During an interview with a local locksmith, I traced their business activities during the past six months. This locksmith business is located in Illinois. In March, the governor of Illinois required that all people remain in place and stay home. At first, people obeyed the request. Streets were traffic-free, and most businesses, including this locksmith business, were closed. People only were allowed to visit necessary businesses, such as food stores, drugstores and gas stations, for short times.
During the first two weeks, this locksmith business was closed. The six employees used paid vacation time to continue receiving paychecks. All small businesses were suffering losses and, to their credit, Congress came to their aid. A bill was signed that authorized payments to businesses during the closures. This locksmith business received a government payment, which covered about two weeks of salary for the six employees.
Business success depends on the wants and needs of the public. During good times, people might purchase luxury items to fill a want. During good or bad times, people more likely will make purchases they need, such as when some hardware item requires repair or when they’re locked out.
Beginning in May, people slowly came out of hibernation. Locksmiths had been categorized as necessary businesses along with auto repair garages, and this locksmith business’s phone began to ring occasionally. The six employees got back on the job, but the workload was much less than earlier in the year.
Business routines changed to an unexpected extent. A plexiglass shield was erected at the cash register. Only three customers are allowed in the shop at one time. Any other customers have to wait outside. All customers and employees must wear masks. Locksmith technicians on jobs must wear masks at each job site. Frequent hand disinfecting was a given.
Even with all of these precautions, there can be problems. A relative of one employee became ill with possible COVID-19 symptoms. The employee went to be tested. Testing results took several days, and the employee remained at home. If the employee had tested positive, this locksmith business would have been shut down for two weeks while everyone else was tested. Fortunately, all tests came back negative.
This locksmith business is back in operation but at a slower pace. Business is completely normal for customers who have “needs,” but customer “wants” might take much longer to return to normal.
Basically, this locksmith business is operating at 75 percent of its former capacity. It's thankful to be in the locksmith business and operating well while other businesses that allow crowds of people, such as restaurants and bars, are in a much more dire situation.
If you have a story about how your locksmith business has coped with the current situation, we’d like to hear from you. Send information to: [email protected].
