These Fredericton-area entrepreneurs dared to launch businesses during pandemic

Starting a new business costs money, involves risk, and takes determination and courage. Starting a business during the COVID-19 pandemic takes all that and more.

"When we did our business plan, we did not take into account a pandemic," said Betty Blanchard, owner of My Home Consignment in Fredericton.

Blanchard had planned to open her consignment store in March, but her plans were put on hold because of the pandemic.

On their own

Blanchard owns and operates another consignment store for women's clothing called My Closet.

It's success pushed Blanchard to start a similar business for home decor and small furniture. When the pandemic hit, she had to deal with a business that had to close and a business that couldn't open.

Blanchard used the time to work on My Home Consignment and make it look its best for when it could open.

But starting this new business presented a financial challenge because she wasn't eligible for government help.

"We didn't have any support so there were no opportunities for us to take advantage of any government assistance, whether it was wage subsidy, rent subsidy, anything like that, because we just didn't have the background to show our loss of revenue," said Blanchard.

Blanchard was able to use some of the revenue from her other store, My Closet, to offset the financial challenges of not being able to open right away while still having to pay rent and utilities for the store.

Adjusting

Kat Roberts, owner of Surface Float, had planned to open her business in March, just as the pandemic hit.

She had invested in expensive equipment such as floating pods and soundproof rooms, creating a place where customers can float in special pools.

But restrictions meant Roberts couldn't open her business in March as she planned.

"That was a little bit rattling," said Roberts. "I just kind of bit the bullet and said we're just going to have to stay afloat by using our own personal money for the bills."

She said the hardest part was not knowing how long they'd have to pay the bills, without being able to bring in any revenue.

She finally opened Surface Float in May.

"I cried, just tears of joy," said Roberts. "It was so exciting."

While she has been able to open, the hard work isn't done. Roberts has to constantly adjust to COVID-19 restrictions. When the Fredericton region entered the orange phase, she was able to stay open, but business declined dramatically.

When the Moncton and Saint John regions were in the orange phase, Roberts had to turn away or reschedule customers coming from those parts of the province..

"You have to really go with the flow," she said. "I think that's really the biggest and only thing you can do, is go with the flow, don't get hung up on the things you can't control or can't change, and just do your best with what you can do."

While Roberts and Blanchard had already planned to start their businesses before the pandemic hit, Nada Wiltshire got the idea for her new enterprisein the middle of the pandemic.

In July, Wiltshire moved from Ontario to New Brunswick to start her own baking company, the Rocky Lemon. She bakes squares, cookies, homemade pop tarts and cakes.

When she moved to Burton, a community just outside Oromocto, she struggled to find an industrial kitchen she could use.

"Idon't have a commercial space just yet, and because we came at the end of the season, markets were full."

But by September she was able to start selling her baked goods. Instead of setting up a store, she is taking orders and making deliveries with a trailer she bought. She has used her trailer to deliver her goods across the province.

Community response

So far, Wiltshire has been getting steady orders, and her homemade pop tarts and rocky lemon squares have been a hit.
Betty Blanchard has been pleased with the community response she has seen at My Home Consignment as well.

"I really felt that Fredericton was stepping up," Blanchard said. "I don't know that I thought that we were going to open up so big.

"It gave us a sense of relief, and we just felt really really blessed to have the city of Fredericton back us up the way they did."

For Krista Ross, CEO of the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce, it's the resilience of entrepreneurs that's impressive.

"To be able to see businesses and entrepreneurs taking the leap and having the courage to start a business during these difficult times is really exciting, and I'm really proud of their courage," said Ross.

"I think the community has rallied around these new businesses and other businesses as well."

New businesses have been able to survive early financial challengesand the fear of the unknown.

While the pandemic isn't over yet, to Kat Roberts at Surface Float, the toughest challenge has been overcome.

"Now the new saying we're all going to say is, if you can get through COVID, you can get through anything," said Roberts.