I’ve been thinking a lot about small businesses lately, especially when my daughters and I walk or ride bikes through an eerily quiet downtown Wayne. All the shuttered storefronts break my heart, and I often wonder how their hardworking owners are coping with all the uncertainty. So, I decided to ask (I’m nosey like that).
Last week I chatted with two Main Line small business owners—Cathy Fiebach of Wayne’s Main Point Books and Becca Bagge Carr of Berwyn’s barre3—to find out how they’re moving forward in the midst of a pandemic that has turned their business models upside down. While both owners face challenges, the conversations were not all doom and gloom. Fiebach talked about how more people are reading and book club attendance (via Zoom) is up. Bagge Carr pointed out several silver linings during a somewhat bumpy transition to virtual classes, such as reconnecting with former clients who moved away. As we enter week six of the shutdown (not that I’m counting!), heartache and devastation abound, and yet, glimmers of hope and possibility shine through.
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Enjoy!
Kate
P.S. - MainLine Neighbors can use promo code B3MLN for a free barre3 livestream class!
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| A LOCAL LOVE
A CANDID CHAT #1
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| Barre3, Berwyn
In early March of this year, Barre3 in Berwyn—the yoga meets Pilates meets ballet barre studio owned by Becca Bagge Carr—was humming along, having just completed an interior studio refresh and planning for a new member push in the spring. When her bustling studio was ordered closed by Governor Wolf, Bagge Carr was forced to reinvent her entire business model in a matter of days.
How did you react when you learned you had to temporarily close your studio?
Oh gosh I think I spent the whole day hiding in my closet from my kids, just agonizing over the decision. At first, we offered members a free month in the future if they would stay with us, just because we didn’t know where this was going or what would happen. Then I got on the phone with other [barre3] franchise owners to talk about what to do. We decided to transition to virtual classes, but I had to shut the studio down for about a week to pull it all together.
How did the transition go?
It was pretty much a disaster at first. We stream classes through Zoom, which is a software made more for meetings. Our classes are built around a unique combination of music and choreography, and Zoom automatically limits background noise, so sometimes clients couldn’t hear us or the music. My dad is an audio engineer, so he helped me work through the kinks, and eventually we figured it out. Fortunately our clients were patient with us, and now it’s running smoothly.
What’s your new class schedule like?
We offer seven live classes a week and one prerecorded class on the weekends for members only. Clients have 24 hours to take a live class once it’s uploaded.
Did you have to lay off any instructors?
No, all have stayed with me, though they’ve gone from teaching four to seven classes a week to just one a week. However, it’s a lot harder to teach virtually.
Why is that?
Your heart is pounding every time you do it. It’s a huge shift to go from in-person to virtual instruction. It’s much harder to teach a class with no client feedback, such as eye contact or smiles. It’s more taxing mentally. You have to work really hard to make connections.
Have most clients stuck with you?
Yes. We have a really loyal, very close community here, and they’ve shown us a ton of support. Clients really like the virtual classes and have asked us to keep them even after we reopen the studio. Another neat thing is that clients who moved away are able to take classes with us again, so it’s been fun to reconnect in that way.
How will things look when you reopen?
Well I think it’s going to be very hard if they limit the amount of people we can have in the studio or specify the distance they can stand from one another. It will be difficult for us to cover our regular operating expenses and still make money. That’s something I need to figure out. What I think will happen is we’ll offer a mix of in-studio and virtual classes. Even when the studio does reopen, some people still might not feel comfortable coming in. Plus, we won’t be able to offer childcare when we reopen, and we have a lot of clients who are moms and depend on that.
Did you ever consider shutting down the studio?
You know I always come back to our why. We want to help people be balanced and healthy and fight the lonely. For most people, this is the loneliest time in their lives. We can’t just leave them and close.
Visit barre3 Berwyn or follow the studio on Facebook (@barre3berwyn) and Instagram (@barre3berwyn). MainLine Neighbors subscribers can use promo code B3MLN to try a free livestream class.
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| LOCAL LOVE
A CANDID CHAT #2
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| Main Point Books, Wayne
Four years ago, Cathy Fiebach moved her bookstore from Bryn Mawr to a larger storefront in downtown Wayne, where it quickly became a beloved destination for bibliophiles, book clubs, local authors and those looking to kill time before their dinner reservation. Just before the coronavirus pandemic, Fiebach and her staff were busy prepping for two major author events in late March.
How was business before COVID-19?
Things were going really well. We were getting ready to co-host two really big author events, which was a huge deal for us, since it can take awhile for publishers to get to know you and trust you. Then the virus hit. We canceled the first event [an evening with young adult fantasy writer Sarah Mass at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside]. By that point, we had already sold 700 tickets. Thankfully Keswick handled all the refunds, which would have been really overwhelming for me.
What about the other event?
Well that one was with N.K. Jemisin at Rosemont College, which we rescheduled as a virtual book talk and Q&A through Crowdcast [a video platform for live performances]. About 10 to 15 people asked for refunds, and the rest chose to attend the event virtually. I assured them it would still be a very intimate experience and that everyone would have the opportunity to submit their questions to Jemisin. We had about 60 people log on, including some from other parts of the country. I was really worried about how it would go.
Why were you so worried?
I was worried about people being able to log on. Also, the author is political, and I worried about someone posting inappropriate questions or comments. It’s one thing to be rude in person; it’s another thing to be rude online. But it went much better than I expected. The author had done a few virtual events just before ours, so she was comfortable with the format.
Have you had to lay off any of your employees?
Before the coronavirus I had seven employees, all part time. Most were retirees or parents of school-aged children. I gave everyone the option to stay on and help with various tasks, like book deliveries, but most chose to stop working and stay home. Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do from home with a retail store. A few are writing book reviews and helping with our newsletter, ordering and social media.
How will things be different when you reopen?
We hope to reopen partially in mid-May, but I think we’ll reduce our hours. The main reason we’re open late at night is because of the restaurants, but I’m not sure what the dining scene in Wayne will look like. We’ll only allow a limited number of people in the store at once, and it might be curbside pickups for awhile. I also took out the kids’ section temporarily. I want my employees to feel safe and comfortable, and one of my biggest concerns is that they won’t want to return.
How confident are you that your shop will survive?
Well this definitely won’t be our best year ever, but I didn’t get into this because I thought I’d get rich. We have every intention of becoming a gathering place for authors, book clubs and readers again; I’m just not sure how long that will take…six months, two years, who knows?
Have customers’ book tastes changed since the pandemic?
Oh yes. People are buying more “project books,” meaning books they’ve always wanted to read but never had the time. Books like War and Peace and Anna Karenina. We’re also selling lots of cookbooks, cocktail books and a ton of kids’ books. There’s less demand for political books. I do think people are reading more, since they have more time. Our book clubs are virtual now [through Zoom], and we have more people logging on. They can join a book club during their lunch break then get back to work, without ever having to leave their desk.
Visit Main Point Books at mainpointbooks.com or follow the store on Facebook (@MainPointBooks), Twitter (@MainPoint_Books) and Instagram (@mainpointbooks).
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| GOTTA FIND THE FUNNY!
(The Holderness Family Comes Through)
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| THIS WEEK'S LOCAL LOVE
Shop Small & Support Local
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| Are you a local business? Email us your announcements! We'll post them on our Local Love Blog and here!
Paws and Affection
Online New Puppy Training Course – If you have recently added a new puppy to your family and are looking for some training support and help that you can do on your own time at home, we have it for you! We created an online course to teach you how to live harmoniously with your new pup. You will learn about getting started, puppy basics, house training, jumping, biting, and socialization. We understand the challenges an 8 week old puppy brings as this is our specialty. We give you the know-how for you and your pup to become a great team! Learn all about it here and register today!
New Puppy Training Course , 610.949.0490
Facebook
Instagram
Mike Casey
Internationally known saxophonist offering private (virtual or curbside) concerts and virtual saxophone/jazz/composition lessons. Recently performed at Kennedy Center, featured in HuffPost, Forbes, Downbeat, over 5 million streams, & much more.
mikecaseyjazz.com
Resume with teaching experience
Instagram
AcademicAlly, LLC
Owned by Hannah Bookbinder, LSW, M.Ed, AcademicAlly, LLC has been in business for over 20 years. We pride ourselves on providing customized services to each of our clients. We work with students (grade 2-graduate school) and adults who have learning disabilities and ADHD. We provide support with executive functioning skills including organizational skills, time management, breaking down long-term assignments, accountability, homework protocols, life/work balance, and self advocacy and accountability. We also assist in the areas of writing skills, reading comprehension, study and test-taking skills, and subject-specific areas including math and science. For our high school students, we provide test prep services and college admissions consulting services for both mainstream students as well as students who have learning disabilities and/or ADHD. Finally, we provide support to adults who either have been recently diagnosed with ADHD, or who have struggled with this challenge for years.
If you or someone you know is struggling to find balance in work, school, and life and success seems elusive, call or email us for help., 610 647-3959 ext 105
Hannah@Academic-Ally. com
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| Martha Kob, MSED, RN, CRNP, Licensed Professional Counselor
Martha Kob is currently offering Telehealth counseling. If you or your child are experiencing anxiety during this Covid 19 episode, are having difficultly adjusting, or if you feel your relationships may be suffering, why not call for a Telehealth appointment? Martha Kob has been a nurse practitioner and counselor for many years. She takes most insurances and Employee Assistance Programs. Martha is a graduate of Villanova Graduate and Post Graduate Programs in Counseling as well as UVA Graduate School of Nursing CRNP Certificate Program. Her hours are flexible and she sees all age groups. All appointments are currently Telehealth.
Phone: 610-265-3455
harpsounds.com/counseling
Better Being Main Line
Better Being Main Line is a private, boutique psychotherapy practice that provides personalized and compassionate care. We believe in a strong relationship between a client and their therapist; therefore our clinicians work in in a nonjudgmental, empowering, and supportive manner. We use evidence based techniques while tailoring treatment strategies specifically to meet your goals. We value collaboration with you and other health care professionals involved in your treatment to develop the most effective interventions.
Recent Blog Post:
Stuck at Home with Kids? Here is What You Can Do
Tips for Parents to Get Through Covid-19 Pandemic
by Elvan Kama Kurtz
betterbeingmainline.com
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Teaching the cornerstones of tomorrow, Woodlynde School teaches Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics to grades K-5 through its
S.T.E.A.M. program.
Virtual open houses on
May 12 and July 14,
9:00 to 10:00 a.m.
woodlynde.org
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Shipley's Admissions Team is looking forward to connecting with you and helping you learn more about Shipley.
Take a Virtual Tour!
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389 W. Lancaster Ave
Wayne, PA
610-688-9856
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Whether buying or selling, let Briggs Auction be your one source solution with bi-weekly online discovery auctions; monthly fine estate/special collection auctions in our spacious showroom; free, in-home evaluations; Estate appraisal services; and Real Estate auctions.
See our website for up-to-the minute auction information and thousands of photos, then call or email to get started.
610.566.3138
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The Wayne United Methodist
Church Food Bank is hosting a
drive-through drop off collection on Saturday, May 9th from 9am until noon.
Items needed include cereal, canned tuna/chicken, peanut butter and jelly and any/all non-perishables.
No expired items.
For more information: wayneumc.org/food-pantry
The Food Bank is located at Wayne United Methodist Church,
210 S. Wayne Avenue
in Wayne.
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Main Line NAMI Interactive Forum: Ask the Experts
will meet virtually on
Sunday, May 3,
from 2-4 p.m. using Zoom.
Our panel will answer your questions about mental illness, treatments, community supports, and related topics. Our experts will include psychiatrist, Dr. Larry Real, Medical Director at Horizon House and Director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Community Psychiatry Fellowship program, and Kathy Laws, Program Manager of the Montgomery County Family and Youth Division for Mental Health Partnerships, where she leads the Family Mentor and Advocacy Network, as well as the Family Empowerment and Satisfaction Team, and lawyer and advocate, Michael Harper, Esq.
Registration is required.
(register here)
The meeting link will be sent to you automatically after you register.
We wil lkeep your registration information strictly confidential.
For more information,
please contact us at info@NAMIpaMainLine.org
or 267-251-6240.
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Let's Help Support These Local Small Businesses!
Please take some time to look through Clover Market's gallery and support these small business owners in the coming months as you are able.
Visit Clover Market to see the full list of websites and shop pages for all of the participants in the Clover Market spring 2020 season.
THANK YOU!
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Love from Philly is a virtual
city-wide music & arts festival created to bring hope, inspiration, resources and love to Philly’s entertainment and arts community in these
difficult times.
The festival will showcase 3 days of Philadelphia’s unique culture to promote public donations for the unparalleled talent who build memorable moments for patrons in our city and around the world. All festival proceeds will benefit 30amp Circuit’s grants for Philly musicians, entertainment professionals, venues, and charitable organizations.
100% of all proceeds go directly to two Philadelphia area 501(c)(3) non-profits – 30amp Circuit, our city’s only non-profit dedicated exclusively to the health and wellness of musicians AND The Philadelphia Venue Workers Relief Fund, giving out micro-grants directly to unemployed Philly music venue workers.
Love From Philly |
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REGISTER TODAY!
The next primary election is on June 2, 2020.
With Pennsylvania's new vote-by-mail rules, you have plenty of time to arrange to cast your 2020 primary and general election votes from home.
Apply now to receive your mail-in ballot for the primary and opt-in to also receive a mail-in ballot for the general election in November.
Check Your Status:
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