Small Businesses Working Hard To Stay Afloat In Tough Times
By JOHN C. COTEY
john@ntneighborhoodnews.com
Many local business were already way ahead of Florida
Gov. Ron DeSantis when he declared on April 1 that all
nonessential businesses needed to close their doors.
Sensing the bad news was inevitable, some had already
begun adapting in order to stay alive.
James Serrano, who owns Pinot’s Palette in the Shoppes
at New Tampa, had already temporarily converted his
Wesley Chapel studio, which specializes in large group
gatherings with wine drinking and painting, into a stay-athome,
do-it-yourself painting “experience” by selling kits
that included paint, brushes, a canvas and instructions.
“We basically had to do something,” says Serrano. “We
were worried.”
On the first day of selling the take-home kits, he arrived
to find a line of cars. Some ended up waiting for more than
an hour because Serrano was overwhelmed by the turnout.
Most of the cars were occupied by eager parents looking for
a way to keep their children occupied.
Serrano also turned to virtual classes and, last week,
hosted his first virtual private party for a church group — 13
women painting the same picture who were able to converse
with each other online as they did so.
He also has delivered kits to people who request them,
and even filled an order to be shipped to Puerto Rico.
Although some adults have asked if he could include Pinot’s
usually-present wine with their order (he’s looking into
it), he says his No. 1 customers now are kids, as parents have
to constantly be entertaining their homebound youngsters.
Because Serrano still has to pay rent on a studio he isn’t
using, he isn’t making money right now. However, he is
staying afloat and hopeful things can return to normal soon.
“The community support has been so great,” he says.
“Thank God people are buying the kits. Thank God.”
While a host of the area’s non-essential businesses will
have no choice but to close down for the next month, the
ones that can incorporate video conferencing technology like
Zoom, or even FaceTime, are finding ways to survive.
John Thrasher, the owner of Excel Music in New
Tampa (see ad on pg. 11), and Larry Bigel of Tampa Fine
Arts Academy (TFAA) in Wesley Chapel, both are able to
provide all of their lessons online.
Thrasher said Excel began the transition the first week
in March, with some students choosing to go online. Following
spring break, everything went online, and students
were able to keep their same teachers.
“We did it quickly and on the early side,” Thrasher says.
“We beat the governor’s stay-at-home order by a couple
of weeks. Anytime you transition, there are going to be
some bumps, but for the most part, it’s actually gone pretty
smoothly. We’re seeing a lot of smiling faces.”
For Bigel, who says TFAA transitioned 600 students to
100-percent online by March 23, it was all about keeping
the students and teachers safe and the business viable.
“Thankfully, you can never catch a disease over the
internet,” he says.
At F45 Training at The Grove, the group fitness training
facility’s grand opening plans had to be put on hold and
the free bootcamps offered to drum up business and market
the area’s newest fitness center had to be canceled.
But, F45 at The Grove owners Bob and Kim Balfe are
bringing the exercise right to your home instead.
They have posted a video series of home bootcamps
on their Facebook page (search: F45 Grove Wesley Chapel),
Owner James Serrano exercises proper social distancing as he
“hands” over a painting kit to a Pinot’s Palette customer.
with their trainers doing 45-minute programs in their own
driveways that you can follow along to.
All of the workouts are free.
Bob says other F45 studios are now following suit.
“Oh my God, it’s been amazing,” says Bob. “Some of
the F45s from all over the world are kind of jealous. When
we put these out, (these other F45s) are getting hundreds of
views in just minutes.”
Bob says his F45 studio just finished receiving its final
coat of paint, and will be ready for a soft opening on (or
around) Friday, May 8, if Florida’s stay-at-home order is
lifted by then.
A WESLEY CHAPEL RESIDENT & A TOUGH ATTORNEY
WHO IS NOT AFRAID TO TAKE ON THE BIG LAW FIRMS
LITIGATION
EMPLOYMENT LAW
BUSINESS LAW
Derek Usman
Attorney at Law
derek@usmanfirm.com
usmanfirm.com 813-377-1197
Offices conveniently located in the Central Bank building near County Line Road
20701 BRUCE B. DOWNS BLVD, STE 207 | TAMPA FL 33647
6 For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 28, Issue 8 • April 10, 2020 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net Neighborhood News @NTWCNews
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