Businesses reopen in Contra Costa County, but still in survival mode

DANVILLE, Calif. (KTVU) - On Tuesday, Contra Costa County businesses began the long march back to what will be the 'new normal' in the coronavirus era. 

The reopenings are, in reality, the beginning of a great sorting out process of businesses that survive and those that do not. 

Danville's Whim House, a home decor and gift store, finally reopened on the very first day it was permitted, for storefront pick-up only. 

"It's a huge first step," said owner Keva Dodd. She said as for so many small businesses, customers want to see, touch, and feel the goods; something that will have to wait for now. 

"We just need to be in front of our customers. We are a very tactile, social business and without that, we are no business at all," said Dodd.

To survive the pandemic, Marty Breen, the owner of Forward Motion Sports, created a website and custom services to connect with customers. 

 "We created our own home delivery service and started taking orders over the phone and have been doing that ever since," said Breen. 

For now, businesses can only offer curbside pickup or delivery, no inside shopping, or merchandise tables outside. 

"Nobody can survive this way. Restaurants, services, retail nobody can survive at this level," said Dodd.

For Zae Perrin, Danville's Chamber of Commerce CEO, consumers and businesses truly depend on each other. 

"We're talking about getting the monies from our community back into our community and making sure that all the businesses that have supported us over the years are here to support us in the future," said Perrin. So, time is of the essence and the time is now. "It is essentially critical. We're talking about businesses that, for many, work on a month to month basis," he said.

The EastBay Economic Development Alliance released a survey of 2000 East Bay businesses, predominantly sole proprietorships. Overwhelmingly, they say this is their biggest challenge for now. "The most critical piece of that is reestablishing customers, getting orders going, and starting to get back into the flow of things," said Director Stephen Baiter. 

Overdue rents, bills, and hiring people, pale by comparison and are small matters, but any of these problems could also end the business.

"Trying to come out of that hole poses a really daunting proposition for many," said Baiter. This is about pure survival, with some businesses falling prey to the virus.