In Washington and New York, some Albanian owners told VOA that their businesses have been affected by COVID-19 and some hope to benefit from a Trump administration financial package to keep working. The package aims to help small businesses, seen as pillars of the US economy, keep workers waiting for the easing of social distancing measures. The journalist Rudina Dervishi spoke with Albanian-American entrepreneurs.
Many businesses in the United States changed within the day with the imposition of austerity measures due to pandemics.
Gensila Velencia is the owner of The Card Bureau:
"Covid-19 has had a huge impact on my business because we sell postcards and wholesale gifts at 300 stores in America, and when Covid-19 happened, all the shops were closed within a day and the way for us to sell the goods was closed."
The Cafe Chocolat store in Washington DC has been closing its doors for more than a month and its owner is waiting the Government's help.
"I have my employees ... that is, they are unemployed at the moment, they have applied for social assistance and I am waiting for help. At the moment we have not received any kind of assistance. That is, apart from the fact that we have applied and it is not known when we can get any help. And what is the worse, we do not know when we will return to work", says Gjergj Dollani.
Genc Rahmani with his brother has three months that has not even opened the G’s cafe in Manhattan. He does not qualify for government assistance, as the rules of the incentive package require that a business has been opened for at least a year. The future of his business is uncertain.
"We have to deal with the situation with our savings. We are surviving on our savings. It is a very difficult question. I hope that this situation will end for all of us, but as much as I can, I will succeed ", says Genc.
In an effort to survive, many businesses have tried to adapt by selling online their products.
"It is a sale that requires more work for less money, however, this helps us for now because we are generating income to cover expenses and function until this is over. This crisis has strengthened us to work harder for less money, but I believe it will bring us stronger in the end", says Xhensila Velencia.
On the eve of Mother’s Day, Xhensila says she has created new products to attract her customers who will not be able to be near them this year.
Gjergji hopes a lot for the loyal clientele he has created over the years in business, but still a lot will depend, he says, on social distancing regulations when stores will reopen.
"Our capacity is about 40 people here, which means we have no more than 8 or 9 people in the store and it's hard for a business like ours that survives traffic to survive in such a situation."
Xhensila has applied for two types of loans but is not very confident that she will be able to get help from the government. She sees the duration of isolation as the main factor in surviving the crisis.
"If you tell me it's three months, ok we can make some changes so we can get there by then. But when I don't know how much it can go, even when things go back to normal, we don't know how stores will be able to buy as they used to. So for now it's hard to plan for that."
"We hope that both the local government and the state will take into account the situation, giving us assistance, making it easier for us to pay off debts or rents. It should be a process that not only we have to work against, but also the local and state governments must help us, otherwise, I do not see businesses like ours to survive", says Gjergji.
In his new cafe, Genci has decided to provide free coffee and croissants, every Tuesday and Thursday for the essential employees who have to work in these difficult days.
"At the same time, we are spending, we are not doing it for profit, but we are doing it as we say in the popular way, heartfelt to the people who are fighting."
Many businesses in the United States changed within the day with the imposition of austerity measures due to pandemics.
Gensila Velencia is the owner of The Card Bureau:
"Covid-19 has had a huge impact on my business because we sell postcards and wholesale gifts at 300 stores in America, and when Covid-19 happened, all the shops were closed within a day and the way for us to sell the goods was closed."
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"I have my employees ... that is, they are unemployed at the moment, they have applied for social assistance and I am waiting for help. At the moment we have not received any kind of assistance. That is, apart from the fact that we have applied and it is not known when we can get any help. And what is the worse, we do not know when we will return to work", says Gjergj Dollani.
Genc Rahmani with his brother has three months that has not even opened the G’s cafe in Manhattan. He does not qualify for government assistance, as the rules of the incentive package require that a business has been opened for at least a year. The future of his business is uncertain.
"We have to deal with the situation with our savings. We are surviving on our savings. It is a very difficult question. I hope that this situation will end for all of us, but as much as I can, I will succeed ", says Genc.
In an effort to survive, many businesses have tried to adapt by selling online their products.
"It is a sale that requires more work for less money, however, this helps us for now because we are generating income to cover expenses and function until this is over. This crisis has strengthened us to work harder for less money, but I believe it will bring us stronger in the end", says Xhensila Velencia.
On the eve of Mother’s Day, Xhensila says she has created new products to attract her customers who will not be able to be near them this year.
Gjergji hopes a lot for the loyal clientele he has created over the years in business, but still a lot will depend, he says, on social distancing regulations when stores will reopen.
"Our capacity is about 40 people here, which means we have no more than 8 or 9 people in the store and it's hard for a business like ours that survives traffic to survive in such a situation."
Xhensila has applied for two types of loans but is not very confident that she will be able to get help from the government. She sees the duration of isolation as the main factor in surviving the crisis.
"If you tell me it's three months, ok we can make some changes so we can get there by then. But when I don't know how much it can go, even when things go back to normal, we don't know how stores will be able to buy as they used to. So for now it's hard to plan for that."
"We hope that both the local government and the state will take into account the situation, giving us assistance, making it easier for us to pay off debts or rents. It should be a process that not only we have to work against, but also the local and state governments must help us, otherwise, I do not see businesses like ours to survive", says Gjergji.
In his new cafe, Genci has decided to provide free coffee and croissants, every Tuesday and Thursday for the essential employees who have to work in these difficult days.
"At the same time, we are spending, we are not doing it for profit, but we are doing it as we say in the popular way, heartfelt to the people who are fighting."