HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Some small businesses in the Rocket City were significantly affected by icy weather conditions last week. One major fear some business owners have is financial setback. FOX54 spoke with a few of those local businesses to hear from these owners directly.
Yune Arnold, owner of Big Oh's Cooking at Home in the Clinton Row Shops on Clinton Street, said last week's weather conditions definitely caught her by surprise. “It was ice. I mean I couldn't believe it. You know, people are skating here.”
From a business standpoint, Arnold explained that the furlough was financially very difficult for her business. “One day, make a very big difference.”
Jenny Gibson, owner of Creative State Gift Shop, agrees and adds that just closing her business doesn't stop the bills. “Financially, we depend on customers coming in and purchasing items, or from us either at the store or from one of the other stores here at Clinton Row Shops. When you don't have customers, you don't have income, but your income is rent is still due.”
Ashley Ingram, co-owner of AM Collective, continued that her business was already suffering shortly after Christmas. So, that made it ten times worse. “Being without revenue for a whole week really hurts us, especially since things don't pick up until March,” she adds.
On top of that, AM Collective already has a short week. “We're only open Wednesday through Saturday. So, between the snow last week closing our doors all week and the rain this week, it kind of holds back January.” Ingram believes January and February are tough as it is. “So this puts new pressure on him.”
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