Small Businesses in the Age of the Pandemic

Fall 2020 - Cleveland, OH

Many of us heard the phrase “COVID-19” for the first time in early 2020. What followed was months, and for many, years, of uncertainty, fear, anxiety, and constant change. Today, COVID-19 is here to stay - but it is a massive understatement to simply say that the COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped our world.

Almost overnight, the virus changed many of the fundamental ways in which we interact with the world around us. The rise of delivery apps, contactless payment, grocery pickups, and other such services catered to our sudden need for less human interaction on a day-to-day basis. Masks became ubiquitous, and ‘social distancing’ signs and stickers appeared seemingly from nowhere.

Long before talks of a vaccine or better understanding of just how and when the virus spread, blanket responses were the logical reaction to the situation: everyone stayed home, schools and places of work closed, and businesses shuttered their doors.

But in a time of unprecedented change, how does a small business navigate such uncharted waters? Without customers, traffic, commerce, or even a reliable supply chain? I asked several small businesses in Northeast Ohio this exact question.

Throughout this project, I spent time with the owners and employees of Gina’s Pizza in Bay Village, Erie Island Coffee in Rocky River, Vista Color Printing in Brookpark, and Sweet Brie Catering Co. in Cleveland. Flexibility and a willingness to roll with the proverbial punches have seemed essential to surviving to the pandemic, but if these businesses are any sign of the future to come, there’s no reason to give up hope quite yet.