Coronavirus Update - March 18, 2020

To all our partners,

Thank you for bearing with us through all of these notices.  We want to do everything we can to let you know that you are in the for front of our thoughts & though we don’t see you every day we are working behind the scenes to stay on top of this ever changing situation. 

We are taking efforts to stay current on all that is happening in our city & our country as it effects the building as well as how others within the industry are reacting to this situation.  No doubt, many of you may already be aware Omaha Salon Owners Alliance has closed all their full-service salons.   We can certainly understand and fully expect many others will begin to follow suit as they simply cannot maintain the current CDC & State of Nebraska’s guidelines to limit groups to no more than 10 people.  Salon suites are in a unique situation in that their service providers and clients can have limited exposure to others.  That is not to say that we may soon see other suites closing their doors as this situation progresses. 

This is unchartered territory for everyone, and it is changing daily.  We find ourselves in a very difficult situation.  Making decisions regarding remaining open affects not only our business but all your businesses.  We must make decisions unilaterally that are as fair as possible to everyone.  Even if we were able to abate rent, closing the doors will mean that those that want to continue to work will lose revenue.   Keeping the doors open puts us in a position to try and keep things safe for you and puts all of you all in a position each day to decide if you are going to keep working.

Please know we are working hard to make the best decisions that we can for everyone.  We have talked to some of you inside the building and we have reached out to others in our market to keep apprised of how this is affecting not only everyone’s business but also their emotions & well-being.  It is not a surprise to us that many are experiences some cancellations & as expected, is that it seems some feel safe in continuing to work while others are beginning to or already feel uncomfortable.  

As of right now,  we continue to feel our responsibility as your landlord is to keep the doors open as long as we can for you but we are also working to develop plans for if/when the time should arise that we may have to close our doors.

If we can leave you with one thing tonight it is some wisdom that was shared with us in the past few days.   As we all know mental health should be a priority right now.   Worry leads to anxiety & anxiety leads to depression.   For those of you that continue to work seek out other topics of conversation amongst your coworkers & especially your clients.   What is happening is surreal.  Rehashing all the details during the day is taxing on your mental health and your clients are coming to relax.    Below is a link that has several conversations starters that will help to everyone’s mind on what is happening around us.

https://www.mantelligence.com/conversation-topics/

We would like to thank you all again for keeping everyone’s well-being in mind & for continuing to work together.  Travis, Tom & MJ

Coronavirus Update - March 16, 2020

To all our partners,

We wanted to thank those of you that have reached out to us & for those of you that have developed and have been advising your clients of your policy regarding the Coronavirus we appreciate you for taking this very important step.

We understand that for you all social distancing is near to impossible so it is vital if you choose to remain open that you take as many precautions as you can to lessen the spread of this virus to you & your clients.   You all have a small community of your own within the 4 walls of the building so the actions you take or don’t take may not only affect you, but also your clients, the other partners & their clients.

Though we are not with you all in the building, you all are all very important to us & we will continue to do what we can to keep the doors open. 

• We will continue our cleaning schedule of the common areas paying special attention to surfaces in the kitchen, baths & break area. 

• In addition,

  • We have asked for a bottle of disinfectant to be left on the breakroom table for your use.

  • We have reached out to Lund Co. as they are responsible for the cleaning of the entry, stairwell and elevator.  We are asking them to increase their cleaning schedule & to ensure they are disinfecting the railings in the stair well, the entry way door & handle as well as the elevator walls/door.   Until we get a commitment from them, we have asked our cleaning person, Tamica to take on that task.

  • We are working on trying to find a means of securing hand sanitizer in the lobby area.  Depending on what we are able to locate we would like to secure a bottle to the front table or attach a dispenser to the wall.  This will all of course be dependent on our ability to secure the product.

  • We will also be adding to your hand soap supply.  To prevent these from being stolen we will be storing this & our supply of toilet paper in the electrical room in the men’s bathroom.  That door has a combination key box.  We believe most of you have that code.  If you do not please reach out to one of us for the combination.

We know it is becoming more and more difficult to find disinfectants & cleaning supplies so we did want to share with you that the CDC does include instructions for diluting household beach that will be effective against the Coronavirus when properly diluted.  To dilute bleach properly mix 5 tablespoons (1/3rd cup) bleach per gallon of water OR 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water.

Of course, make sure you follow manufacturer’s instructions for application and proper ventilation and check to make sure it is not past its expiration date.

Remember NEVER mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser. Unexpired household bleach will be effective against coronaviruses when properly diluted.

For more information on cleaning & disinfecting you can visit the CDC at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/prevention.html

Another issue that we know may be on many of your minds is what will happen if you are forced to close or if your clients begin to cancel to the point that it affects you financially.   In this regards we are in this with all of you.  We must continue to pay our rent regardless as to whether we receive rent payments, not unlike your obligation if you are not getting paid for services.

Please know you are all very important to us, you are the reason for our continued success, and we want to do what we can to help.  While we can’t just erase your rent, we can try to help you mitigate the situation.  Many of you have vacation time built into your lease that accumulates annually.  If you would like to borrow against that time, we are open to letting that happen.  If you do not have vacation, we are also open to partial rent payments and/or payment plans that would allow you to spread out your payments.

In addition to this there may assistance available through the Small Business Association for long term loans at low interest rates.  Though we are uncertain as to if/when that will be available in Nebraska you can follow the program using the link below:

https://www.sba.gov/about-sba/sba-newsroom/press-releases-media-advisories/sba-provide-disaster-assistance-loans-small-businesses-impacted-coronavirus-covid-19

If finances become an issue with you, please reach out to as soon as possible.  Feel free to contact which ever of us you are most comfortable speaking about this matter.  We are here to help however we are able.

We can also suggest if you have not already done so that you take some time to sign & share the change.org “Covid-19 Beauty Industry Economic Hardship petition”.  The link is below”

https://www.change.org/p/u-s-senate-covid-19-beauty-workers-support

Thank you all again for being such wonderful partners and for working together to get through this most stressful and unpredictable time.  We are always stronger together.

Travis, Tom & MJ

Cornavirus Statement - March 13, 2020

To all our partners,

As we are sure that many of you are already pondering how the Coronavirus will effect your family & businesses we wanted to address the matter.  

As owners it is our intention to do everything in our power to keep the doors open for the benefit of your businesses.  We will continue our cleaning schedule of the common areas paying special attention to surfaces in the kitchen, baths & break area.

 You are all savvy business owners & we know you will use your best judgment in regards to whatever extra measures you take to protect yourselves & your clients. Only you can determine if staying open for business or closing for a period of time is the right choice for your business.  We can only ask if you are ill that you do not come into the building and if you should find that you or any of your clients have been infected that you would advise us immediately.

 We can also offer a few suggestions:

•  Determine a policy for your business.  Advise your clients of your decisions and the measures you are taking & what you expect of them in return.

•  If possible try to give yourself some additional time between appointments to allow you time to wipe down surfaces & avoid having clients waiting for you to be available.

• Wipe down surfaces such as counters, cabinet doors & beds/chairs, especially the arms with a disenfectant between each client.

•   Wash your hands with soap frequently for at least 20 seconds, especially before eating & after sneezing, blowing your nose or coughing.

•  Provide an alcohol based (@ least 60%) hand sanitizer to clients & use it yourself frequently.

•  Avoid touching your eyes, nose & mouth with your bare hand.

•   Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then toss the tissue in the trash.

  For more information on the Coronavirus  you can visit the CDC website, the link is below:

  •  CDC Coronavirus Advisement

 We thank you all in advance for doing your part to help lesson the likeliness of this virus spreading in the building.