Flo Mask:
Our team was given the opportunity to interview award-winning Product Designer and creator of the FloMask, Kevin Ngo. Here are some of the things he said about his small business, FloMask:
Kevin first came up with the idea Flo Mask in 2018, when large California wildfires were affecting his kids health. No quality masks that would keep his kids safe were available, so he decided to develop his own. Kevin loves making products. He says, “You don't make a product just to make one, you need to solve for a pain point that is had.” Kevin had a lot of skill set in the area of product development, so working with industrial designers he tried to create something both beautiful and functional.
FloMask is very unique compared to other protective masks on the market. For starters, the masks are created with 3D programming. Although he did go through some difficulty with finding the perfect software, he managed to propose an idea and make a deal to get the world's best 3D scanner to help him with his project. He tells us, “the amazing thing is that kids, at this early age, we found that the depth of their bridge nose isn't as dramatic as adults. With that we were able to create a special unique form.” This led to a very unique shape to the Flo Mask which contours the face with about 90 to 95% accuracy. A silicon lining to the mask perfects the fit. The filters used for the masks are highly effective in filtering viruses and have high breathability, a rare combination for protective face masks.
When asked about how COVID-19 has affected the launch of his business, Kevin replied, “the timing could have been better if we launched earlier...we never expected everybody and their mothers to be making masks.” FloMask was launched at the end of 2020, a time when many parents already had basic masks for their children due to the pandemic. As a startup, it was hard for him during the pandemic because he spent many resources, time, and money to develop the mask. However, Kevin believes that many parents will soon realize the flaws in the masks they have for their children and is confident that FloMask will provide what they need.
Kevin tells us that he wishes people would be more aware that they are better solutions to simple problems, which is why shopping small and local businesses is so important. He shares that his business purchases most supplies from the U.S and developed the packaging in California. Assembly and the warehouse for his products is located in Santa Clara. “We are spending more money than we typically would if we made everything overseas, but I felt like there's an opportunity to bring jobs back here and businesses, especially during this hard time.”
Thai Spoons and Scoopzilla:
Why should you support local business? What can you do to support local businesses during these tough times? You can have these and some other questions answered by reading this blog. The Buy Local Campaign had a great opportunity to interview small business owners. In this blog, we will share responses from Katherine and Michael Ma, the owners of Thai Spoons and Scoopzilla. Katherine and Michael have been running Thai Spoons for the past three years, after their parents opened the business 27 years ago. Michael decided to open up an innovative and unique ice cream store, called Scoopzilla, in 2013 as well.
Having a strong connection with the communities which they are located in is one of the many reasons why these two individuals love working at their small businesses. Michael mentioned, “You get to see their kids grow up and you get to see them succeed in life”. That personalized experience and great service is unique to small businesses. This is something which large corporations do not get to do, which is another reason why you should support small businesses instead.
This pandemic has greatly impacted small businesses around the world. These two businesses have had to adapt to shifting consumer trends surrounding this pandemic. Katherine said, “A lot of our catering [business] just diminished”, which shows one of these trends during this pandemic. From being temporarily shut down to having issues with staffing, these small businesses persevered to best serve their customers during these tough times. In fact, these businesses have seen new customers, who are trying out new cuisines, purchase food from their restaurants during these times.
Another facet of these impacts include the regulation which all small businesses have to comply with. Both Thai Spoons and Scoopzilla have made adjustments on the ways they do business to keep everyone safe. From closing indoor dining to implementing new cleaning practices are some of the ways that these businesses have improvised. Thai Spoons delivers takeout orders right outside of the restaurant and has implemented plexi-glass shields between the counters and their customers. Scoopzilla now does not directly give the customers their orders, but rather put the cup of ice cream on a tray in order to limit contact between customers and staff. Though some of these guidelines are only temporary, both of these businesses aim to continue to keep customers and staff safe by maintaining thorough cleaning standards.
We here at the Buy Local Campaign have given many examples on why it is better to buy from small businesses rather than large corporations, especially during these tough times. These two business owners have seen the impacts of this first hand. For example, small businesses can not draw billions of dollars of loans to stay afloat (in some cases, they can’t draw any). This is why your patronage at a small business goes a long way as compared to shopping at a large retailer. Furthermore, money spent at small and local businesses is reinvested back into that community. Michael said, “Supporting our businesses helps kind of keep us afloat and helps us to provide us to have a great life and things like that and for us to reinvest money that we make back into the community”. For example, if you spend money at Thai Spoons and/or Scoopzilla, you are helping keep the business afloat and the money will be reinvested back into the business, which will benefit the community. However, large firms like McDonald’s will take these profits and reinvest them somewhere else in the world. This is even more important during this pandemic.
However, this pandemic has also been a learning curve for many small business owners around the world. Staying open to continue to support the families that rely on these restaurants are a couple of the many ways that these business owners are thankful for. “Our business is not just a place where we make money but it's our home, it's a place where we spend most of our time”, said Katherine. This is unique to small businesses and no employee which works for a corporation will likely say this. “It’s taught us to be resilient as business owners and to be able to be most importantly flexible and adaptable”, said Michael. For example, they had to quickly learn the ins and outs of Doordash and Grubhub in order to stay afloat.
Rachel the Photographer:
The Buy Local Campaign had the opportunity to interview Rachel Cope, the owner of Rachel The Photographer. Rachel has been a professional photographer for six years, and specializes in families, newborns, and maternity.
Rachel loves her job since she is able to meet new people and express her creativity through it. She stated, “I just get to make stuff, make people feel beautiful, and make memories with their families”. This sort of personal connection that local businesses are able to deliver is completely unique to them. To large corporations, every customer is just another number on a sales chart. Only local businesses have the capability to truly connect with the community. This is one of many reasons why you should support local businesses.
Rachel has had a tough time during the pandemic, as people are now less willing to hire a photographer. She specifically mentioned how getting booked is different than before. She explained, “When they [potential clients] first email me, they say ‘Hey, what’s your availability? Also, what are your COVID precautions?” Rachel has had a harder time with connecting to people during these times. She says, “It’s harder to connect when I’m wearing a mask...people often can’t hear me...people just generally don’t feel quite as comfortable being themselves”. She sums it up in one sentence: “It’s been pretty hard, but we’re surviving”.
To ensure the safety of her customers, Rachel and her clients wear masks throughout the session. She also socially distances and follows the CDC guidelines as best as she can. Socially distancing has been particularly difficult for her, as she likes to “get closeups, you know, people’s expressions and stuff”.
Rachel hasn’t been able to efficiently adapt to the pandemic, as her business is dependent on physical interaction. She states, “...I’ll probably just want to go back to regular life - no masks, and seeing people in person.”
We should support local businesses as it benefits the community. Rachel explains, “...if we support local businesses, then we’re supporting our neighbors and we’re keeping our neighbors around….” Supporting local businesses is especially important during the pandemic, as they are the only businesses that can provide the togetherness that we lack during these hard times. Customers and other members of the community can support her business by being her clients and spreading the word about her business. She stated, :”Liking, sharing, commenting on my photos online and stuff - it really helps….”
Rachel has learned a lot about her business throughout this pandemic. She has learned that her business thrives on in-person interactions and being able to spend time with others. She notes, “It [her business] revolves around getting together, and it’s been really hard to not have that”.