Small Businesses Suffering Over Coronavirus
Coronavirus is the buzz-word affecting millions this month: "COVID-19" is the lethal form of the virus that's changing lives around the globe. Sporting events, concerts, music festivals, holiday parades, and even schools are shutting down in an effort to protect humans from contracting the deadly disease.
At Grassroots we felt our first effect with Spannabis having to cancel the day before the event. We flew out staff and merch, paid for hotels, and made official merch for one event, and now with the event canceled, we're taking a huge loss. It's important to help stimulate local economies and support small businesses who may be experiencing similar losses over the corona-health crisis (see below for more info). We encourage supporting small businesses and artists by streaming their music, purchasing official merchandise, attending rescheduled performances instead of seeking refunds, and making purchases from smaller storefront (or online when possible).
Coronavirus is going to affect many small businesses, artists, employees and consumers in the entertainment industry. From those vending, playing the event, setting up the event, to making the official merch, we're all taking a critical hit this month. Following suit with the NBA, NHL, and NCAA many events are going to be canceling in the best interest of their fans. We at Grassroots care about the safety of our staff and our customers. All things considered, Grassroots has decided to pull out of most major events, have our staff meet only when necessary, and work remotely when possible.
Grassroots California is dedicated to supporting its customers and complying with health mandates. We encourage customers to shop online while the virus continues to spread. We believe customers should be able to shop from the comfort of their own home while minimizing health risks. For the first time in Grassroots history, we are offering employee pricing to our online customers: 50% off our entire site. Customers can shop from the comfort of their own home. The online sale will start Friday, March 13th and will run through Monday, March 16th.
We hope this sales pass a saving to you and also helps us, as well as our fellow artists and creatives stay afloat as local economies crash over this worldwide pandemic. We encourage everyone to be safe. Here are a few tips we've gathered in partnership with the World Health Organization:
- Practice good hygiene. Thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water. In the absence of soap and water, use hand-sanitizer; use your elbow or sleeve to cover coughs and sneezes.
- Stay home if you’re sick; keep your children home if they are sick. The illness can last for many days so make preparations now to work from home if possible.
- Keep a healthy distance between yourself and anyone around you. This will prevent any liquid from breaths, sneezes, or coughs from being transferred to you.
- Avoid touching your face, eyes, nose, and mouth. Contaminated hands and body parts near these areas put you at risk of getting the disease.
- If you have a fever, cough, or other respiratory issues, seek medical attention immediately and avoid public interaction at all costs. Even a runny rose or slight cough can be early symptoms of the virus and avoiding contact with others will prevent further disease transmission.