The current COVID-19 pandemic has left many feeling uncertain about their future and in a frenzy each day when receiving new and developing reports. It's a critical time to understand how to navigate these new circumstances and challenges and how to rise above them. Small businesses are utilizing their resources, now, more than ever, to stay afloat during this time. Two small beauty business owners share their hurdles and how they’re working through.

Allison McNamara is the founder of MARA, a natural, non-toxic line of algae face oils powered by the sea. Her tips include managing inventory & supply chain, managing cash flow, and refocusing experimental marketing opportunities to social.

Managing Inventory & Supply Chain - to ensure we have enough product to last us for the next six months, we currently small batch so our product is as fresh as possible, which means we have to manufacture as often as every 2-3 months. We are currently ramping up our production to ensure we have enough to last in case there are major countrywide shutdowns.

Managing Cash Flow - because many of our wholesale retailers have closed their shops for the next two weeks (to start), this will directly impact order volume and payment terms. We operate on Net 30, so we actually send the product to our retailers ahead of being paid, which can be troubling during these times because vendors historically can run out of cash and therefore not pay us for the product they already have. We are hoping this doesn’t happen and are lucky that we don’t have too many monthly expenses.

Refocusing Experiential Marketing Opps to Social - MARA was launched as a DTC business with Instagram / social as our only marketing tool. Because the brand was built and thrived on digital, we are going back to our roots and exploring ways to keep driving up our brand awareness through social, including daily IGS content, twice a day posts in-feed, original TikTok videos and takeovers with influencers to reach new audiences.

Belinda Smith is the founder of St. Rose, a modern luxury brand founded in 2018, with a desire to translate memories and emotions into products and experiences that are both good for you and good for the earth. St. Rose is named for the Patron Saint of Gardners.

Friends & Family - Well, first and foremost business owners are humans with families and loved ones likely scattered around the globe, certainly is the case for me with my family back home in Australia. So stress, anxiety, and uncertainty are certainly universal sentiments. I lost my dad suddenly at 25 and have battled anxiety ever since, always triggered by being away from my family. My heart aches for anyone unable to be near their loved ones due to current travel bans.

Health & Safety - is number one and we need to hit pause to prioritize flattening the curve of this pandemic. With the right perspective, there truly is beauty in the slow down but it doesn't come without a massive impact on our daily lives and the reality of a financial crisis - felt within our own business, home and the economy as a whole.

Keeping Small Businesses Afloat - While health is our greatest luxury, unfortunately, a lot of people out there don't necessarily have month-long reserves. As a business owner, for anyone, it is hard to put into words what is happening right now. It's unprecedented and no one has a roadmap. It's also hitting every single industry. I am married to a small business owner, both of my brother-in-laws are small business owners, countless friends are small business owners, a lot of our ST. ROSE community both wholesale and individual customers and even suppliers are small business owners. Before starting ST. ROSE I was a full-time creative director for other small businesses and my heart aches for those fellow creatives that have just had projects cancel or postpone indefinitely. Many of them were likely anticipating on those to keep food on their plates. So many people are without a paycheck, facing being laid off, or are already queuing up in the unemployment line. As a small business owner, we have that extra pressure on our shoulders not just to sustain our own family but also to those people on our teams.

Although this pandemic has caused a negative effect on small businesses and the economy, it’s important that we stay positive and see the light at the end of the tunnel. If we continue to practice social distancing and do our part as a community, we can start to pick up the pieces and move forward. We have hope!

Small Beauty Business Owners & the COVID-19 Impact