A7
The Chronicle Herald • Sponsored Content
Tuesday, October 19, 2021
SALTWIRE.COM
Still standing, serving and selling Small business owners in HRM on how they’ve survived, and even thrived, through the COVID-19 pandemic JUDITH KAYS
T
he past 19 months have been challenging for the small business owners who provide our essential services, local jobs and are an invaluable touchpoint in our communities. In facing these challenges, many have pivoted — there’s that word again — to meet them head on. More than half of small business owners in Nova Scotia don’t expect to return to pre-COVID operations for some time, and projections are similar for the rest of Canada’s 1.14 million small businesses. But there are success stories to celebrate here in the Halifax Regional Municipality — stories of resilience, perseverance, trust, community and kindness. Here’s how three local businesses made their way through the pandemic.
OVERCOMING THE ODDS
One of the hardest things for small businesses during the pandemic has been the uncertainty it’s caused. Glow The Event Store President Dave O’Connor says that even after nearly three decades in business, he had no way of planning for the pandemic’s impact on his business, as it changed on a near-daily basis. “Not knowing when we’d open back up, or for how many customers — as well as understanding group limits — has been among the biggest challenges,” says O’Connor. “Public health regulations were constantly changing and, just as we’d start to plan and be on the upswing, we were smacked with another shutdown.” For The Garden restaurant Owner Kourosh Rad, closing his restaurant just two weeks after opening hit hard. Things didn’t get any easier for him in those early days, with challenges around keeping operating levels normal due to food and staff shortages and increasing supply costs. PHIT’cetera boutique Owner Sandra Drover says this was challenging for her as well. “I’ve had a few key suppliers who haven’t been able to produce their garments because they can’t source the materials or the people to make them,” she says. “I’m very particular about the suppliers I use and conscious of the entire supply chain and life cycle of a garment … so when some were hard hit by COVID-19, I had to find other sustainable suppliers for inventory.” These are just some of the many challenges small businesses faced during the pandemic and now, on top of them, there are new challenges around staffing, new safety protocols, mask-wearing and vaccination policies. Many small business owners say that when compared to big businesses with more staff and resources, they’ve been left on their own to find solutions. “You can’t put this into a business plan,” says O’Connor. “Over the years, we’ve made small changes and pivots to grow our business, but this was unprecedented — none of us could have anticipated the drastic impact.”
Glow the Event Store Owner Dave O’Connor at one of the hand sanitizing stations they rent for events. Contributed
THE PANDEMIC ‘PIVOT’
Though HRM businesses have faced these significant challenges due to COVID-19, many have found innovative ways to adapt and pivot — a key word in business during these past 19 months.
Rad’s early days as a restaurant owner were hard ones, as he laid off nearly his entire staff and was faced with having to run the show himself. He pivoted to offering take-out coffee and treats to the surrounding community, and later
made Thanksgiving dinners that people could order during the lockdown, when they couldn’t see their families. “That’s when I knew that not only was the community helping us through this, but we were also helping them by providing a
small connection through food,” he says. O’Connor also came up with ideas to evolve through this new limited business structure, purchasing hand-sanitizing stations for public spaces and small gatherings and altering the Glow Gardens Christmas lights show. O’Connor says Glow also received a boost from the film industry as it began filming in Nova Scotia thanks to its safety protocols. Drover also saw a similarly unexpected business boost, as customers sought comfortable clothing as they began working from home. “I was able to quickly switch to an online platform and offered curbside pick-up. The community really got behind me, in terms of buying local,” she says. The past year and a half has caused small business owners to face unique challenges, changes and sleepless nights, but they’ve come through it thanks in large part to community support. Drover, O’Connor and Rad all agree that Nova Scotians and the province itself together did everything possible to keep people safe, and the economy going. “The amount of love and kindness from the community to support local businesses has been both a welcome surprise and an acknowledgement that we’re in this together,” says Rad. “People want us to succeed and I’m so grateful for that.”
RESILIENCE AND RECOVERY
Small and medium-sized businesses are significant contributors to the Canadian economy. For context, small businesses made up 98 per cent of all employer businesses in Canada in 2020, employing 9.7 million people in Canada, which equals
I think we are going to come out of this stronger than ever, despite the adversity and challenges and because of the support we’ve received. The community gives us a profound feeling that’s hard to put into words other than thank you. — Kourosh Rad, Owner, The Garden
Kourosh Rad, owner of The Garden in downtown Halifax says the pandemic set him back but didn’t stop him from serving his community. Contributed
CONTINUED ON A9
A8
Sponsored Content • The Chronicle Herald
Tuesday, October 19, 2021
SALTWIRE.COM
Show up for yourself Entrepreneurs should hustle for their health, not just business, to foster wellness and prevent burnout SARA ERICSSON
E
ntrepreneurship and hustle go hand in hand, for many reasons. It takes hard work and long hours to build a business, and it’s a process that demands determination, grit and, well, hustle. This is why it can often come with a side of burn out. This is why many entrepreneurs are now prioritizing mental health above all else. Life Out Loud Founder and selfemployed Entrepreneur Martina Kelades says it boils down to this: that entrepreneurs have an identity outside of their business that is also worth caring for. “I am Martina Kelades the Founder, but first and foremost I am Martina. If I’m not showing up for myself, there is no business at the end of the day,” she says.
DON’T LET GUILT KEEP YOU FROM SETTING BOUNDARIES
After experiencing total burnout following a 10-year career, Kelades founded Life Out Loud to facilitate conversations in professional settings about wellness and prioritizing mental health. As her business was called upon for supports as the pandemic worsened, a new phase of burnout began. She says navigate this was tough, as an entrepreneur with a business built on mindfulness. Kelades says that for her and her fellow entrepreneurs, it can be hard to notice how much you are missing until you take time to unplug. That when you’re in a business mindset and in the midst of a steady workflow, it can be very easy to stop checking in with yourself to see how you’re doing.
Life Out Loud Founder Martina Kelades says entrepreneurs should ignore their guilt and set firm boundaries to protect their mental health. Nicole Lapierre Photography
Medavie Blue Cross’s Colleen Adams says ensuring access to health services has been more crucial than ever during COVID-19. Contributed
“Every entrepreneur is susceptible to mental health challenges, no matter the industry,” she says. “Working in this field through the pandemic has really taken a toll on my mental health. And I’ve noticed that everyone around me is also feeling an impact on their mental health.” So how can the business community start prioritizing mental health, while continuing to show up for their business? Kelades says it’s about giving yourself permission to set boundaries to protect your mental health and wellness, as well as knowing your health is essential to your business. “Guilt is a big factor in why many entrepreneurs don’t take that time,” says Kelades. “This
launched Connected Care, linking its members to mental health supports that fit their needs. “Mental health services were hard to access early in the pandemic, especially during lockdowns. Now, our members can select who they want to talk to, and when they want to talk to them. It’s about opening up modalities to care, eliminating wait lists and removing barriers,” she says. Adams says while some remain hesitant to talk about or check in with their mental health, conversations on the subject in Canada are getting better, with Gen Z and Millennial professionals accessing mental health plan supports more than any generation preceding them.
has to be part of the business model. No one is getting an award for not taking time off, but you will be rewarded if you do.”
‘INVEST IN MENTAL HEALTH’ NOW, NOT LATER
Colleen Adams works at Medavie Blue Cross as the Manager of Health and Digital Product Solutions. She says that while everyone is prone to burnout and stress, entrepreneurs are likely more prone to it than most, with fewer people in their business to rely on. The COVID-19 shadow pandemic — the name given to the pandemic’s impact on mental health — is why Adams says Medavie Blue Cross has
“For Gen Z, our youngest demographic, counselling is the number-one most utilized extended health care benefit in this group. For millennials, it’s number two. As you get older, it doesn’t even hit the top five,” says Adams. “To the entrepreneurs out there, please check your benefits plan and see what you have covered — invest in mental health and take care of yourself now.”
‘INNER PEACE IS THE NEW SUCCESS’
Nature Folk Wellness Studio Co-Founder Ashley Cluett says business can take a serious toll on any person’s mental health, but expects this is the case even more for entrepreneurs.
Introducing the 2022 Halifax Business Awards Finalists! NEW BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
EXPORT BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
Eunoia Lifestyle Shop Inc. Jo to the Web Solutions Natural Butter Bar Taya Ties The Highlander Spa
Couryah Courier Services Inc Delectable Desserts Inc Lumi Studios Red Ear Media Temi Bakes
Admiral Insurance AquaMedia Inc. CGI Focal Research Consultants Limited Smart Income
NOT-FOR-PROFIT OF THE YEAR Alice House Kids Help Phone Restaurant Association of Nova Scotia Ronald McDonald House Charities Atlantic St. John Ambulance
INNOVATIVE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
CacheFlo Inc. Clean Valley Bio-Filtration Technologies CIC CarbonCure Technologies Side Door Smarter Spaces
Eastern Passage Village Veterinary Hospital Morris East Restaurant Parkwood Home Care Ltd Precision BioLogic WLWP Wealth Planners
BUSINESS LEADER OF THE YEAR Ann-Marie Flinn - Champion Foundational Change Agency Kathleen Jay - MapleWave Rebecca Cable-Munroe - Admiral Insurance Paul Empey - Precision BioLogic Tia Upshaw - Top Notch Cleaners & Black Women in Excellence Society
022 a fax Bus ness Awards Finalists!
A9
The Chronicle Herald • Sponsored Content SALTWIRE.COM
Tuesday, October 19, 2021
CONTINUED FROM A7
Drover is happy to be able to open her doors to customers again, who have shown that shopping local is becoming the norm. Contributed
Nature Folk Wellness Studio Co-Founder Ashley Cluett says achieving inner peace is the new success. Justine Barnhart
SMALL BUSINESS
“Learning where the business stops and you start is especially tough for people already predisposed to things like imposter syndrome, anxiety, and perfectionism. Interestingly, I think the above traits tend to exist in most complex thinkers, creatives and highly motivated people, and these tend to be the exact people that are pushed toward entrepreneurship,” she says. Cluett says Nature Folk, as an infrared sauna and massage therapy studio that was founded to help people incorporate selfcare without it feeling onerous, offers short treatments that entrepreneurs can engage with and tap into their wellness, for a quick yet effective reset. She
says that no matter what kind of self-care you choose, making time to foster a deeper connection with yourself will help entrepreneurs develop self-care practices to use whenever they feel work-related stress or anxiety creeping up. And with businesses never being more open than now about the toll that continuous pandemic pivots have taken on their businesses and on themselves, this seems like the perfect time to start. “As long as you are present, connected and intentional with whatever practice you choose, you are supporting your mental health. Achieving inner peace is the new success,” she says.
nearly two thirds of the labour force. This data shows just how crucial small business is in driving economic recovery. “There is no better time than now to support our local small businesses,” says Patrick Sullivan, President and CEO of the Halifax Chamber of Commerce. “We need to help them continue to succeed because they are the backbone of our economy. They have shown determination and resilience during the pandemic. Given the extraordinary measures and investment they have made to continue operating, they are now counting on us to get behind them.” O’Connor says that even though the challenges he had this year were “off the charts,” he never once thought about giving up. “We have a small mountain to climb to get out of this, but we’re up for the challenge,” he says. “My team and I have built something strong. I would never let them down, just as they’ve stuck with me and put their heart and soul into this business, especially over the past months.” There’s a common thread in what kept these three business
Sandra Drover says she tries to do everything with a good attitude and good energy, and that positivity helped her survive the past several months. Contributed owners going and what allowed them to survive the past 19 months — local connections, their community, and human kindness. “I think we are going to come out of this stronger than
ever, despite the adversity and challenges and because of the support we’ve received,” says Rad. “The community gives us a profound feeling that’s hard to put into words other than thank you.”
IG GROWTH
the strategy summit for small businesses
OCTOBER 22, 2021 identify challenges | develop a strategy | build a network
ISABELLE E HUDON
ROSS ROS SS
SIMMONDS SIMMON NDS
MATT T SYMES
REGISTER: HALIFAXCHAMBER.COM