NORWICH – The City of Norwich Mayor met with local business owners to discuss how the coronavirus has impacted them and how they have kept their businesses alive.

Mayor Shawn Sastri invited two Norwich business owners to city hall, Cottage Bakery Owner Kate Tefft and The Artists' Palette Owner Jill Kraft, to ask them what the city can do to help its businesses during the pandemic.

Tefft started off by discussing why she opened up her business, and how she made it through the first shutdown.

“When I made this business it was supposed to be a few hours a week,” said Tefft. “I wanted flexibility, and my kids always come first.”

She said eventually the work picked up, and it became a full time job. She added that when the coronavirus hit, everything moved quickly, and it wasn’t clear what was going to happen with the government until it did.

“There was no warning, everything happened too quickly, and all of a sudden we were shutdown,” said Tefft. “Fortunately there was never a time where we didn’t have a backup plan.”

She said working with The Artists' Palette Owner and Kraft made things somewhat easier, as their group was able to brainstorm ideas together and be proactive.

“We did things like online videos, commission paintings, and curbside pickups before they became the norm because we were always thinking of ideas to help us make it through the shutdown,” she added. “We also did pet commission work for the SPCA.”

Kraft was also asked about how The Artists' Palette made it through the shutdown, and her response was centered around the community.

“The community support we received was incredible,” she said. “We had people that were coming out specifically to make sure that we didn’t have to close our doors, and I really appreciate that.”

She said another shutdown is one of her biggest concerns right now, and that things have been steady at The Artists' Palette recently. She added that the cancellation of major events around Norwich have really hurt business in general.

“If the powers that be don’t support businesses and we have another shutdown, I believe there are going to be a lot of empty storefronts,” said Kraft. “Not just in Norwich, but all around the U.S.”

Kraft said for now her business follows the government’s expectations, and she will do what it takes to keep her business open.

When asked about compliance, Tefft agreed that it’s important businesses follow state mandates if it can save lives.

Tefft said her business follows all of the state required protocols, and that masks are required when entering the building. She said when expectations are clear from the government, it made being a business owner during a pandemic easier.

She added that having a local government representative reach out and ask about how they were doing made her feel appreciated.

“It’s just nice to be listened to, and to know that the city cares enough to ask us about it,” said Tefft. “One of the biggest things the city could do is work with businesses and to encourage them to develop a plan for if there is another shutdown.”

“We would like to see local leadership, and hear updates from the city to help us understand what is going on.”