Before the pandemic, whole segments of businesses relied heavily on in-person interactions, including running product-based businesses in retail locations or operating on craft show circuits.
Once the pandemic forced shutdowns, owners of small businesses like those had to find alternative models to keep their cash flow positive.
“It’s been a real eye-opener for a lot of makers,” said Sue Monhait, a business coach for handmade business owners. “Many of them … were able to have a full life-sustaining income through face-to-face shows, so this past year they were really caught off-guard. They didn’t have anything else in place.”
According to Monhait, if these handmade businesses wanted to survive, they were “pretty much forced into doing something virtual.”