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CHILLICOTHE — Secretary of State Frank LaRose visited Ross County on Wednesday to speak with small business owners, and to recognize the work of one women-owned venture in downtown Chillicothe.
While LaRose’s visit was primarily to recognize Brick Haven Spa as part of the Ohio Business Spotlight, Ohio’s Secretary of State also took the opportunity to meet with small business owners at the Chillicothe-Ross Chamber of Commerce for a roundtable discussion about the challenges of COVID-19 and how they were overcome.
“It was a real struggle,” said Bobbi Blanton, who co-owns Brick Haven Spa with Stephanie Truitt. Blanton also owns and operates Cranberry Boutique on Bridge Street. “But the community support has been wonderful.”
As the Secretary of State, LaRose said his office focuses on two things: the election and business. Blanton was among four other business owners who attended the meeting to discuss how their industries and shops had been affected by the pandemic.
The owner of two different businesses, Blanton admitted that she was scared at first. She had just opened the boutique in September 2019 and had already ordered the spring line of clothes when coronavirus shutdowns began. There were no sales or merchandise going out, Blanton said, but she had large quantities of product coming in. Online sales slowed, too.
On the spa side of things, Blanton worried about her employees. As some of them are independent contractors, many struggled to collect unemployment.
The small business owner also feared that people would stop coming in. She said, “Who wants to get a massage with a mask on?”
But that wasn’t the case.
“We’ve stayed busy,” Blanton said. “People didn’t change their habits.”
At Brick Haven, customers were able to find a sense of normalcy and comfort — even in unprecedented and stressful times. Truitt added that with many people experiencing isolation, physical touch became more essential.
Beyond massage therapy, staff feature hair and nail services, body wraps, waxing and skincare. This year, in an effort to keep people supporting local, they added botox services, peels, microdermabrasion, hydrafacials, and specialized ashiatsu massages.
When the Chillicothe-Ross Chamber of Commerce learned of the women’s efforts, they nominated them for the Ohio Business Spotlight — an initiative to highlight strong businesses across the state.
In March, the theme focused on women-owned businesses that offer a different perspective to the community. Brick Haven was selected for its innovation as Chillicothe’s first luxury day spa, which now operates in two locations.
“I enjoy highlighting these successful businesses because the past year has been harder than any before,” LaRose said.
And although the past year was challenging, the secretary of state added that it was also “record-shattering.”
At the state level, officials saw a decrease in new business startups between March and April last year. But in early May, they noticed it began to climb. By October, the record for new business formations was broken, and by the end of the year, more than 171,000 businesses started across the state.
In Chillicothe, the chamber added 80 new members last year.
Other small business owners including Kindly owner Deidre Rowland, Creekside Occasions and EXIT First Capital Reality owners Todd and Bethany Snowden, Buckeye Designs & Engraving owner Cameron Snowden plus Blanton were those to attend the roundtable.
They shared similar experiences of struggling at the beginning of the pandemic but later adapted to change to remain open. The support of the community helped, too.
“There’s nothing small about small business in Ohio,” LaRose said.
Have a story tip or comment? Contact Toria at tbarnhart@gannett.com or 740-349-1106. Follow her on Twitter @ToriaBarnhart.
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