March went out like a lion
Awakin’ up the water in the bay;
Then April cried and stepped aside,
And along came pretty little May!
May was full of promises
But she didn’t keep ‘em quickly enough for some
And the crowd of doubtin’ Thomases
Was predictin’ that summer’d never come
~ Richard Rodgers [Carousel]
When you think of June your thoughts are often of the start of summer, school graduations and vacations, parks and outdoor eating, long days light that lengthen happy hours. It’s an active month, full of flavors, sunshine and celebration. Just as Rodgers and Hammerstein had us singing, we expect, ordinarily, for June to be busting out all over. But these are not ordinary times, and this will not be an ordinary June.
As our town slowly reopens with the promise of what’s to come, it will do so with hesitation. As we dine outdoors, our waiters and us will don masks and settle for smiling with our eyes. While we determine the degree of our spending, the establishments we enter will take our temperature.
For our economy to get its groove back, the public must take steps to becoming consumers again. There must be a transaction tango, with business owners buying from suppliers the goods to sell to their customers. For this to happen people will have to feel safe. The desire to spend money and time will be there, but for some, fear may prevent them or cause caution.
Our economy will not just snap back to what it was before the virus. All of those businesses that have remained open, deemed essential, will need to keep doing as they’re doing, offering the same precautionary measures – the extra cleaning, the hand sanitizing, the masks, the gloves, the face shields, the digital presence and online orders, the deliveries and the temp taking. Those just now opening must take their cues from those that were, and do the same.
For some, this “new norm” (there’s nothing normal about this) will be too much and they will succumb to the strain of shifting. For others - the survivors - they will press on, reinvent or pivot, and ultimately… come out the other side changed, but better.
What can residents do to help their local economy? Most importantly, follow the rules. Guidelines around reopening have been put in place to protect the community and must be adhered to. But do not allow fear to freeze you. Stop into that local boutique and see their new paint job and refreshed merchandise. Maybe buy an additional gift card while there and give it to someone (or use it) a few months down-the-road, after the establishment is back on its feet. What every business needs are customers. Small businesses make up more than 80% of the economy, so if you want your town to thrive again, become a one again. Safely, of course, respecting your fellow customers and those serving you, but return nonetheless.
June may not bust out all over this year, but it can offer a spark of hope to our small businesses who have persevered and stayed the course, that brighter days are ahead. Summer may be slow, but fall could fulfill the promise of recovery, if we all do our part.
Kevin Bielmeier
Economic Development Director
Town of Southbury
EcoDevDirector@southbury-ct.gov
(203) 262-0683
[This article first appeared in Southbury Neighbors magazine.]