CARSON CITY, Nev. With COVID-19 cases surging and a new wave of restrictions looming, challenges persist for small business owners as they continue to weather the pandemic according to data from the Q4 Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index.
Julius “Eddie” Lofton’s family has been in the tailoring business since 1939.
Lofton remembers as a kid riding around on the conveyor belt at the shop while his grandfather worked. When Lofton was about six, he realized he was small enough to reach into the soda machine to hand out free drinks to employees and customers. His grandfather,
JC Lofton, understandably, didn’t love that plan.
“I didn’t know what I was doing. I thought I was helping people,” Lofton laughed.
Eddie Lofton, owner of JC Lofton Tailors, poses with a photo of his grandfather at the checkout counter of his store in Washington, D.C. (Credit: Julia Benbrook)
As COVID-19 Cases Rise and Restrictions Loom, Small Business Owners See Long Road to Recovery
As COVID-19 Cases Rise and Restrictions Loom, Small Business Owners See Long Road to Recovery With COVID-19 cases surging and a new wave of restrictions looming, challenges persist for small business owners as they continue to weather the pandemic according to data from the Q4 Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index. While the index score rose 12 points for the second straight quarter, overall optimism levels remain just over half of what they were in late 2019. For the third straight quarter, respondents most frequently ranked the loss of business or closings due to the impact of COVID-19 as their top concern. Attracting new business, worries about financial stability and reduced cash flow were the other top ranked concerns.