Dear Editor,
These times aren’t easy for small businesses. We’ve had to constantly adapt over the last two years, as the pandemic has given way to inflation, high gas prices, and rising costs on just about everything.
One thing that has consistently helped my business is the internet and digital tools like online review sites.
At the start of COVID, when customers weren’t visiting my North Hollywood café, I started to rely more on customer reviews on sites like Google and Yelp to keep up the flow of customers who ordered online. Once we reopened, new customers would see online reviews and decide to stop by.
After the shutdown, I also used QR codes to allow customers to see our menu online, since we weren’t allowed to use physical menus. These types of tools are low cost and accessible, and have helped me stay afloat.
There are a lot of different digital tools that small businesses use, from websites, virtual meeting platforms, social media, and online ads. And it’s no just restaurants like mine. Internet-related jobs contributed $392.3 billion to California’s economy in 2020.
This sector of our economy is important, and we look to our elected officials to protect small businesses like mine and make sure that the digital tools we use daily remain free or low-cost and easy to access.
Anastasia Pozdnyakova
Owner, City Kitchen restaurant in North Hollywood