Why are we taking donations?
It’s no secret. Small businesses are struggling right now. The “non-essential business” lockdowns will have unfortunate side effects in our communities for years to come. Some of our favorite local spots will never return… along with the jobs they provided in our cities and towns.
While economic aide has been promised, many businesses have not seen a penny. Those who have, got it so late that the financial impact had already taken its toll. Furthermore, the majority of federal funds can’t be used for operational costs like rent and utilities (payroll only, which doesn’t include contractors - a large part of our staff). If we do use it to keep our doors open, it becomes a short-term loan, not a grant (in other words, more debt heaped upon already strained companies).
The last blow is being limited on occupancy. Even though many business are “allowed” to reopen, most are restricted to 25% occupancy or less. With the average small business profit margin of only 7%, any reduction in customer interaction results in financial loss. Couple that with the reality that many of our customers are people who have lost their jobs and can’t afford extra services (like dance) even if we were fully open.
What we’d like to do with the money.
To help with both the above problems (pay our bills, and help families stay in dance), we’re accepting donations. If you know of someone specifically that you’d like to sponsor, let us know. Otherwise, you can make a donation and we’ll try to find someone’s account to apply it to. In turn, that tuition money will help us pay our bills and keep the studio operational. Yeah community!