Valley Sentinel asked local businesses participating in RV-Opoly how the event, COVID-19 and shopping local impacts their business.
See their answers below.
Q&A with Suzanne Shifflet
Owner, Wisconsin Riverside Resort
Valley Sentinel: Are you excited to be a part of RV-Opoly? What does it mean for your business?
Suzanne Shifflet: We are super happy to be part of RV-Opoly. Kudos to Julie at the Chamber of Commerce for setting this all up. We hope that the theme is well received by our community and that many people participate.
VS: Are endeavors like this especially important this year due to COVID?
SS: Absolutely, you don’t have to have a customer walk through your doors to make a sale right now. Online restaurant orders and online camping, canoe, tube or kayak reservations can all be made from your home. To-go orders can be delivered to your car.
VS: How has COVID affected your business?
SS: COVID has devastated most bars and restaurants and we are no exception. What people tend to forget is that prior to COVID most bars and restaurants were already following strict cleaning guidelines put forth by our county health department. But when you are told no large gatherings, there is no winning that battle. Just when you think you have something figured out, you don’t, so you move on to the next idea.
VS: Do you have any other ideas for working collaboratively between businesses to help one another and build community during this tough time?
SS: Shop local, shop local, shop local. Spring Green is a very unique community. Small within stature, but huge within the tourist community. We have arts, attractions, small shops, recreation and the state’s most beautiful river. These are all hands on, in-person activities.
Q&A with Wilson Creek Pottery
Valley Sentinel: Are you excited to be a part of RV-Opoly? What does it mean for your business?
Wilson Creek Pottery: Of course! We hope it reminds folks to shop locally, that our business is here and part of the community and we appreciate local support.
VS: Are endeavors like this especially important this year due to COVID?
WCP: It’s wonderful for the Chamber to launch this and help promote the local businesses and engage the community in a fun, supportive way, COVID has put a strain on all of us and our businesses so the support from the Chamber is especially appreciated.
VS: How has COVID affected your business?
WCP: Our local economy and our business depends on tourism and with limitations on travel this year and the very unfortunate closing [for this past season due to COVID] of our beloved American Players Theatre, foot traffic to our shop has been way down with the number of tourists coming to the area down.
VS: Do you have any other ideas for working collaboratively between businesses to help one another and build community during this tough time?
WCP: We are working with a handful of local businesses creating gift packages to help spread the word about each of our businesses and offer our customers new, cool gift ideas, we are also happy to participate in the Chamber’s Shop Big at Small campaign also helping to promote the small local businesses.
VS: What does Small Business Saturday and shopping local mean to you and your business?
WCP: We very much hope folks in our community and all over the country support Small Business Saturday, it’s a wonderful effort and it truly means the world to our small businesses to not be overlooked during the holiday shopping season.
Q&A with Pam Chehade, Owner, Pamela’s Fine Jewelry
Valley Sentinel: Are you excited to be a part of RV-Opoly? What does it mean for your business?
Pam Chehade: I am excited I already did a Facebook live on the event. I don’t know how it will impact us, it has never been done before.
VS: Are endeavors like this especially important this year due to COVID?
PC: We can try anything, with COVID business is very unpredictable.
VS: How has COVID affected your business?
PC: Yes, COVID has affected business, a three-month shutdown is extremely difficult to manage. Staff being exposed to positive cases, not feeling well, testing and waiting for results and quarantine all lead to staffing issues.
VS: Do you have any other ideas for working collaboratively between businesses to help one
another and build community during this tough time?
PC: We just need to do our best to be safe, keep staff and customers safe but it is all added time.
VS: What does Small Business Saturday and shopping local mean to you and your business?
PC: Small Business Saturday and show local is an effort to make people aware of small business. It all helps.
Q&A with Nancy Baenen, Co-Manager, Arcadia Books
Valley Sentinel: Are you excited to be a part of RV-Opoly? What does it mean for your business?
Nancy Baenen: I think RV-Opoly is a great idea and a creative way to remind people how many wonderful and varied businesses there are in the River Valley. And who doesn’t want the chance to win money?
VS: Are endeavors like this especially important this year due to COVID?
NC: We need shoppers in our businesses like never before. If you look closely, you’ll notice that the businesses on the RV-Opoly board are the same names that appear on the schools athletic and music programs, on run/walk shirts and every other fundraiser in the communities. Money spent locally stays local.
VS: How has COVID affected your business?
NC: We were fortunate to have a webstore long before the pandemic. Our loyal customers who suddenly had more time for reading kept us going in the spring when we were closed to the public. We continue to get many online orders every week and are grateful for that. Offering curbside pick-up or shopping by appointment have been simple added services that help our customers feel safe and stay healthy.
VS: Do you have any other ideas for working collaboratively between businesses to help one another and build community during this tough time?
NC: I don’t know what we’d do without our fellow businesses. Deniece at The Office Market has kept us in mailing envelopes since March and Doerre’s Hardware and Nina’s always have what we need for projects. Ray at Doerre’s came through for us big time when we couldn’t get hand sanitizer dispensers prior to re-opening in May. The relationships between the businesses are vital to all of us succeeding.
VS: What does Small Business Saturday and shopping local mean to you and your business?
NC: When you shop local your money stays in the community and supports the things you care about through donations and taxes. When you fill up at Rite-Way, you help pay for the Country Christmas fireworks. When you eat in our restaurants or shop at Hometown, Prem’s or Straka’s, you support the schools through donations and scholarships. And really, who is going to give you better customer service than your friends and neighbors?
For more information, please visit springgreen.com