Temple’s Small Business Owners Shift Online

by: Mya McKeown

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the economy in some key ways. Lockdowns forced companies to work remotely and companies who couldn’t shift were forced to furlough or fire their employees.

The beauty industry particularly relies on in-person sales and services to run. The pandemic hit the industry very hard and beauty giants like Sephora and Ulta furloughed or fired workers.

Unlike the beauty giants, many self-employed makeup artists, hairdressers, and nail technicians only had one source of income and many didn’t have enough money saved to be unemployed without assistance.

Businesses like nail salons, hair salons, and make-up counters have many female employees and rely on in-person services and sales. Due to the pandemic, many women may have been pushed out of the workforce and forced to look for new streams of income, such as entrepreneurship.

Theresa Tellez, a 4+1 epidemiology major, runs her nail and lash business on Temple’s campus. On Instagram, she’s known as @beautyby___t, where she offers gel manicures and faux Mink lashes. Whether she’s doing your nails or filling a lash order, she relies on in-person sales and services.

Her business, like many others, took a huge hit during lockdown and she even put her business on hiatus between October 2020 and March 2021 for her safety and the safety of her customers.

Now that she’s fully vaccinated and looking forward to an in-person school year, she hopes her business will fulfill her goals of providing “affordable nails that build people’s confidence,” Tellez said.

“I just want people to feel comfortable around me,” Tellez said. She wants all of her clients to feel comfortable enough to self-advocate about their nails so she can achieve her business goals.

Tellez’s policies show her deep care for her customers and fulfill her goals of affordability. Your nails get a warranty if they chip or flake in between your appointment and five days later.

Students can support student-run businesses by keeping their eyes open for fellow Owls on campus and their services. All of Tellez’s business comes directly from Temple students booking her and relies on word-of-mouth and social media posts to market her business.

“Instead of going to the salon every week, switch it up. The students at Temple are so creative,” Tellez said.

Tellez has high hopes for her business this school year. She knows the resiliency of Temple students and the support they show their fellow Owls.

“Temple students stuck with me through everything,” Tellez said.

The food industry also suffered due to COVID-19. Six months into the pandemic, 1 in 6 restaurants had closed permanently or long-term.

Small businesses especially did not have financial safety nets to remain afloat amidst such a large-scale crisis like this. The lack of financial stability in small businesses could have made them much more vulnerable to closing their doors.

Pharmacy student Mary Tran, known as Mary Makes Macarons on Instagram, owns one of these small businesses within the food industry. She makes macarons and sells them with the hopes of providing people with this edible, affordable luxury that she also loves.

She started baking in undergrad as a hobby and even joined a student organization that focused on baking. That led her to make a huge network of friends who shared her passion for baking and baked goods.

She saw how expensive macarons were and loved them herself, so she decided to sell them to make extra money and provide others with affordable macarons. Tran's business began as a passion and she hopes to maintain that.

“My main goal is just to make people happy and enjoy my product,” Tran said.

Her business grew quickly between social media posts and her large network. She also found that the macarons' aesthetics were very social media friendly. The majority of her business comes from Temple students who come across her online presence.

Tran relies on in-person business, as her macarons are pick-up only. At the beginning of the pandemic, she went on a hiatus to keep everyone safe.

Later, she implemented things like no-contact pickups to make minimal contact between herself and customers. She also does socially distanced meetups where she can drop off her product and conduct sales at a safe distance.

The Temple student body showed up for her business repeatedly and she hopes to keep that same momentum.

This semester comes with a lot of new territory for students and their businesses. The best way to support fellow students and stay safe is by getting vaccinated and using your mask indoors. Do your part, be part of the solution, and support your fellow Owls.