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Brooklyn Daycare Struggles To Survive While Adjusting To COVID Era
By Neil A. Carousso
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Education is the life’s work of a mother and daughter who provide learning resources for young children in their Brooklyn community, but the coronavirus pandemic is threatening their daycare.
Mildred Lovell immigrated to East Flatbush from Haiti as a baby where she was raised, stared her journey as a special education teacher for more than 20 years, and opened Garden of Knowledge Day Care Center at 1657 Nostrand Avenue in February 2007 with her daughter Dheydra.
“It brings tears to my eyes that I may not be able to reopen in September,” Mildred Lovell told Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight, sponsored by BNB Bank.
Schools and daycares are in the forefront as local governments prepare to announce reopening plans for the fall while parents and teachers express trepidation about returning to the classroom as COVID-19 threatens the most vulnerable. Mildred and Dheydra have spent the last four months listening to parents’ health and safety concerns while introducing a distance learning program.
“During the summer time we work on sports with the children, so we continued our curriculum and we sent out equipment for sports, so they can work with their children,” Dheydra Lovell said. “It’s been successful for the most part.”
But, that success is relative to the pandemic. Online learning is not scalable for the Garden of Knowledge Day Care Center at this point unless they start seeing new enrollment if schools do not reopen this fall or enough parents hold out.
“I’m just keeping my faith and continue to pray so that doors can be open and children can be served in a safe manner,” said Mildred.
They do Zoom video calls on Fridays to check in on students’ progress and work with parents to ensure children are receiving a stimulating learning experience – all things considered.
In the meantime, Dheydra, who also provides one-on-one tutoring for autistic children, spends her days reimagining the daycare from a new socially distanced layout to stocking up on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
“Planning out our budget, planning out what we will need to do to see if we can reopen in September and still accommodate the CDC guidelines and requirements as well as provide a very safe and productive environment for our children along with our staff,” Dheydra said of their challenges ahead.
The Garden of Knowledge Day Care Center is bleeding cash and facing an uphill financial battle as safety expenses increase and others remain constant.
“We haven’t recovered from the loss,” Dheydra told Joe and Neil about the financial impact of its forced shutdown in March, continuing, “It’s a question of recovering, sustaining, currently, and also, preparing for the next few months because we don’t know what’s going to happen.”
The East Flatbush daycare’s owners told WCBS 880 parents are expressing safety is priority, but as they look to return to the workplace, they will need child care services. It is a complex predicament for many families, underscoring the vitality of education for the economy.
“These are all things that we think about to really determine us opening up in September, said Dheydra Lovell.
Hear more about the uncertain future of education on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight Podcast on the RADIO.COM app or the media player above.
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Businesses Near Mets, Yankee Stadiums Take A Hit As Baseball Returns Without Fans
By Neil A. Carousso
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — The boys of summer are back in town, but establishments near Yankee Stadium and Citi Field are fighting an uphill battle in a comeback dampened by a baseball season without fans in attendance.
“So far, since the pandemic, my sales are down $300,000,” said Joe Bastone whose family has owned Yankee Tavern for 93 years.
On the WCBS Small Business Spotlight, sponsored by BNB Bank, Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso examine how the local economy is impacted by empty stadiums as Major League Baseball begins its 2020 season Thursday night with the Yankees in Washington, D.C. The Mets host the Atlanta Braves on Friday in their season opener that can be heard on WCBS 880 at 4:10 PM.
Bastone says 50 percent of his revenue is earned during Yankees home games. Patronizing his bar and restaurant is a game day routine for fans who travel from the region and throughout the country. Yanks legend Babe Ruth was known for buying a round of beer there for fans to celebrate a Bombers victory.
“It’s really devastating,” he lamented.
Yankee Tavern is only making 10 percent of what it typically earns on 161st Street. Bastone added televisions to an extended outdoor dining space with indoor dinning prohibited under state law indefinitely. He hopes people will enjoy a ballgame from his establishment beyond the right field gate.
“I just got a rent bill, which included $85,000 in real estate taxes,” he said, continuing, “I just don’t understand why we’re paying real estate taxes when the municipalities, the State and the City tell us we’re not allowed to operate.”
Bastone told Connolly and Carousso that “half” of businesses in the 161 Street Business Improvement District, which represents many of the merchandise shops and sports bars outside The Stadium, will not survive the pandemic-related shutdowns and the 2020 MLB season absent fans.
Irene DeBenedittis, third generation owner of Leo’s Latticini in Corona, Queens, is looking at the glass half full despite a grim outlook for what is typically their busy season with both the Mets in town and the U.S. Open Tennis Championships that draws millions of people from around the world every summer.
“I had the plexiglass set up for outside and we’re just doing takeout and home orders,” she said. “For now, I think it’s going well like that.”
Her grandparents started the family deli in the 1930s. Irene grew up making fresh mozzarella with her two sisters Carmela and Marie. Their mother Nancy took over the business and was beloved by her customers. But, the millions of Mets fans who came for lunch before an afternoon game at Shea Stadium and the City workers who stopped in on their lunch hour for a homemade hero did not know her as Nancy; they knew her as “Mama” – the endearing nickname that lives on since she passed away in 2009, as the deli is colloquially referred to the name of their Citi Field concession designation “Mama’s of Corona.”
“I’m proud of what we were taught – our ethics, the background,” DiBenedittis said.
It’s that positive outlook on life that is getting her through this crisis.
“You have to appreciate what you have and work for it,” she said.
Irene told Joe and Neil that she is operating her Queens deli out of love – the same unconditional love her grandparents instilled in Mama who raised three daughters in a community that saw them as family.
She said in these unprecedented circumstances, she encourages her workers to treat their customers “like yourself or your family.”
It’s #OpeningDay for the @Mets! Sports sidelined to #COVID19 has had a considerable impact on the economy.
Listen to @JoeConnollybiz & my @WCBS880 podcast as we talk to the owners of 90+ year old businesses Leo’s Latticini/#MamasofCorona & @YankeeTavern: https://t.co/MnZI2bDMO1 pic.twitter.com/r4FgahqcWd
— Neil A. Carousso (@NeilACarousso) July 24, 2020
DiBenedittis says Leo’s Latticini is earning a much smaller profit amid the coronavirus pandemic between the deli and the bakery next door. The concession at Citi Field, where they sell their specialty sandwiches and Italian desserts, will remain closed this season.
“We’re doing the best we can,” she said.
Hear what a baseball season without fans means for the local economy plus stories about legendary players going out to eat on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight Podcast on the RADIO.COM app or on the media player above.
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Long Island Moms Accelerate Digital Sales When Retailers Shutdown
By Neil A. Carousso
EAST HAMPTON, N.Y. — Two Long Island mothers have increased the sales of their DEET-free insect repellent 6,000 percent over the last year despite the COVID-19 pandemic-related shutdowns with a keen focus on influencer marketing.
3 Moms Organics, LLC co-founders Lisa-Jae Eggert and Jennifer Decker told Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight, sponsored by BNB Bank, that a meaningful, personal message on Facebook from customers has brought in more sales than buying online advertisements.
“We’ve realized that spending less money is actually working,” Eggert said.They spent more on customer acquisition costs in the first weeks after the business shutdowns in March, but they have drastically reduced those expenditures when they saw revenues accelerate due to modern word-of-mouth marketing from satisfied customers, mostly parents, with substantial social media followings within their communities.
“They love our product and there’s nothing that sells a product better than someone loving the product,” said Eggert.
The synergy is seamless with “endorsements” from customers to which they give discount codes to share with their social media followers. Lisa-Jae and Jennifer chose the company name 3 Moms Organics because they’re the two moms and the customer is the third. By shifting growth strategies, the name holds more true than ever.They both had been going store-to-store to demonstrate how TickWise, made from natural essential oils, repels ticks that are prevalent on the East End and other wooded and grassy areas where deer and other animals they feed on roam. It is on the shelves of about 80 stores with the goal of expanding to another 100 retailers in the next year. When that opportunity sailed because of the coronavirus, they improved their website and reached a national direct-to-consumer audience they hadn’t yet tapped into.
“In this day and age, this takes the place of touching and feeling,” Eggert said, adding that everyone’s public feedback matters, “good and bad.”
Of their 6,000 percent increase in revenue, 5,000 percent of that 3 Moms Organics attributes to Facebook content from local influencers and their own pictures and videos. Eggert told Connolly and Carousso that education is important for 3 Moms’ success. One video they posted of ticks on a pink sheet avoiding the border where they sprayed TickWise is proof of concept.
They have also taken the last three months to improve the quality of their website.
“On our website, when you click on it, it immediately goes to our shop page, now,” Eggert said.
They continue to personally manufacture and ship TickWise across 47 states and Washington D.C., now that they are registered through the Environmental Protection Agency in all states except California, Maine and South Dakota. 3 Moms Organics also used the past three months to apply and receive the Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprise Certification (MWBE), which has opened new doors for potential revenue streams.
“Places like PSEG, they use that as a kind of vetting for us,” Eggert said. “They’re piloting our product on twelve of their trucks, and so far, the response has been fabulous.”
They developed TickWise in their homes to keep their children safe from further tick borne illnesses of which both families have histories. Decker had been experimenting with essential oils for at-home remedies for years and would spray early renditions of their product on her kids and dog before they went outside in Montauk. Eggert studied entomology and Earth sciences in college. They combined their expertise to produce a product that is effective, has a pleasant smell, provides skin nourishment, and is vegan for those who suffer from Alpha-Gal or meat allergies.
Two Long Island moms developed TickWise to keep their kids safe. When retailers shut down, they focused on digital marketing and boosted sales 6,000%.
Hear growth ideas for this tough economic climate with @JoeConnollybiz and @NeilACarousso: https://t.co/fl3D7mVzQH pic.twitter.com/G8OaaODBz0
— WCBS 880 (@wcbs880) July 15, 2020
Hear ideas on how to recover and grow your business even in this tough economic climate on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight Podcast on the RADIO.COM app or on the media player above. -
NYC Businesses Seek Ways To Boost Consumer Confidence
By Neil A. Carousso
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Personal care services such as nail salons, massage parlors, tattoo shops and tanning salons turned on their lights in Phase 3 of New York City’s reopening this week, but indoor dining was halted because the airborne coronavirus spreads in closed environments with poor ventilation. The City is encouraging business owners to adapt and listen to health experts to dictate their economic future.
“As people begin to feel safe, they’re going to come out,” said New York City Small Business Services Commissioner Jonnel Doris on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight Podcast with Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso, sponsored by BNB Bank.
Doris was appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio to lead the city agency through the pivotal survival and recovery period. He previously served as senior advisor and director of the Mayor’s Office of Minority and Women-Owned Enterprises. He also worked as chief diversity officer in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office of Storm Recovery.
“There’s going to be some change in customer behavior,” Doris pointed out. “Make sure that you are as safe as possible. Do face coverings, make sure it’s on, make sure that you use social distancing; that’s going to bring the confidence level back, and then, we’re going to be able to see, really, the customer foot traffic pick up.”
He told Connolly and Carousso the Department of Small Business Services (SBS) has sent 5 million Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) items to City companies in the first three phases. He expects they’ll be able to distribute another 2.5 million masks, face shields, gloves and goggles.
“We’ve got a lot of resources for businesses that are ready to go particularly our restaurants who have really been hit hard during this time,” said Doris.
Restaurateurs had been preparing to welcome patrons inside by hiring and rehiring wait staff and ordering food from their suppliers, but now, many are turning to SBS for financial resources, including fundraising.
“Customers are eating out differently, they’re coming out different times, their likens have changed, they’ve been locked up for three months,” the City’s business leader said. “As they see and they hear from their customers, they are making changes and they’re pivoting.”
Doris said about 7,000 restaurateurs are engaged in the agency’s reopening program in which they provide tools and ideas for recovery.
“Financial resources and/or education really is key for the success of these businesses and that’s what we are able to provide,” he said.
Yudelka Carrera received operations training from SBS before she launched her catering and events-planning business Events By Yudy in 2015.
“During COVID-19, Yudy had to really transform her business from a catering company to preparing, now, and delivering lunches for people at home, healthcare workers, first responders and more,” Doris said.
President Donald J. Trump on Saturday signed an extension of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) low-interest loan that is forgivable if business owners use it to pay their employees. The original deadline for small businesses to apply for the program was last Tuesday, but $130 billion remained in the fund. Congress unanimously approved the extension for assistance until August 8.
Many prominent companies received millions of dollars in loans, including P.F. Chang’s China Bistro and Chop’t. The unintended assistance to large corporations has raised concerns that the government program funded owners with political connections. Doris is encouraging small businesses in need of capital to apply.
He points to three core principles for business owners in adapting to the so-called new normal: innovation, creativity and collaboration.
“We can’t do business like we’ve always done it before,” Doris said, continuing, “Industries got to work together, government and business needs to work better together, and that’s what we’re trying to do here.”
Hear examples of how business owners pivoted to survive and the financial and educational resources available to New York City companies on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight Podcast on the RADIO.COM app or the media player above.
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Summer Businesses’ Blueprint To Recovery
By Neil A. Carousso
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Seasonal businesses are hoping to mount a recovery starting with the 4th of July weekend, but that starts with safety.
Wendy Collins, co-owner of The Mission Inn Bed and Breakfast in Cape May, New Jersey, told Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight, sponsored by BNB Bank, that typically, she would be booked solid through August by now. However, she remains “cautiously optimistic” that last-minute bookings will continue as the Tri-State Area moves forward with reopening in phases.
“Now, it’s probably on average a 15 minute conversation every time the phone rings,” Collins said.
Before the coronavirus pandemic, customers would only ask one or two questions before booking a stay.
“The questions are extremely detailed in terms of social distancing, are masks required, what are your cleaning protocols, what’s happening in the town with the restaurants,” she said.
Collins lists the cleaning products she uses and strict health protocols, including contact-free check-in and check-out on The Mission Inn website.
“The game has changed,” she said of the hospitality industry. “Patience is critical. Everybody is playing with new rules and trying to figure it out as we go, and if we’re just patient to each other and kind to each other, we’ll get through it.”
Collins says Cape May businesses are calling 2020 the “year of survival.” For her, that begins with building on the trust of her customers – 60 percent of whom are repeat vacationers at her four year old bed and breakfast.
“We’ve got a lot of strong people here, a lot of strong entrepreneurs, and we’re just trying to tread water in 2020 and get back, and hopefully, looking ahead to 2021,” she said.
Gabrielle Long co-owns two locations of Kai-Kai Sandals in Montauk with her brother, Kai Costanzo, and a boutique named Summer Stock at Gosman’s Dock on “The End” of Long Island. They also own Inn at Old Harbor on Block Island.
“Everybody has been very understanding, and also, kind of grateful,” Long told Connolly and Carousso of the health procedures she and her brother implemented to keep their employees and customers safe.
“At least in Montauk, there’s lines out on the street for people picking up a smoothie or going into the hardware store when it gets too crowded,” she described as capacity limits and social distancing prevent the usual crowds from congregating in her shops, especially on summer weekends.
Long concurs with Collins’ assertion that “patience is important.” She adds that communication with customers waiting on line, to reiterate the protocols are for their safety and that they will be inside the store as soon as possible, will make them feel more at ease as everyone adjusts to the “new normal.”
Her workers all wear masks and have been trained to practice and enforce social distancing and sanitize the store.
“Some of these policies that we have in place are not bad for the future,” Long said as she plans beyond this unusual summer season. “We’re not going to go back to how it was, so we’ve got more space in the store, and that allows for more space for customer,s and when we’re allowed to have more customers, great.”
Hear how businesses in local summer vacation spots have prepared for reopening with an eye on recovery on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight Podcast on the RADIO.COM app or the media player above.
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