Business owners open storefronts amid COVID-19 pandemic

When your heart is focused on something, you won’t let anything get in your way.

That’s the mindset some Regina business owners have as they have opened storefronts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Business owners such as Nathan Probe of Nateslocker and Jimmy Schimmel of HoBo Donuts each made leaps of their own as they begin a new endeavour.

Both business owners opened storefronts amid the COVID-19 pandemic after operating their businesses through different platforms over the years.

For Probe, opening his store was not something he imagined was possible a year ago.

“The reflection of the last seven months of either being without work or just having more time available at home really allowed us to take a mature look at what we wanted to do, what we were going to do and really put a lot of time and effort into this,” Probe said.

“I said back in February when I was at a sneaker convention in Vancouver that this was going to be in our five-year plan. Not less than a year later, COVID happened in full force. It actually allowed us to do this on a much quicker timetable.”

Some of the shoes on display at Nateslocker. (Logan Stein/980 CJME)

In an attempt to get people renting vacant lots, leases have got cheaper in some parts of the city, allowing business owners like Probe and Schimmel to take leaps of faith.

“The leases were quite cheap. We were able to get 60 to 70 per cent off what it normally would have been. It gave us the opportunity to be able to open,” Probe said.

Schimmel originally launched his business in 2016, focusing on doing popups and delivery of donuts around the city.

Jimmy Schimmel, owner of HoBo Donuts, holds his creations. (Logan Stein/980 CJME)

“I’ve done everything based on feeling, which is the entirety of this business. It just felt right to do this,” Schimmel said.

“I’ve been learning that we are just taking it day by day. There are new restrictions frequently which are forcing us to continue to pivot and readjust. We have to be quick on our feet.

“Even getting the shop set up during a pandemic, you can’t just open up a shop like you normally would a year ago.”

Abiding by physical-distancing guidelines, mask mandates and capacity limits are only a few of the things new businesses have to take into consideration.

That doesn’t include the challenges of getting people to walk through your doors.

“There’s a lot less foot traffic obviously. There’s a lot more that we have had to do online,” Probe said. “We have had to take strategic approaches to get people wanting to come out and support.

“It’s an uphill battle.”

Despite the challenges, it has been worth it to chase dreams that the owners have thought of for quite some time.

“I think anytime you’re taking a step of faith, not knowing the outcome after you get the keys to open up the doors for the first time, you never really know what the outcome is going to be,” Schimmel said. “It definitely was very nerve-wracking. A lot of people think it’s a crazy time to start a business during a pandemic.

“We have been a business for a while but it was a huge step to go into a storefront. A lot of people have called us crazy but the best rewards come from the biggest risks.”