By Ed Avis
It’s bad out there, folks, and we all know it.
“I have had to date nine cancellations, half who had already made a down payment (they get a one year credit towards anything that I offer) and the other half had not paid; I may not get their business anytime soon, so a little disconcerting,” says Marion Bradley, NCA president and owner of two costume/party businesses in Georgia. “Last week we had started noticing a decline in sales at our costume store, and this week I have noticed less calls coming in (normally we average 50 calls per day).”
Bradley has lots of company. Across the country stores are closed, parties are being canceled, and business is plummeting. None of us has ever seen anything like it.
So what can we do? Here are eight ideas:
1) If your store is still open, practice maximum sanitization procedures. That means don’t accept cash; wash your hands or use hand sanitizer after every transaction; ask your customers to stand at least six feet apart; put a sign on your door asking sick customers to shop online instead; ask employees who feel sick to stay home; and wipe down your counter with spray cleaner frequently, perhaps after every customer. Then promote the fact that you are taking these steps on your website and on a sign on your door.
2) Explain your rental costume cleaning procedures to customers. It’s highly unlikely that a virus could live in a costume for more than a couple of hours, and your normal rental cleaning procedure should make that possibility near zero. Explain to customers how you clean each rental so that anyone who needs a costume during this time will not be afraid.
3) Offer delivery or curbside pickup. Large gatherings are all canceled, but families might still want to order balloons, Easter Bunny costumes, or decorations for family gatherings. Encourage customers to order by phone or online and offer delivery or curbside pick-up of these items.
4) Encourage online shopping. Make sure your website looks good and can take orders. If you don’t have that capability now, you can add it quickly through a service like Shopify (https://www.shopify.com/blog/what-is-shopify) or Amazon (https://services.amazon.com/services/soa-approval-category.html). You should be able to set up your online store immediately. Now more than ever, your website could be your key to survival.
5) Treat your employees as well as you can. It goes without saying that you care about your employees, but during this crisis you can truly demonstrate that. If an employee can work from home—a seamstress or costume designer, for example—let them, because the fewer people in the store, the better. If an employee has kids at home because of school closings, give them flexible hours or, if it’s safe, let them bring the kids to work. If you can afford it, continue paying your employees as normal. If full-time is no longer feasible, consider part-time before you furlough them. If you do need to furlough them, try to give them at least a couple of weeks pay. If they leave feeling like you tried, they will be more likely to return when this crisis passes.
6) Pay attention to government benefit possibilities. The federal government is scrambling to prevent bankruptcies, and several initiatives are already in the works, such as a low-interest loan program. Click here to check out the SBA’s site for info on loans. One initiative that is already a done deal: You can delay paying your 2019 taxes by 90 days. NCA will provide updates on the various government programs, so stay tuned.
7) Take advantage of this slow time. Use your sudden supply of free time to inventory and clean your shop, freshen up old costumes with new accessories, dream up new costume ideas (let’s admit it, coronavirus costumes will be very popular this fall!), or learn about other product lines you can introduce (visit the Buyer’s Group for ideas).
8) Keep in touch with fellow NCA members. Community is important! Keep in touch by posting comments in the comment box below or visiting our social media sites, https://www.facebook.com/NATLCostumers/ and https://www.instagram.com/CostumersAssociation/
Whatever actions you take, remember that eventually life will return to normal and customers will want costumes again.
Bradley, who opened her first on September 11, 2001, of all dates, is optimistic: “I took a leap of faith to open my business, and I rely on that same faith to make it through,” she says. “There are always struggles as a business owner. This too shall pass.”