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The Blog of NSR

Tag: small business

Triboro Ecodistrict businesses adapt under Covid-19

Posted on August 25, 2020 by Alyse Horn-Pyatt

Above: Outdoor patio seating at Double L bar in Millvale that was added to accommodate COVID-19 restrictions.

Over the last five months, coronavirus cases have fluctuated throughout Pennsylvania and small business owners have had to adapt to changing regulations instituted by the state to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Guidance for retail and businesses in the restaurant industry is provided on Governor Tom Wolf’s website, which has been helpful for many, but the transitions are difficult nonetheless.

“It sucks. I don’t know how else to say it,” said Linsey Marie Thomas, owner of Double L in Millvale. 

Her father bought the bar in 1984, and after his unexpected death, Thomas took over. She lived above the bar from the age of two to 19 and said she is a “born and raised bar brat.” When she began running the business, she wanted the atmosphere to be a step above a dive, but have the nostalgic, hometown bar feeling and she believes she’s achieved that. 

Before the pandemic, Double L closed for renovations and reopened as a non-smoking bar, and they are also a designated Sustainable Pittsburgh Restaurant. 

Since March, Thomas has continued to adjust with the regulations and closed the bar for a short time in July when the virus was spiking. They are currently open for dine-in or takeout options and have indoor and outdoor patio seating.

“It makes a difference to support smaller local places,” Thomas said. “Everyone that works in my bar lives in the neighborhood and the area, so you’re not just supporting me, you’re supporting them, too.”

For businesses opening during the pandemic, like 2 Sisters 2 Sons in Sharpsburg, it hasn’t required as many modifications considering they built their food business around takeout-only. Co-owners Denise Joseph and Marlene Siddo opened the location with their sons Michael Brown and Kwasi Prince on July 6 and have experienced a healthy flow of customers every day since. They were previously located in Wilkinsburg, but closed in 2015 due to building issues and have been mobile until now.

Brown said customers from around the city and county have stopped in for food with some coming as far as Ohio.

“There was at least a minimum of one person a day opening the door to ask if we were open yet and wanting to place an order, so we knew that we were going to get consistent traffic, but we didn’t know it would be like this,” Brown said. 

Joseph and Siddo are the head chefs, while Brown and Prince focus on keeping the daily operations running smoothly. Joseph said she is elated with their new location and that the Sharpsburg community has been very welcoming. Her family is close-knit, and she can tell the borough is, too. 

“I want to say thank you to everyone supporting us, we appreciate the love,” Joseph said. “Keep coming and we will make sure we work with you and that everybody is happy.”

They are working on getting multiple phone lines to take more orders over the phone, which take about about 15-25 minutes to cook, because as Joseph said, “you don’t want to rush good food.”

Similarly, it’s best not to rush quality fashion. Kiya Tomlin’s retail business in Etna produces everything in-house, which she said gives her and her staff control over clothing quality and the ability to personally manage inventory, so they aren’t producing items “that nobody wants or having to meet other factories production minimums.”

“It allows us to be more resourceful with our fabric waste so we’re not just throwing it out and can use it towards other things, whether it’s making samples or donating or creating other things with it,” Tomlin said.

For now, the space is open by appointment only, but when the shut down order was enacted in March and Tomlin closed up the shop, she was committed to keeping her team paid and employed. After the first week of the shelter-at-home order, Tomlin said she received a text message from a friend about a hospital system in Indiana asking for home sewers to make masks because they were experiencing a shortage.

“That hadn’t been on the radar in Pittsburgh yet, but it was starting to come about in other areas so when I saw that I thought that is something we can do,” Tomlin said. 

She was connected to Allegheny Health Network and began producing 400 masks a day to donate to support staff individuals and those not in direct contact with COVID-19 patients. Tomlin said they kept this up “for a good month or two” until masks became more available. 

Tomlin said those masks were also donated to Triboro police, firefighters, and neighboring businesses, and she is thankful for how proactive the borough has been in releasing information helpful for small businesses.

“I think we normally intentionally support each other, but there was even more of an incentive to make sure we supported one another through this, all being small businesses, to stay afloat,” Tomlin said.

Due to Tomlin’s donated mask production, she was contacted by Highmark and her team is one of several other businesses contributing to Highmark’s initiative of donating 1 million cloth face masks to the Highmark community.

Posted in ProjectsTagged 2 sisters 2 sons, coronavirus, covid-19, double L, double L bar, EcoDistricts, Etna, kiya tomlin, millvale, Sharpsburg, small business, Triboro ecodistrict

Launch Sto-Rox participants share personal + professional outcomes

Posted on June 10, 2019 by Alyse Horn-Pyatt

Above: Launch Sto-Rox participants at the Showcase + Celebration held in May 2019.

Lawshawn Reed started her company Strong Ambitious Women in 2015 to offer strength based services surrounding self-esteem and confidence in young girls.

Reed works in Pittsburgh Public Schools and the inspiration for her to start her business came from seeing young children dealing with difficult issues or traumatic experiences that in turn impacted their self-esteem.

“I wanted to show them how to reclaim and reprogram their minds, and how to navigate through life and understand themselves,” Reed said.

She said even though the company was founded four years ago, she was struggling to adequately maintain the financial side of her business and understand they kind of service she was providing.

“I was mentoring [kids], but I didn’t understand the kind of mentorship I was providing and Launch Sto-Rox helped me identify that,” Reed said.

Launch Sto-Rox is a 12-month Vibrant Communities program from New Sun Rising for small businesses and entrepreneurs whose core concepts aligned with the Sto-Rox community’s priorities for development. The program concluded this spring and held a showcase and celebration in early May. Over the past year, program participants worked with coaches and focused on strengthening four key areas: business plans, connectivity, resources, and identity.

“Overall [the experience] was exceptional,” Reed said. “It challenged me to do more research and be more intentional on what I do and understanding the worth of myself and the company.”

Tino Brockington felt similarly. His business PittMovers is a moving service company based in McKees Rocks and caters to residents within the city limits. Brockington said he learned how to structure his business in a way that is “more predictable” so they can forecast and plan accordingly, but he also appreciated being able to connect with other small business owners.

“It gave us the ability to network with other individuals experiencing the same thing we were going through,” Brockington said. “[It gave us] a better focus on what we are working towards, because at the end of the day we have the same goal and that’s to be successful.”

The program allowed Brockington to think critically of PittMovers and how he can better service the community, and he said Launch Sto-Rox opened him up to creating a moving assistance program for local residents who do not have the means or the ability to move on their own.

“[Launch Sto-Rox] is a great starting point for any small business,” Brockington said.

Reed agreed, saying that it’s a valuable program for a small business owner in any stage of development.

“Anyone looking to identify their company and understand the necessary steps to take to grow their business, or they just want to know how to start the business and become vital in whatever they’re doing, this program will be a benefit for them.”

Posted in ProgramsTagged LaunchStoRox, New Sun Rising, opportunity, organizational development, PittMovers, professional development, small business, Strong Ambitious Women, Vibrant Communities

GROW Residency program now accepting applications

Posted on May 8, 2019 by Alyse Horn-Pyatt

Above: PearlArts Studios at New Sun Rising’s Vibrancy Awards in March 2019. PearlArts participated in the first iteration of the GROW Residency program. (Photo by Sean Gray)

You’re invited to apply for New Sun Rising’s GROW Residency program. As a participant of this program, you’ll work the Director of Opportunity and the NSR team to move towards the growth and sustainability of your business or organization.

The GROW Residency program will provide flexible, ongoing support to growth stage businesses, nonprofit projects, and community/collaborative initiatives. Residents will have access to workshops and services specifically designed to meet their needs, including up to 8 hours of consulting and capacity building support per month.

The GROW Residency curriculum includes:

  • Business Mentoring
  • Professional Development
  • Organizational Development
  • Networking / Connecting Opportunities
  • Revenue Model Development
  • Advocacy (introduction to potential funders, collaborators, and partners)
  • Review of Grants and Project Proposals
  • Pitch Development

Successful completion of the residency will move your organization through strategic action and planning that promotes long-term value and profitability. Upon successful completion of the program, participants will receive an unrestricted financial award of $2000 and access to grants and loans via the GROW Vibrancy Fund. Each cohort will have 7 participants selected by a committee of judges.

Applications close on May 24th. The 2019 GROW Residency Program kicks off on June 12th. To learn more about the program before you apply, contact leigh@newsunrising.org to schedule a meeting. Apply here.

Posted in ProgramsTagged business mentoring, culture, entrepreneurs, GROW residency program, networking, nonprofit, opportunity, organizational development, Pittsburgh, professional development, small business, sustainability

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