I don’t pretend to be the voice of small businesses; but I am a voice, and I’m telling you what I see. What’s happening is complicated and not caused by any one big reason. I wish it were that simple.
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Almost every day, we are seeing another Instagram or Facebook post from a local business announcing they are closing. Cue the post mortem conversations, the blame, the theories, the sideline commentary from self-appointed experts and, of course, the popular scapegoats Worcester loves to blame. We’re not talking about what’s really going on, and it leads to the pointing of fingers and inaccurate theories instead of factual conversations. I don’t pretend to be the voice of small businesses; but I am a voice, and I’m telling you what I see. What’s happening is complicated and not caused by any one big reason. I wish it were that simple.
My businesses survived 2020, but the long-term effects are coming into focus. Costs have doubled on almost everything, shipping costs have skyrocketed, consumers are spending less, businesses are spending more with less return, supply chains remain delayed, changes are happening citywide, old ways of thinking dominate, and deferred loan payments are coming due. These are just a few of the issues we navigate. Our suppliers have the same struggles and are going out of business, sometimes with the money we paid them for services never rendered.
Costs are not being passed onto customers the way the math on paper says they should. Everything is connected to every other thing, and it has never been more apparent than right now. Businesses are running lean with staffing, altering business hours. Add in the normal things coming up every day, and all of this results in an inability to provide the level of service to our customers they are used to, further resulting in less revenue. No matter how much we plan and adjust, it doesn’t change the fact we are leaning on dominos that continue to fall.
The mental, emotional, and physical effects are taking their toll. Small business owners have been running around in a quiet state of panic since the beginning of 2020. The much-needed break never comes. The cracks are showing, and the burn out is here. We love what we do and will cause mental, emotional, and physical harm to ourselves to keep our businesses open and our customers happy. Sadly, it’s reaching a point where a lot of us are doing just that. How long can a small business owner be expected to hold up the weight and continually adjust before it is just too much? Changes and hard decisions need to be made, and honest conversations need to be had.
In February, I made the decision to close my second Worcester Wares location in Kelley Square and keep my DCU Center location and online store open. I did so for all of the reasons I mentioned above, including a serious decline in my mental health. For the continued survival of Worcester Wares and myself, I needed to make this big decision and know the guilt and false feelings of failure will pass. I’m hopeful, excited, and can breathe easier. Small businesses need your support more than ever. Please. If you can, go buy that item, order that food, write that review, share our posts, and support in any way you can. Now. Please don’t wait.
Jessica Walsh is the owner of the gift shop Worcester Wares.
