WASHINGTON — Friday’s reopening is a big step forward for many small businesses. However, just because D.C. is set to lift COVID-19 restrictions doesn’t mean small business owners are in the clear yet.
After a year of challenges brought on by the pandemic, many small business owners worry they won’t financially be able to physically re-open their doors.
“Recovering from a more than a 12-month closure or limited operations in three or four months is not possible. We are just doing our best to keep our community moving,” said Maggie Doctors, the owner of Haute Bodhi Hot Yoga.
Natasha Martinez took over the Happy Yogi in June 2019, just before the pandemic.
“The zoom burnout is very real for a lot of people so we’ve had some people kind of taper off and just stop the zoom classes but we also still have a core group of people,” said Martinez.
While neither business owner was able to physically use their studio for most of the past year, they still owe rent from that time.
In addition to paying back rent to the property owners, there is also the added re-opening cost including updated air filtration units, window fans to increase air circulation in the space and high-quality filters for the HVAC system.
There is also the added cost involved in bringing back their instructors and staff full-time.
“I feel like I’m a really resourceful person and I will try everything that I can before asking anybody else for help. So, it took a lot out of me to put myself in a position where I could say 'OK I really actually need some help here,'” said Natasha Martinez.
For the first time, they turned virtual fundraisers to ask the community for help in order to physically re-open their doors this month.
"As we prepare to reopen in mid to late May, I am reaching out for help. One of our incredible yogis encouraged me to open up a GoFundMe earlier in the pandemic and I have held off as long as I could. As a studio owner, I have really prided myself on remaining as independent as possible and have done my best not to shift this burden onto our students. However, I think reopening our little studio, at best, will be very difficult. At worst, we may have to remain online for the foreseeable future. And so I share these words that have been weighing on me for several months: We need your help," Martinez shared on GoFundMe.
In addition to another reopening cost, Martinez said they hope to raise $15,000 dollars to help pay back the rent that they owe the property owners.
"Haute Bodhi has proudly served the community of Tenleytown and residents of D.C. for almost 20 years. Every day we focus on helping our students connect to themselves and the world around while building strong healthy bodies, minds, and hearts. We believe in the power of yoga to transform the health and lives of our students. We hope to continue to do just that for many years to come. At Haute Bodhi Hot Yoga we are passionate about teaching Yoga as preventative healthcare. Access to healthy additions to our allopathic care system are now very limited and our space offers our community the chance to stay active and connected physically, mentally and emotionally. Movement is medicine," Maggie Doctors shared on GoFundMe.
Doctors said they need help to raise nearly $50,000 dollars in order to operate past May 31.
"The outpouring of support has been overwhelming. I just feel so grateful that people find value in the services we offer and they want us to continue to do it. I believe now more than ever, looking for ways to take your health into your own hands and add it is super important," said Maggie Doctors.