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| Is a Pandemic the Right Time to Start a Business? It Just Might Be | Is a Pandemic the Right Time to Start a Business? It Just Might Be |
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| In March, as small businesses across the country were shutting down amid the spreading coronavirus pandemic, Shanel Fields was about to open one up. | In March, as small businesses across the country were shutting down amid the spreading coronavirus pandemic, Shanel Fields was about to open one up. |
| For Ms. Fields, the timing couldn’t have been better. Her company, MD Ally, allows 911 dispatchers and other responders to route nonemergency calls and patients to virtual doctors, to help local governments improve their emergency response systems. | For Ms. Fields, the timing couldn’t have been better. Her company, MD Ally, allows 911 dispatchers and other responders to route nonemergency calls and patients to virtual doctors, to help local governments improve their emergency response systems. |
| “Something that a lot of people don’t know is that more than half of calls that go to 911 are nonemergency,” said Ms. Fields, whose father’s experiences as a volunteer emergency medical worker sparked the idea. “Those nonemergency calls overcrowd E.R.s and delay ambulances.” | “Something that a lot of people don’t know is that more than half of calls that go to 911 are nonemergency,” said Ms. Fields, whose father’s experiences as a volunteer emergency medical worker sparked the idea. “Those nonemergency calls overcrowd E.R.s and delay ambulances.” |
| But she also recognizes how crazy it sounds to start a business during an economic collapse. She knows that while she’s hiring, many small businesses are worrying about whether they’ll ever reopen. | But she also recognizes how crazy it sounds to start a business during an economic collapse. She knows that while she’s hiring, many small businesses are worrying about whether they’ll ever reopen. |
| She’s not alone: New businesses are forming despite the pandemic, though at a significantly slower rate than before. | She’s not alone: New businesses are forming despite the pandemic, though at a significantly slower rate than before. |
| There have been more than 500,000 applications for an employer identification number since mid-March, according to the Census Bureau, although that is down nearly 20 percent from a year ago. Between mid-March and mid-April, the Small Business Administration issued nearly 300 start-up loans worth about $153 million, a 36 percent drop from year earlier. Stripe, the credit card processing firm, said it had handled more than $1 billion in sales for businesses that started on the platform during that time. | There have been more than 500,000 applications for an employer identification number since mid-March, according to the Census Bureau, although that is down nearly 20 percent from a year ago. Between mid-March and mid-April, the Small Business Administration issued nearly 300 start-up loans worth about $153 million, a 36 percent drop from year earlier. Stripe, the credit card processing firm, said it had handled more than $1 billion in sales for businesses that started on the platform during that time. |
| Past downturns produced some high-profile American companies: Airbnb, Disney, General Motors, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, Slack, Uber and Venmo, to name a few. | Past downturns produced some high-profile American companies: Airbnb, Disney, General Motors, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, Slack, Uber and Venmo, to name a few. |
| “Downturns or challenging times are seen as good times to start a business for two reasons,” said Rashmi Menon, entrepreneur in residence at the University of Michigan’s Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies. “One is, there is less competition for resources. The second reason is that whatever changes we face, positive or negative, bring up new customer needs. And customer needs are at the core of any business.” | “Downturns or challenging times are seen as good times to start a business for two reasons,” said Rashmi Menon, entrepreneur in residence at the University of Michigan’s Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies. “One is, there is less competition for resources. The second reason is that whatever changes we face, positive or negative, bring up new customer needs. And customer needs are at the core of any business.” |
| For Ms. Fields, opening now meant greater access to top talent. She hired her fourth employee and said more than 200 qualified applicants had submitted résumés. And being in the health care sector during a pandemic has raised her profile with funders and governments: MD Ally, which is based in Philadelphia, recently signed its first customer and closed its first round of investment worth $1 million. | For Ms. Fields, opening now meant greater access to top talent. She hired her fourth employee and said more than 200 qualified applicants had submitted résumés. And being in the health care sector during a pandemic has raised her profile with funders and governments: MD Ally, which is based in Philadelphia, recently signed its first customer and closed its first round of investment worth $1 million. |
| For others, the timing can mean low interest rates for borrowing start-up capital, cheaper equipment as businesses sell off inventory or lower lease rates as landlords scramble to fill empty spaces. | For others, the timing can mean low interest rates for borrowing start-up capital, cheaper equipment as businesses sell off inventory or lower lease rates as landlords scramble to fill empty spaces. |
| “I’m already seeing a huge uptick in requests for kitchen leases and subleases to be used for carryout kitchens or production spaces,” said Jenn Smith, a commercial real estate agent in Detroit. | “I’m already seeing a huge uptick in requests for kitchen leases and subleases to be used for carryout kitchens or production spaces,” said Jenn Smith, a commercial real estate agent in Detroit. |
| In the best of times, 20 percent of new businesses don’t survive their first year, according to federal statistics; economic headwinds present greater challenges. A restaurant or bookstore opening on Main Street, however, faces very different risks from those of a new tech firm whose employees can work from home and whose customers don’t need to gather. | In the best of times, 20 percent of new businesses don’t survive their first year, according to federal statistics; economic headwinds present greater challenges. A restaurant or bookstore opening on Main Street, however, faces very different risks from those of a new tech firm whose employees can work from home and whose customers don’t need to gather. |
| “There are going to be industries that are winners, and others that are going to be losers,” said David Brown, who co-founded the start-up accelerator Techstars during the 2008 recession. “I probably wouldn’t want to be in a business right now that caters to business travelers, but I’d love to be in a business that helps enable telemedicine.” | “There are going to be industries that are winners, and others that are going to be losers,” said David Brown, who co-founded the start-up accelerator Techstars during the 2008 recession. “I probably wouldn’t want to be in a business right now that caters to business travelers, but I’d love to be in a business that helps enable telemedicine.” |
| Determining what customers need now, rather than before the pandemic, is crucial. Ms. Menon and Mr. Brown see opportunity in offering solutions to the challenges that people now face: educating their children, working from home, managing supply chains, getting a haircut or the house cleaned, seeing doctors and therapists, entertaining themselves. Even new restaurants might be successful if they consider the future of customer service rather than recreate old systems. | Determining what customers need now, rather than before the pandemic, is crucial. Ms. Menon and Mr. Brown see opportunity in offering solutions to the challenges that people now face: educating their children, working from home, managing supply chains, getting a haircut or the house cleaned, seeing doctors and therapists, entertaining themselves. Even new restaurants might be successful if they consider the future of customer service rather than recreate old systems. |
| “If you can find innovative ways for people to feed themselves right now, that might make sense,” Ms. Menon said. “You just have to address a need.” | “If you can find innovative ways for people to feed themselves right now, that might make sense,” Ms. Menon said. “You just have to address a need.” |
| Figuring out how to open the food hall of the future is the task facing Maarten Jacobs, the director of community prosperity at the Allyn Family Foundation, a regional philanthropic organization in Syracuse, N.Y. | Figuring out how to open the food hall of the future is the task facing Maarten Jacobs, the director of community prosperity at the Allyn Family Foundation, a regional philanthropic organization in Syracuse, N.Y. |
| That’s not a role Mr. Jacobs expected, considering his background is in community and economic development. He is overseeing the foundation’s investment in a new four-story, 80,000-square-foot building designed to be a community gathering space and incubator for the city’s small food entrepreneurs. A mix of apartments and nonprofit offices is planned for the upper floors, but the heart of the project is Salt City Market, which will feature food stalls run by women and entrepreneurs of color, a coffee shop and a cooperative grocery store. | That’s not a role Mr. Jacobs expected, considering his background is in community and economic development. He is overseeing the foundation’s investment in a new four-story, 80,000-square-foot building designed to be a community gathering space and incubator for the city’s small food entrepreneurs. A mix of apartments and nonprofit offices is planned for the upper floors, but the heart of the project is Salt City Market, which will feature food stalls run by women and entrepreneurs of color, a coffee shop and a cooperative grocery store. |
| The project is scheduled to open in November, so Mr. Jacobs is focused on finding the safest way to open a 24,000-square-foot market even as the world is questioning when — and how — people will want to gather again. | The project is scheduled to open in November, so Mr. Jacobs is focused on finding the safest way to open a 24,000-square-foot market even as the world is questioning when — and how — people will want to gather again. |
| Updated June 12, 2020 | Updated June 12, 2020 |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. | Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. |
| Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. | Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. | Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. |
| The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. | The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. |
| “It keeps me up at night, that’s for sure,” Mr. Jacobs said. | “It keeps me up at night, that’s for sure,” Mr. Jacobs said. |
| He’s looking at global trends on how restaurants are opening and the safety precautions being put in place to see what he might do in Syracuse this fall. He’s considering foot-operated doors, mobile sanitation stations and a new furniture concept. | He’s looking at global trends on how restaurants are opening and the safety precautions being put in place to see what he might do in Syracuse this fall. He’s considering foot-operated doors, mobile sanitation stations and a new furniture concept. |
| “In the past, we just wanted to make sure furniture looked cool; now it has to look cool and be built like a tank and stand up to robust cleaning,” he said. | “In the past, we just wanted to make sure furniture looked cool; now it has to look cool and be built like a tank and stand up to robust cleaning,” he said. |
| But his biggest worry is the entrepreneurs. He doesn’t want to set them up for failure. | But his biggest worry is the entrepreneurs. He doesn’t want to set them up for failure. |
| The foundation supported Salt City Market as a way to foster entrepreneurs who might not have the resources to open their own restaurant. It hosted a community competition to identify eight small food businesses for the market. The winners received months of technical training on everything from marketing to inventory management, as well as the promise of a commercial kitchen stall with all the equipment they need. Chefs are responsible for their own signage and small goods, like plates and napkins, as well as a start-up investment of $30,000. | The foundation supported Salt City Market as a way to foster entrepreneurs who might not have the resources to open their own restaurant. It hosted a community competition to identify eight small food businesses for the market. The winners received months of technical training on everything from marketing to inventory management, as well as the promise of a commercial kitchen stall with all the equipment they need. Chefs are responsible for their own signage and small goods, like plates and napkins, as well as a start-up investment of $30,000. |
| “We wanted a loan that if everything goes sideways, they aren’t crippled,” Mr. Jacobs said. | “We wanted a loan that if everything goes sideways, they aren’t crippled,” Mr. Jacobs said. |
| But everything has gone sideways. So Mr. Jacobs wants to open in a way that ensures they can succeed. “We don’t want to jeopardize them,” he said. | But everything has gone sideways. So Mr. Jacobs wants to open in a way that ensures they can succeed. “We don’t want to jeopardize them,” he said. |
| So far, all eight chefs plan to move forward. But several face the hard choice of leaving their day jobs to pursue their dreams, which may have seemed romantic in normal times but is terrifying in a severe downturn. | So far, all eight chefs plan to move forward. But several face the hard choice of leaving their day jobs to pursue their dreams, which may have seemed romantic in normal times but is terrifying in a severe downturn. |
| Chef Ngoc Huynh said she was scared but still excited to open her Vietnamese kitchen in the market. | Chef Ngoc Huynh said she was scared but still excited to open her Vietnamese kitchen in the market. |
| “I like to be optimistic and hope for the best,” Ms. Huynh said. | “I like to be optimistic and hope for the best,” Ms. Huynh said. |
| She knows the challenges of restaurant life from watching her mother and aunt run a small food and catering business while working other full-time jobs. But Ms. Huynh is reassured by the fact that she’s not doing this alone. She and the other chefs are receiving technical support from the foundation and collaborating on ways to open a restaurant in a socially distant world. The group is considering new menus and hiring delivery drivers to serve all the stalls. | She knows the challenges of restaurant life from watching her mother and aunt run a small food and catering business while working other full-time jobs. But Ms. Huynh is reassured by the fact that she’s not doing this alone. She and the other chefs are receiving technical support from the foundation and collaborating on ways to open a restaurant in a socially distant world. The group is considering new menus and hiring delivery drivers to serve all the stalls. |
| “We’re thinking about this together,” Ms. Huynh said. “That’s the beauty of it. We’re all competitors, but there is a network of support.” | “We’re thinking about this together,” Ms. Huynh said. “That’s the beauty of it. We’re all competitors, but there is a network of support.” |
| You want to start a business now? Ms. Menon suggests you ask yourself these five questions first. | You want to start a business now? Ms. Menon suggests you ask yourself these five questions first. |
| Have I identified a new need that customers have as a result of the current crisis? | Have I identified a new need that customers have as a result of the current crisis? |
| Can I serve this need in a way that is substantially better than the current alternatives? | Can I serve this need in a way that is substantially better than the current alternatives? |
| Am I qualified to solve this customer problem? | Am I qualified to solve this customer problem? |
| If I don’t have the experience, can I hire others or find a co-founder to help me? | If I don’t have the experience, can I hire others or find a co-founder to help me? |
| Do I have access to funding that can tide me over until my business is profitable? | Do I have access to funding that can tide me over until my business is profitable? |