event by the Heurich House Museum in Dupont Circle to share their stories.
The Heurich Mansion was built in 1892 for German-American immigrant Christian Heurich, whose brewery became the biggest in the District. The Museum, devoted to the spirit of the immigrant brewer, promotes business creativity.
When the District ordered nonessential businesses closed in March, Shelter, of Shelter Jewelry, knew she faced a dilemma.
“Jewelry’s kind of a hard thing to sell online because it’s really something people want to try on and see in person,” she said. “We’ve been playing around with virtual consultations. So either we have FaceTime or Instagram DM.”
Shelter joked that she’s the businesses owner and new hand model.
“I’ve been trying things on, making sure people understand the scale,” Shelter said. “People have been really receptive to it.”
Wiseman’s challenge was that he operates two fast-casual restaurants in the city’s central business district where office workers disappeared. One of his Little Sesame restaurants is now cranking out daily meals to feed eligible children in the D.C. Public School system.
“70% of D.C. public school students rely on school food for their primary source of nutrition,” Wiseman said. “We worked with the city networks, and pretty much overnight, turned one whole kitchen into what we call Meals for The City, where we are producing 500 meals a day.”
At Wiseman’s other restaurant, he boosted production of his popular hummus and began selling it in partnership with “disruptive grocery models,” he said, noting that it could be a promising way to make sales in the future.
Jeff Harner operates Sangroid Distillery. he said he was able to switch from high-end spirits to hand sanitizer when demand for the product spiked.
“I spend half an hour at least, every day, answering emails of requests for more sanitizer,” Harner said. “And that’s been nonstop since late February.”
Leah Cheston, co-founder of Right Proper Brewing Company in downtown D.C., said her downtown Brewery benefited from changes in District regulations made before the pandemic, which allows for delivery.
“That has helped a lot,” Cheston said, hopeful that craft beer deliveries will be an area of future growth.
