By Ryan Cole
Samantha Antes, a small business owner, assumed that her company would be forced to shut down as a result of the global pandemic, but instead, her business is busier than ever. Her company, Confetti Events, is a party planning business based in Arlington, VA. Its revenue comes almost entirely from planning, setting up and running parties. But now, there are no parties to throw. Antes had to pivot.
Five months since planning her last true party, Antes is having unprecedented success for a party planning business in a world with no parties. She has more clients than ever, and says her revenue stream has not wavered.
Antes credits the success to a completely reworked business model of her own creation, one that has grown Confetti Events’ popularity around the region greatly.
“My company has been doing drop off birthday signs, surprise birthday baskets with balloons and drop off birthday parties in a box for parents who are too scared to go to the store,” Antes said.
Dropping off signs and balloons has not only allowed her to get through the past five months, it has expanded her customer base for the future.
“I look forward to the new clients that we brought on that maybe wouldn’t have used us in the past because of the [current] lower prices and smaller things that we are doing,” Antes said.
Antes is quick to point out that her prices have shifted drastically under this new business model. Back in March, Antes’ cheapest parties started at $725. Now, for a birthday basket, Antes is charging $75.
Selling baskets and signs has expanded her clientele, but in order to remain successful with lower prices, Antes has had to sell, make and deliver a lot of baskets and signs. She says that the work is far more tedious than planning one or two parties a week.
“I’m working more hours and doing different things,” Antes said. “The creativity it takes to get what your client wants is probably the trickiest part.”
Antes says that she has felt this experience improved her on a personal level, helping her develop skills such as flexibility, dedication and resourcefulness. Her creative prowess allowed her to find a new, “COVID-practical” niche in the world of party planning.
Thompson Boat Center is another business in the DC-Metro area that had to make adjustments when the virus hit.
“Our main business comes from tourists renting kayaks and paddle boards,” dock-hand Tyler Pons said. “Since COVID came to town, things have been operating differently.”
The adjustments the boat center has made have been less about making money, and more about meeting the health and safety standards required to operate a customer service based business.
“I wear a mask all day, I sanitize every boat, every life jacket and every paddle after use, and we now only allow people to sign up online to limit human to human contact,” Pons said.
The boat center is fighting a different battle than Antes and Confetti Events, but they are similar in one distinct way. Both businesses are an exception to the experience of most small companies. According to the New York Times, nearly 66,000 American small businesses have shut down as a result of COVID-19.
“COVID sucks, man, but we gotta get through it. Everyone needs to keep supporting their local businesses,” Pons said.