According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the number of active business owners in the United States dropped from February to April 2020 by 22 percent. This drop in businesses has been the largest on record. Some businesses have had to file for bankruptcy or simply close down due to the Coronavirus pandemic. While some young entrepreneurs are worried about their plans of starting their own business, others have taken a chance.

 Alonso Rijan who started his customs business for art, airbrushed tee shirts, and shoes three years ago says that his business sales got better when the virus started. 

In Harris County, a “Stay Home, Work Safe” order went into effect in March, having people stay indoors. This caused some people to rely more on technology to connect with each other. 

According to EMarketer.com, the amount of social media usage between late March to early May increased 46 to 51 percent. This led to an increased amount of people to make virtual connections as well as the increase of noticing and finding small online businesses to shop from. 

“COVID actually didn’t impact my sales very much,” Nia Phillips, CEO of Ni’Abri Beauty, said. “While sales decreased in the beginning of the 2020 pandemic, when social distancing began to be normalized, sales went back to normal.”

Phillips started her cruelty free cosmetic business about 22 months ago and since then has made success selling lip glosses, lashes, and other cosmetic products. 

Most people expected COVID to come and go, instead it has been almost a year since the first reported case. The world is getting used to the new guidelines accepting that currently this is now a part of everyone’s life.

Owner of a body sculpting business, Mariyah Daniels, had to consider how to pursue her new business with new COVID regulations being adopted shortly after opening. Daniels had confidence in herself to go ahead and start her business and has been offering her services since February.

 “I stopped for about two months and I eventually started back up once I realized coronavirus wasn’t going nowhere,” Daniels said.

If there is one thing coronavirus has brought out of most people, it is the inner hustle and the drive for what they want. Every business owner who survived the changes and challenges coronavirus has brought, from those who are just starting with only one product sold to those who have thousands of followers, are incredibly lucky to still have their business.