KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- — Upcycle Piano Craft in midtown is full of refurbished pianos ready to be sold, but like many businesses, they're at a standstill.
"If you're gonna be stuck somewhere, being stuck in a piano store is not a bad deal," owner Stephen Wilson said.
Wilson and his partner Anne Trinkl are busy remodeling the show room and planned to open soon.
They started out of their garage in Olathe - fixing, tuning, moving and selling pianos. They packed up and moved into the space where the Blind Tiger bar was. They live right behind where their piano shop will be.
They were about to see their dream come true when the coronavirus shut down much of the city's operations.
"We're all in this together, so I think as long as we keep positive and see where we came from and where we're going, this is just a phase we're going to get through," Wilson said.
True, but not knowing when you're going to make money can be discouraging for any small business owner.
"This project turned out to be much larger than we ever anticipated so we're right at waterline," Wilson said.
Many other small businesses are in the same boat. The Missouri Small Business Development Center is taking lots of calls from people needing direction.
"Ninety-six percent of the businesses in Missouri are classified as small businesses, so they are vital to the economy," Greg Tucker, director of the Missouri Small Business Development Centers, said.
The SBDC is directing people to apply for a few loans: The Economic Injury Disaster loan, which includes a potential $10,000 grant, and the Paycheck Protection loan. Both are low interest and long-term. Kansas City, Missouri is also offering an emergency relief loan that is six months interest-free.
"The idea is to bring [those laid off] back and keep them on the payroll," Tucker said. "And there's probably not going to be a lot for these folks to do, but it's to keep that paycheck going."
Wilson had to lay off three of his employees.
They applied for the loans and are hoping to hear back soon.
If a business is eligible for the $10,000 grant through the Paycheck Protection loan, the turnaround is three days once the program is fully implemented.
"That's huge for us because we don't have any income right now, but certainly we have plenty to do and we would certainly hire our employees in a minute," Wilson said.
They say this will give them the motivation to get through this.
"We're excited about opening and we know that music is important for everybody and will certainly be part of the celebration when we're back in business."
