Page 16 - HC B2B Spring21

BOOMING BUSINESSES
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By McKinley Winkle
While COVID has negatively affected multiple industries, there have been businesses that have done extremely well and have even boomed during the pandemic. Two local businesses in particular that had and have continued to excel are Better Body Fitness and Home Beautifiers.
Better Body Fitness
During the lockdown last March, gyms and health clubs were forced to close, leaving their members at a loss. Many people go to the gym as a boost of motivation but working out from home or finding outdoor recreation became the new normal. For many gym goers, they may not have had treadmills, freeweights or cable machines, let alone resistance bands at home, but thankfully
we have an extraordinary fitness equipment store right here in Helena. “People working out primarily from home is the first paradigm shift I’ve seen in over 20 years...It used to be a luxury to have your own equipment at
home, where now it’s a necessity,” says Mona Erb, who owns Better Body Fitness with her husband Clint.
At the very beginning of COVID, Better Body had to furlough their employees but within four weeks they were all back and busier than ever. Better Body Fitness sells, services and installs their products in Montana as
well as North Dakota, South Dakota, Idaho, and Wyoming. Their market reach is not only homeowners but also commercial applications including health clubs, gyms, hospitals, hotels, resorts, physical therapy offices, corporations with wellness centers, state facilities and more.
Currently, Better Body is up 50% in year-to- date sales, which has been a continued trend. They are finally coming back to normal inventory levels, where at the beginning of quarantine they could hardly keep dumbbells and kettle bells on the shelves. As soon as they received a shipment and put them out
on the floor, they were gone within hours. Throughout the pandemic, Better Body Fitness brought in new clientele as well as continued to provide the same great service to returning customers. In addition to new customers, they have continued to bring
in new fitness lines of both advanced and entry-level products, keeping their inventory diversified. Some of their newest offerings include the Mirror and Echelon products that are web-connected and allow users to participate in group classes or interact one-on-one with instructors.
While Better Body has been doing phenomenal and are thankful to be doing
so well, Mona and her team feel for small businesses who have been hurting through the pandemic. This last year has not been the easiest for many businesses in Helena, while others have thrived. Remember to continue to shop local and support our Helena community.
Home Beautifiers
Throughout the pandemic, home improvement stores have been in a booming industry. As quarantine kept many people
in their homes, and with time to catch up on house projects, remodels became a quick trend. Not only have renovations kept stores such as Home Beautifiers busier than ever, but with all the new houses being built, home improvement stores have been all gas, no brakes.
Home Beautifiers has been in business for 31 years under Jim and Shelle Enyeart operating as a home improvement store specializing
in custom closets and high-end window coverings. Clientele from new builds in our community has been the main source of work for custom closets while their window cov- ering sales have been more heavily geared towards remodels. Home Beautifiers prides themselves on great service and personal connection. To “make your house a home,” Jim and Shelle genuinely care and want to provide you with the best products and services. Home Beautifiers sells primarily Hunter Douglas when it comes to window coverings. Why? Hunter Douglas does NOT sell their products online, only through brick- and-mortar stores. They are a high-end window covering business that holds the
same values as Home Beautifiers which is quality and connection. Through the pandemic, Hunter Douglas did not raise their prices allowing Home Beautifiers to keep their prices the same as well, providing their customers with consistency throughout an unknown time.
While Home Beautifiers has been doing well through the pandemic, it did come with some challenges. Although they have been busier than ever, they have continued to provide
the same great service but wish they had more time with each client. An additional challenge brought on by the pandemic was delivery times. As many have experienced delayed shipping due to COVID whether it be a small Amazon order or materials for a home renovation, it greatly affected stores as well. Generally, Home Beautifiers has a timeline for products arriving anywhere from 10 days to two weeks, but due to COVID it had been extended out to around six weeks in the heat of COVID and is now down to around three weeks for delivery time.
In response to the pandemic, FedEx started to lower the number of boxes they could pick up in each shipment. While people were stuck at home and turning to online shopping, the
surplus of online orders contributed to the delayed delivery times for Home Beautifiers and many other businesses. Often times home improvement stores, or other places of businesses have large orders to place and
if they exceed the number of boxes allowed on a truck, the delivery times start to tack on days. While waiting and waiting for shipments isn’t always the most ideal, Jim and Shelle said their customers were more than understanding and are thankful for such a great clientele.
While similarly to Better Body Fitness, Jim and Shelle at Home Beautifiers feel guilty about doing so well amid other businesses struggling, they feel blessed to have the business they do, and such great customers, both new and returning.
16 BUSINESS TO BUSINESS CONNECTION
VISION: Catalyst for growth; Convener of leaders and influencers; Champion for a thriving community. MISSION: Engaging and supporting businesses to facilitate economic growth and community prosperity.