Local Businesses Anticipate Tough Times Due To Coronavirus Concerns

While nearly everyone is feeling an impact of an international pandemic, some workers and business owners are dealing with a major blow to their bottom lines.

Companies are taking drastic measures to stay afloat. The owner and founder of Party Pro Rents said her business could lose hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The aisles of their warehouse are filled with items: tables, chairs, dinnerware and linens. Many of these had been scheduled to go out for planned events over the next couple of months.

"All this has come to a halt," Party Pro Rents owner and founder Stephanie Layson said. "The cancellations are coming in, and we're already talking about in upwards of half a million dollars in revenue lost."

Layson said they lost $200,000 for March alone after event cancellations.

"I would say 50 percent of that is not going to recoup," Layson said.

Last week, Layson said she had to lay off 80 percent of her workers.

Her business has survived a fire, tornado damage as well as last summer's severe flooding.

 Layson said this emergency is the worst her company has been through.

"And to lose my team, our family here at Party Pro, this is devastating. It's absolutely devastating," Layson said.

Layson says she hopes to rehire her employees again when the business starts making money again.

"I told my staff on Wednesday, I get so emotional, but I told them on Wednesday whenever we held this meeting that this is the most catastrophic news I've had to deliver,” Layson said. “I've lost my husband six years ago to a heart attack. Whenever I had to deliver that message and now this is the second worst message I've ever had to deliver to the team.”

Governor Stitt's emergency declaration would help small businesses apply for low-interest federal loans.