Indianapolis-based Markey’s Rental & Staging was on its way to becoming a $40 million business annually before the pandemic.
The employee-owned company built its brand on staging captivating in-person events such as conferences, award shows and evenings with prominent figures such as former first lady Michelle Obama.
But in mid-March, all events stopped during the government shutdown. As time wore on, the company cut workers and reduced salaries.
“When the meetings and events industry stopped, it stopped us as well,” said Mark Miller, president and CEO.
Like some other businesses faced with the reality that their services were needed in a different way due to the pandemic, Markey’s switched gears to survive. The company turned its focus to producing virtual conventions and other remote events that could take place online.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown Indianapolis-area small businesses for a loop. Some business models were rendered moot practically overnight, an environment in which owners had to quickly adapt.
This story catalogs the experiences of four of those business owners, a rental and staging company, a tech company that works with nonprofits, a City Market barbecue place and residential and commercial building deep-cleaner.