Tri-City Sun

Michigan small business owners are still being affected by COVID-19 as the state remains in a stay-at-home order, which has led some businesses to an unknown future. 

Some stores are open, but with altered hours and services, while others are still shuttered for the time being. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's stay-at-home order is set to expire on June 12, but what happens afterwards is unclear. 

“As the governor keeps extending the stay-at-home order, it is making it harder and harder for local small businesses to survive,” New Baltimore Business Alliance president and city council member Carl Weinreich told The Voice. “Their future is unknown, as they do not know how long it will be until they will be able to open their doors to the public again.”

The Michigan Small Business Relief Program has also remained uncertain for many small businesses that have yet to receive relief funds.

“Times are tough for local small businesses right now,” Weinreich told The Voice. “Restaurants have had to dispose of food. Retailers’ inventories are sitting on the shelves aging. For those that are open in some form, they are operating at a fraction of their normal sales volume but still have all the same overhead expenses, such as rent, utilities, existing debt payments and even basic operating subscriptions and supplies.”

He said that small businesses are what drives New Baltimore's economy. 

“They are the backbone of our community. They make our town unique. They provide jobs. They provide a tax base for our city," Weinreich told The Voice. “The local business owners are deeply involved in and committed to our community, as many serve as volunteers in our local organizations and in our city government. They donate generously to local nonprofits and community causes.”

But residents should remember, many small businesses can be supported through online, curbside and delivery options.

“Business owners are retooling their businesses to offer more sales channels, such as curbside pickup and online sales,” Weinreich told the Voice. “They’ve had to change to a whole new way of business...Together we can keep our community vibrant and thriving by supporting our local small businesses through this challenging time."