WEATHER AUTHORITY ♪ APP AND ON THE RADIO WQ IKE A
99.1.
>>JENNIFER READY: DANIELLE
THANK YOU LIKE WE’VE BEEN
TALKING ABOUT ALL MORNING LONG
TODAY IS SMALL
BUSINESS SATURDAY. AND THIS
YEAR SHOPPING LOCALLY IS EVEN
MORE IMPORTANT AS MANY
BUSINESSES STRUGGLE TO
STAY OPEN. JOINING ME NOW IS
DAVID COHEN THE PRESIDENT TO
MANIFEST DISTILLING IN
DOWNTOWN JACKSONVILLE. THANK
YOU FOR BEING WITH US EARLY ON
THIS SATURDAY MORNING.
>> YOU’RE WELCOME THANKS FOR
HAVING ME.
>>JENNIFER READY: HOW IS
COVID-19 IMPACTED YOUR BUSINESS
THIS YEAR.
>> YOU KNOW LIKE A LOT OF OTHER
BUSINESSES IT WAS A IT
WAS FELT PRETTY PRETTY HARD
WITH US, I MEAN WE’RE WE’RE
SUPPLIER THE HOSPITALITY
INDUSTRY SO THAT OBVIOUSLY TOOK
A HUGE HIT WE YOU KNOW SO
THAT TRICKLE KIND OF UPSTREAM
TO THANKFULLY WE WERE ABLE TO
PIVOT AND SUPPLY AND SANITIZER
TO A LOT OF THOSE WHO NEEDED IT
KEPT US BUSY AND KEPT OUR EMPLOYEES ENGAGED AND GET THIS RUNNING BUT WE’RE
WE’RE CERTAINLY LOOKING FORWARD
TO SEEING OUR WAY OUT OF IT AND
IT FEELS IT FEELS LIKE MAYBE
WE’RE GETTING CLOSE.
>>JENNIFER READY: AND YOU KNOW
I TALKED TO A LOT OF SMALL
BUSINESS OWNERS OVER THE LAST
FEW
DAYS AND SUNDAY THAT ALL OF
THEM HAVE SAID IS YOU KNOW
THESE BUSINESSES THIS IS THEIR
DREAM. THIS IS THE DREAM THAT
THEY’VE HAD FOR THEMSELVES FOR
SO LONG WHAT WAS IT LIKE FOR
YOU KIND OF GOING THROUGH THAT
INITIAL PHASE WHEN THIS
PANDEMIC FIRST HIT.
>> YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE
SOME DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT IT
WAS THAT WAS HAPPENING, YOU
KNOW WHEN IT WHEN IT FIRST
STARTED TO COME ABOUT IN IN
MARCH.
I DIDN’T REALLY SEE THAT
OBVIOUSLY THE GRAVITY OF IT
LIKE MOST OF US WE DIDN’T THINK
THAT IT WAS GOING TO LAST AS
LONG AS IT DID THAT IT WAS A
SERIOUS AS IT WAS AND IT WAS
THANKFULLY. YOU KNOW ONE OF THE
BENEFITS OF BEING A SMALL
BUSINESSES YOU CAN BE AGILE SO
WE WERE ABLE TO PIVOT AND WE
WERE ABLE TO START WORKING ON
SOME OTHER STUFF THAT LIKE I
SAID KEPT OUR EMPLOYEES ENGAGED
IN AND KEPT
US OPEN. IN AROUND IT WAS
CERTAINLY SCARY FOR US TO
CHAIR,
YOU KNOW I THINK WE WERE ABLE
TO UNDERSTAND OUR FEET AND HERE
WE ARE TODAY.
>>JENNIFER READY: AND HOW IS
BUSINESS RIGHT NOW.
>> IT’S STILL SLOW, IT’S STILL
SLOW FOR US, YOU KNOW WE
WE SUPPLY THE HOSPITALITY
INDUSTRY AND BARS AND
RESTAURANTS AND
LIQUOR STORES. AND OBVIOUSLY
THE THE OFF PREMISE. THE LIQUOR
STORES AS EVERYONE’S BEEN
READING THE PAPER OR ARE DOING
WELL BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE
SHIFTED THE WAY THAT THEY’RE
CONSUMING THE KITCHEN
AT HOME. SO THANKFULLY WE HAD
THE SALES CHANNELS IN PLACE AND
WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO SUPPLY
CONSUMERS THAT WAY.
WHAT’S WHAT’S TAKEN IT IS
OBVIOUSLY OUR BUSINESS WE HAVE
A TASTING ROOM. WE DO A LOT OF
EVENTS ESPECIALLY DURING THIS
TIME
OF YEAR. AND THAT’S BEEN TOUGH
BECAUSE THIS EVENT ADAMANT
HAPPENING SO WHAT WE HAVE BEEN
SEEING IS A LOT OF VIRTUAL
STUFF LIKE WE’RE DOING NOW
WHERE WE DO TASTINGS AND WE
PROVIDE GOT TO GET PEOPLE TO
COME PICK UP AND
WE HAVE OUR TASTING ROOM IS
OPEN FROM FROM WEDNESDAY TO
SUNDAY AND WE HAVE SOME REALLY
NEED SPECIAL RELEASES THIS
SEASON AND WE’RE JUST YOU
KNOW WE WE REQUIRE MASKS FOR
PEOPLE TO COME IN AND WE ALLOW
FOR CURBSIDE PICKUP SO WE’RE
TRYING TO BE ACCOMMODATING MAKE
PEOPLE
FEEL COMFORTABLE.
>>JENNIFER READY: AND WITH THAT
BEING SAID TODAY IS SMALL
BUSINESS SATURDAY. WHY IS IT
IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO
CONSIDER SHOPPING LOCAL THIS
HOLIDAY SEASON.
>> WELL YOU KNOW IS IT TO THE
PANDEMIC A LOT OF PEOPLE TURN
TO SHOPPING ONLINE BECAUSE IT
WAS THE ONLY OPTION WHICH IS
GREAT IT’S
SUPER CONVENIENT. BUT A LOT OF
THOSE ONLINE SHOPPING EFFORTS
WERE THROUGH PROBABLY LARGER SO
I THINK THAT THIS SEASON.
AS YOU’RE FEELING COMFORTABLE
TO GET OUT A LOT OF SMALL
BUSINESSES ARE MAKING IT VERY
EASY TO DO A
CONTACTLESS PICKUP AND A LOT OF
SMALL BUSINESSES ARE OPEN IF
YOU ARE COMFORTABLE, YOU KNOW
WEARING A MASK AND GOING INTO
THIS PLACE IS I
THINK IT’S REAL IMPORTANT TO
SUPPORT THOSE ARE THE FABRIC OF
OUR COMMUNITY. THEY GET THE LIFEBLOOD OF A LOT LITTLE POCKETS OF
JACKSONVILLE AND I THINK IT’S
IT’S SUPER IMPORTANT TO KEEP
THOSE BUSINESSES AROUND.
>>JENNIFER READY: AND THE CITY
OF JACKSONVILLE IS HOSTING A
LITTLE BIT OF A SMALL BUSINESS
SATURDAY YOU GUYS ARE ONE OF
THE BUSINESSES PARTAKING TELL
US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
>> DOWNTOWN
GREAT PEOPLE. THEY’RE ALWAYS
WORKING SUPER HARD FOR FOR ALL
THE LOCAL BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN
AND THEY CREATED KIND OF A NEAT
LITTLE SCAVENGER HUNT. THERE’S
AN APP THAT YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THAT THAT CAME OUT WITH WITH THE NEWS RELEASE FOR THEIR
INFORMATION. YOU CAN DOWNLOAD
THAT APP YOU CAN GO TAKE
PICTURES AND ALL THE BUSINESSES
THAT ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE
APP CAN ACCUSE YOU FOR WHAT
THOSE ARE AND YOU CAN WIN IT’S