Small Business Week 2021
Did you know that 97% of Garland businesses are small business? Many businesses who started out by having an idea. An idea that grew from a passion of theirs that can lead to profits. In Garland, we want to thank our small businesses for being the little engine that could and will continue to run our city.
As this week is Small Business Week, we are featuring two great business owners, that besides the odds of the pandemic, they found ways to stay alive and continue to offer their services to the Garland community. We feature Tamorah Lopez with The Healthy Place Off Broadway, and Dr. Ayo with Lonestar Neck and Back.
Tamorah Lopez
The Healthy Place Off Broadway
– 5501 Broadway Blvd. #105 Garland, TX 75043
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When did you start your business?
In January of 2020 we came in, renovated, rebranded the space and reset the energy to match ours. It has been a passion project that my partner and husband Alex enjoy working together.
How did COVID affect your business?
The funny thing is that we launched our Grand Opening March 14th and 15th 2020, which ended up being the weekend before COVID closures. Part of our marketing strategy in the community was door to door to meet the neighbors, flyers and meeting our neighboring businesses with samples. COVID definitely limited our range with getting out, foot traffic was nonexistent, and people were in a panic from the lack of knowledge.
What strategies did you implement in your business to survive COVID?
We immediately came up with a plan to promote the safety of our club, maintain visibility to keep our doors open.
Our first attack was with our Social Media presence, we really just focused on creating our club identity and putting the information out there. We worked with mentors that had strong presence took notes and worked 90 day plans. The focus was mouth watering pictures, engaging informative content with live videos ranging from exercise, motivation, tips and overall feel good vibes.
Second, we implemented a phone tree. We created a list of businesses up and down Broadway around the club, Garland area, friends, medical reps and front line companies. If they were open we scheduled free tea drops for their team or we delivered breakfast and lunch smoothies with gloves, masks and eyebrow smiles. This allowed us to educate and inform that we had delivery as a temporary option while getting the community involved in our PAY IT FORWARD PROJECT.
The project was great because it allowed friends and family to donate money to have energy teas or smoothies sent to their favorite business as a thank you from the comfort of their home. We even included handwritten thank you notes.
Finally, we took advantage of all of our resources. As members of the Chamber we started plugging in, made sure our menu was updated with easy online contactless pay and ordering. Promoted our online challenges to keep our clients active and plugged our customers into a private motivational group.
How do you think you impact the Garland community?
I feel like we impact the community with hope and we bring an excitement for a healthy alternative. There are so many food options and each year the obesity within our communities increases and it’s affecting our youths. We are determined to change that and educate. We currently offer FREE Fitness events , virtual parties and we team up with other small businesses to collaborate and share their talent. We encourage big dreamers and we connect partners with the intention of growing together and paying it forward. We’re not just a shake shop we’re a zen hub that always makes sure you feel better than when you came in.
What is your ultimate goal for the Healthy Place Off Broadway?
We are grateful everyday that we get to open our doors and serve the community. The customers have become our family and the ultimate goal is to impact a million lives out of our club. We will grow from this club and eventually expand into other communities helping more entrepreneurs impact their community and so on and so on. We believe it’s important as transformation coaches to train our clients on mindset, nutrition knowledge and how you sculpt your body. Having more stories of hope and change on our walls is always rewarding, cause nothing gets us more fired up then having a client hit a milestone!
Our passion statement is clear, we are here to INSPIRE - EMPOWER and TRANSFORM and we are blessed to be doing that in the Garland community.
Dr. Ayodele Fadahunsi
Lonestar Neck and Back
When did you start your business?
I opened my practice in May of 2018 and saw my first patient in Garland on May 14, 2018.
How did COVID affect your business?
As with any startup, my practice was off to a slow start and was finally starting to build momentum by the Fall of 2019 having built a patient base, referral sources, and relationships within the Garland community.
I remember exactly where I was when I knew things were going to change. I was out of town the 2nd week of March 2020 for a friend’s wedding and each day I received multiple emails of patients canceling their appointments until almost the remainder of March and April had been cleared. As soon as I got back to Garland, I decided to close the office for health and safety reasons, which also provided time to figure out next steps.
What strategies did you implement in your business to survive COVID?
Quarantine brought with it a new normal in that we can do a lot from home and there’s some things we’d like to not have to leave home for. Some of my patients would call during quarantine to ask when I’d open, then they began asking if I could just come to their homes for treatment. Once COVID became better understood as to how the disease is spread, I felt more comfortable taking the proper precautions and making home visits. The feedback was so positive that I ultimately made the decision to convert my practice to mobile chiropractic. It’s humbling to see how far some of my patients were traveling to visit my office. I’m honored to return the favor and travel to my patients today.
How do you think you impact the Garland community?
I have always felt welcomed in Garland which is why I try to contribute to the community in any way I can. For the first 2 years of building my practice, when there were large gaps in my daily schedule, I often filled the time by volunteering with Good Samaritans of Garland and eventually became a member of their Board of Directors.
Unfortunately, when closing my office in March 2020, I had to resign my position with Good Samaritans of Garland to focus on my practice. The outlook of my business looks a lot better than it did March of 2020 and I am ready to serve again. It is with great humility that I have been offered an opportunity to serve on the Board of Directors of the Garland ISD Education Foundation. I am very excited to start my first term.
What is your ultimate goal for your business?
My goal has always been to provide personalized and affordable chiropractic care. Healthcare can get expensive, but I don’t think chiropractic care in particular has to be. As best as I can, I’d like to continue to provide affordable access to chiropractic care.
These two business owners are a few examples of how small businesses persevered during the pandemic. This week is to celebrate you, the small business owner. Follow us on social media as we promote small businesses with their videos. #SBW2021
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