Hair salon struggles for help during COVID-19 outbreak

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Joni Smith, 60, owner of Harrison Hair House, has chopped and shampooed hair in East Lansing for over 33 years. She’s not used to taking breaks, but the COVID-19 outbreak has forced her to shutter her shop and stay inside.

“When the governor came out and closed everything down, it was heartbreaking,” said Smith. “Not just for me, but for my clients too.” She has contacted nearly every regular client on the phone or online since the outbreak started ramping up. Because Harrison Hair House doesn’t offer gift cards, a few of Smith’s customers have paid her in advance for haircuts. “I just told them that I’ll owe them a haircut when this whole thing is over.”

Smith is worried, though, about reopening the shop in a few months and having a miles-long waiting list of clients who already paid. “It’s great to have the money right now, of course, but once I get back in the shop, I don’t know what I’ll do,” said Smith.

With bills piling up and no end in sight to the crisis, Smith is in a precarious position. The federal stimulus bill has offered her no relief so far, and she said that she feels bad asking clients for more money.

“I tried to get a grant from the government, too. That didn’t work,” said Smith, referring to the $10,000 LEAP grant awarded to small businesses in and around Lansing. “I’ve filled out so many forms this week. I don’t even know.”

Smith attempted to apply for unemployment, but she doesn’t feel optimistic about that, either. “I tried and I couldn’t even get on the website. I’ll keep trying,” she said.

Without any form of aid coming in, Smith has been fearing the worst. “It’s really sad. I’ve been in business for 33 years, and now I’m just afraid we’re going to go under after all of this.”

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