As a small business owner, I am sick and tired of being shit on while simultaneously generating enough revenue to multiple governments to pay to feed/cloth/house/educate dozens of families annually. I have been reluctant to turn business political, precisely because I abhor political "woke" pandering corporations. I don't want to be what I despise. I just want to do what I do regardless of politics. I also am willing to take your green money, even if it comes out of sticky red hands.
Today, however, was somewhat interesting. I met with some clients, who walked in the door, holding masks in their hands. Obviously, I did not have one on, nor did I even have one. The first thing they did was start to mention they brought them and could put them on. Before they finished the sentence I was like "get those things outta here, we don't do that around here..." And you would not believe how big their eyes got and the smiles on their faces. It was greatness.
Honestly, I am somewhat afraid of the amount of shit publicity I inevitably will get for going there. I'd like to hope that revenues would increase in spite of the cancel attempts. But I do fear what local/state governments might decide to inconvenience me with for drawing attention to myself.
Any based business pedes have any advice here? How did you all manage the heat? Or did you get any at all? Did you get awful shit written in the papers about you? I would love to read about your experiences.
Your state and locality are essential to know for advice. Here’s my limited experience. I’m from Michigan which still has a mask mandate and horrible gov, but our county is red. I spoke with the local cops who are abhorrent to getting involved in those mandates as enforcers. So, I speak every day with an owner of a local store and have been telling him all the bullshit and lies. He stopped wearing a mask six months ago. His customers noticed and soon we had a little haven for people who could shop without muzzles. Some still put it on knowing they don’t have to, but they are less than half... sometimes far less. Of those that don’t wear one, I’d say about half are nonchalant (like we would be over a year ago) while they other half are genuinely relieved and impressed that there is any kind of establishment like that. For example, a good friend of mine went there by chance and proceeded to me about that store and how cool it was that no one inside was wearing masks. I told him that it was my fault. Those are the kind of people who will develop a loyalty to the store that they wouldn’t normally have. BTW, in any other store around here, I’m the ONLY one without a mask most of the time. We have a 99.5% compliance anywhere else here.
He does have a plastic shield by the counter cashier which was installed at the beginning. I suppose any radicals might cool down seeing that. He also was in fear of enforcement at the beginning, but not for a long time.
I can ask him further details of reactions by people and if he thinks business is better or not if you’d like. Or any other questions you might have. Good luck and get a feel from a cop of what the temperature is like in their dept if a mandate is ongoing.