The feds just rolled out their second round of PPP funding for small businesses, and filing our application sent me back to a dark place: last spring, when 90% of Southpaw’s work dried up overnight, and nobody knew what the future would look like.
Frankly, I was freaking out a little.
But to keep my team working, we focused on collecting useful, timely data for our clients. In May we partnered with Zebra Strategies and Gazelle Global to survey 250 small business owners nationwide. I found I was not alone in my anxiety.
- 88% of SBOs had experienced a major change to their operations
- 60% had concerns about the future of their business
- 45% were worried about how long they could stay afloat
Ah, but if I knew then what I do now…. I’d have told myself that though it was a frightening, uncertain time, Southpaw would be back in action by mid-summer. That our clients in food, healthcare, financial services and retail would need our help figuring out what people think, feel, and do in this new world. That they’d be back, and we’d be back with them.
We’re on our feet again, and we’re extremely grateful for all our clients and partners. Yet, things remain uncertain for small businesses. The “Reimagine Main Street” study published at the end of 2020, found that 84% of small business owners report the pandemic has had a negative effect on their business, and 59% need financial help to make it through the next 6 months.
Things are still rough, and at Southpaw, we’re doing what we can to help. In December we made donations to six community-based organizations selected by our team. We’ve also done pro-bono work for nonprofit organizations like Little Essentials and Working4Women.
And now… how can we help you?
Do you want to brainstorm about business (or life) challenges? Need to just vent about everything going on? As researchers, we’re GREAT at listening objectively, so if you want a sympathetic ear (or even a shoulder to cry on!), please schedule some time on my calendar, get a cup of coffee (or maybe something stronger?), and I’ll happily open my virtual door to you.
