Local business owners share how they have held up during this tumultuous pandemic

By Andrew Bowman

Survival is the goal for local businesses in Athens during this pandemic. It is an adapt or die situation, like in the case of Tim Martin, owner of Red Tail Design and the uptown storefront Ohio is Home, innovation is the only option. Commissioner Chris Chmeil and owner of Integration Acres weighs in as well, to this “adapt or die” situation.

Both of these business owners answered some questions about the state of their business during this pandemic. When asked what the biggest change that their small business underwent during this pandemic, Martin responded that the biggest change was the remote work. He also mentioned the initial closing of all businesses in Ohio early in the pandemic where his storefront was forced to close completely.

On Chmeil’s side of things, the largest change was the absence of the PawPaw Festival, a celebration that he created and has sold at for the entirety of its existence. But these men were not without a plan, and both responded to the positions they were put in, adapting to the times.

What was the first change they made during the early days of the pandemic? Martin started off fast with an early innovation. His company Red Tail Design creates graphic design and logos, and they had a perfect product for the pandemic; wine glasses that read “Wine with DeWine.” Martin was able to take the depressive state that the pandemic attempted to put him in and turned it into profit.

Chmiel had a plan as well. He first reduced his production of goat milk by going from milking them once a day to twice a day. He did this because one of the main buyers of his feta cheese, JackieO’s, was closed. But once again our local business owners turned tragedy to opportunity and Chmiel began branching out and creating new types of cheese to sell at the Farmer’s Market, rather than being stuck with an overabundance of feta.

Still, our local innovators did still face struggles during this pandemic so far. Martin reported a close to 30% sales decrease at his uptown store Ohio is Home and has lost many of the usual jobs that he would have for his design company due to the absence of Nelsonville Music Festival and Ohio Brew Week, which he made logos for in the past.

But having two businesses has its advantages and he reported that where one of his businesses was lacking he could pick up the slack with the other. Chmiel says that the Farmer’s Market has been great during this pandemic, an outdoor place to sell local goods but said it was still an “Adapt or Die” situation.

Martin and Chmiel aren’t the only ones affected by the success of their companies though. When asked about the changes they've had to make for their employees, Martin reported that most of his storefront employees are usually Ohio University students who aren't here during the summer, and when some of them returned this fall he didn't have enough hours to give them. Chmiel now milks his goats with his family rather than hiring other people to milk them. Reducing their workers isn’t the only way they are keeping people safe though. Other than sanitizing regularly and wearing masks Martin and his employees provide hand sanitizer at the front of their storefront. To help their customers, they also have been doing giveaways and providing more online support. Chmiel has reduced his kitchen from what at one time was an eight-person staff, down to two, as well as increasing online sales as well as doing free deliveries within Athens, and expanding to Kindred Market to make it easier for customers to buy his goods.

This pandemic isn’t over yet, and with a lurking second wave of Covid and flu season coming up this winter, businesses will have to prepare. Chmiel says he may have to forfeit his indoor market spot this winter and stay outside to be safer, and Martin said he will have to increase online sales and innovate. “Evolve or die” is something they both said, and it's going to be an even more essential sentiment this winter.

Commissioner Chmiel also has some plans to help out businesses, from distributing the federal money from the Cares Act and getting it into the local economy and has also noticed some exciting trends. He says that many people who were working in heavily affected areas moved back to Athens to work remotely. He also plans to make a Remote Work Team to build a database of remote workers to help these workers with remote skills find local jobs.

There is no end in sight for this pandemic, and although our local businesses are holding on, there are still things you can do to help. Shopping locally in a safe manner can make all the difference, and our local businesses are working hard to make their goods easily accessible to you during these trying times.