Many small business owners in Milwaukee made adjustments Friday, with some closing, to keep themselves and their customers safe and off the road.
Katy Murphy, owner of 414 Nutrition, said having a snow day off work has little appeal but she made the tough decision to close her downtown shop.
“Honestly, it’s like the most anxiety ridden, stressful decision,” she said. “If the business isn’t making money, I’m not making money, which is hard. The bills don’t care that it snowed two days in one week.”
She said she was mostly concerned about road conditions, which vary dramatically across the city.
The business next to hers on East Kilbourn, Les Ciseaux, opted to stay open.
Salon hairstylist John Kowaljowski said because a lot of their customer lived in the neighborhood road conditions weren’t as big of a concern. The priority for them was getting a timely appointment.
“It is very interesting how many people will call and say 'hey did you happen to get any last-minute cancelations that I could fill in?” He said.
Kowaljowski said for them flexibility is key.
The salon makes it a point to be proactive with scheduling, rearranging appointments around snowfall and cancelations.
Murphy, too, is having to get creative to make up for the closure by doing what she can from home.
To combat lost business, she's trying to reach customers online with special promotions to be redeemed during better weather.
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