GREENSBORO, N.C. — Anna Troxler and Emily Hamilton are small business owners in Greensboro. The sisters own two businesses, Threads Boutique and Luxe Salon Studio Suites.
“We quit our corporate jobs to follow the American dream and be entrepreneurs,” said Hamilton.
That dream is quickly turning into something much more tragic. Both businesses have been shut down since Governor Cooper issued the Executive Order in March.
Luxe Salon Suites is home to 17 independent stylists who are also out of work.
"If they don’t make money, we don’t make money,” said Troxler.
The sisters have started to go live on Facebook at least once a week to try and showcase and sell some of their new Spring collection. The shutdown hit during one of the busiest times of year for the boutique, “We just spent a lot of money buying all these dresses and outfits for Easter and Mother’s Day and now they’re just sitting here,” said Troxler.
The small business owners are part of a growing group of people in North Carolina that want the Governor to expedite the re-opening of businesses, “We are trying to do a little bit but it’s nothing like it would be if we were open,” said Troxler. “We are not a statistic, we are a face, we are people, and this is ruining our lives our livelihood.”
The sisters are not alone in their fight to re-open our state to business. Almost a thousand people protested in downtown Raleigh last week in hopes the Governor would lessen restrictions. The two sisters were on hand to support all business owners who want to open their doors, “We could not only go bankrupt as far as our business, but we could go bankrupt personally in our personal lives,” said Troxler.
The 6,000 square foot building they rent is not cheap and while they were able to pay rent in April, May and June could be a major problem. The salon suites won’t open till June at the earliest unless something changes and that generates the most revenue, “Devastation, this could be a closure (of both businesses) and that is what we are fighting for,” said Hamilton.
The boutique is set to open on Friday if all goes well, Troxler and Hamilton are gearing up for what they hope will be an active and profitable couple days before Mother’s Day. The store will follow guidelines put in place by the Governor and will continue to clean the store on a regular basis.
CORONAVIURS NEWS
FACTS NOT FEAR
Remember facts, not fear when talking about the coronavirus. You should take the same measures recommended by health leaders to prevent the spread of the flu and other viruses. That means washing your hands, avoiding touching your face, and covering coughs and sneezes.
WHERE YOU GET INFORMATION ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS IS IMPORTANT
It is important to make sure the information you are getting about the coronavirus is coming directly from reliable sources like the CDC and NCDHHS. Be careful not to spread misinformation about coronavirus on social media.
NC CORONAVIRUS HOTLINE
The state also has a special hotline set up where you can call 2-1-1 or 866-462-3821 for more information on the coronavirus. You can also submit questions online at ncpoisoncontrol.org or select chat to talk with someone about the virus.
You can also text keyword VIRUS to WFMY News 2 at 336-379-5775 to find out more information.
Stay connected to local, national and breaking news: Download the new WFMY News 2 app.
►Text the keyword APP to 336-379-5775
►For the latest weather conditions and forecast text the keyword WEATHER to 336-379-5775
►For local news stories right to your phone text the keyword NEWS to 336-379-5775
►Need our Call for Action Team? Text keyword CFA to 336-379-5775
►For traffic alerts text the word TRAFFIC to 336-379-5775