The U.S. Census Bureau reported in 2019 about 90% of American businesses are family-owned or controlled, but only 40% of them become a second-generation business.
Vanessa Perez says she thought the plug was pulled on her future the Thursday before Memorial Day.
Sheâd worked as a hair stylist for 10 years, but when state health orders forced her employer to shut down, Perezâs world was altered in almost every way.
The only thing to survive, she says, was her determination to persevere.
âI was devastated when they let me go,â she recalls.
Later in the year, with restrictions eased a bit, Perez made a huge wager on herself. She opened Forma Salon on Second Street on Aug. 18. The reasons â and the effect â had everything to do with the pandemic, and in some ways, nothing to do with the pandemic.
My friend brought Christmas to my doorstep on a recent night.
It didnât look like any Christmas before, of course; the pandemic has canceled parties, playdates, the ability to flit from shop to shop in search of the perfect presents, even the handing out of holiday gifts with a hug.
Instead, my friend and I texted no-contact drop-off details, and her daughter included a handmade card for my kids. I caught the faint slice of headlights as her car headed back down the driveway and into the cold night.
But her thoughtful gift brought back some of the old holiday magic. Inside, sheâd packed an array of goodies from Chocolate Maven: fudgy brownies, a sweet-and-tart mini loaf and two festive, oversized Christmas tree cookies. Even seeing the logo transported me to brighter times, of stopping into a local bakery or ice cream shop with my little ones for an after-school treat.