Page 11 - aruba-today-20201114

A11
BUSINESS Saturday 14 November 2020
For business owners with COVID, virus is just one struggle

By JOYCE M. ROSENBERG were all extremely kind and
AP Business Writer supportive."
NEW YORK (AP) — When The experience of be-
Chris Hyland caught the ing very sick for weeks has
coronavirus, his ordeal went made owners more em-
beyond being sick and ex- pathic toward their em-
hausted — he couldn't help ployees. When Dino Selita
his business partners man- was forced to care for his
age the virus's impact on family during his month-
their company just as the long illness — his wife and
outbreak was sweeping children had the virus too
across the world. — he got a sense of what
Hyland and his wife and his 30 employees might
children became ill in early contend with even in the
March. Customers were best of times
cutting back orders at his "This ultimately has
employee management changed my opinion on le-
software business, The niency for our team mem-
Happiness Index. Revenue bers. We allow more flexible
was plunging and the Lon- work schedules," says Selita,
don-based company was co-owner of The Debt Re-
forced to furlough 12 of 20 lief Company, a New York-
staffers. based company that helps
Hyland tried to handle the consumers manage debt.
crisis while also taking care Patrick Garde had a mild
of himself and his family but case, but "having the ill-
was so sick he had to hand ness changed my view on
off his responsibilities to his health in general." Garde,
partners. co-owner of ExaWeb, a
"I had to just lie in bed and Manila, Philippines-based
accept it and turn the lap- digital marketing compa-
top off for a week," Hyland ny, tired easily for weeks
says. It took a month before after his diagnosis and had
he was feeling like himself Laurina Esposito, co-owner of Espo Restoration, which specializes in restoring Porsches, talks to a to rest.
again. customer at her shop Monday, Oct. 19, 2020, in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles. He's now encouraging
When small business own- Associated Press staffers to take breaks dur-
ers are diagnosed with the ing the day. And he and his
coronavirus, being sick is says. had to turn the manage- in March, she didn't miss a business partner are looking
just one of their problems. Hyland recently increased ment of his two marketing day of work although she into increasing the health
Like Hyland, they can be his individual life insurance, firms over to his co-owners. was in bed for weeks and coverage they offer.
too ill to shepherd their and he and his partners are "If it's just me, I can handle had lingering aftereffects. Brad Charron had a mild
companies through the considering key person in- it, but once it turned to my "I would never let myself not case in March, with flu-like
crises the pandemic cre- surance, which helps com- kids, that's when I said, 'I'm work," says Vallbona, own- symptoms for a week and
ated, a painful situation for panies survive after losing dropping everything, you er of CIM Inc., a publicity lingering tiredness for three
people used to being their an owner or top employee. guys have got to handle firm based in Houston and more. The CEO of Aloha, a
enterprises' driving forces. Some owners have had it,'" says Cohn, co-owner of San Diego. maker of plant-based pro-
Some owners deal with the to ask employees to run New York-based HeraldPR At first Vallbona tried to tein bars and drinks, had to
virus's aftereffects months the company. Laurina Es- and New Orleans-based hide her symptoms, even let his 11 employees run the
after recovering. Some posito and her business Emerald Digital. on phone and videocon- company — and started
have been afraid to let cli- partner were diagnosed Cohn kept up with email ference calls. thinking about priorities,
ents and customers know with the virus in early Sep- as best he could but was "I was most concerned with and his staffers' welfare
they've been ill — they fear tember. Esposito, owner of in bed for two weeks while how my clients would react and work-life balance.
their companies will be stig- Espo Resto, a Los Angeles- also caring for his children. to the fact that I was sick He's stopped sending
matized. based company that re- Even when he was past and I kept my diagnosis emails after the Darien,
Suffering through the virus stores Porsches, was very the worst of the pain and from them until my labored Connecticut-based com-
has changed some owners' ill for three weeks. She did exhaustion, he needed a breathing and voice gave pany's workday ends.
perspectives about the bal- as much work as she could daily nap. it away and I had to tell And, when Charron sensed
ance between work and on her laptop in bed, but at A sole proprietor has an them," Vallbona says. staffers were getting tired,
personal time, for their em- times was too exhausted. even bigger worry: There's She feared having the virus he declared a company
ployees and themselves. "There was a point where no partner to hand off to. would stigmatize the com- holiday and told them, "it's
Some have established I had to put all of my trust When Marisa Vallbona pany and cost her business. OK, you don't need to be
more liberal policies about in the people in the shop," came down with the virus But, she says of clients, "they on email today."q
time off and after-hours Esposito says. They kept the
emailing. Some are beef- company running until she
ing up employee health was back on her feet.
benefits. Warren Cohn's relatively
The virus left Hyland with ex- mild bout with COVID was
istential questions. complicated by the fact his
"You start thinking, 'what wife and two children ages
would happen if I hadn't 3 years and 3½ months also
made it? What if I'm alive came down with the virus
but not up to work?'" he at the end of March. He