Letter to the editor: Women-owned businesses are open for Christmas

Posted

As we shop for the holidays, everyone needs to consider women-owned businesses. Women-owned businesses make up 39% of all privately held firms in the U.S.

Many women are having to learn to operate their businesses at home due to the changes in our local and national economy.

COVID-19 has imposed restrictions, lifted, then re-imposed many restrictions on how we live our daily lives and operate our businesses. Locally, children in Sumter are going back to virtual at-home school until further notice during the upcoming winter months.

Vaccines are rolling out, but we have yet to see what is the next move with trying to reopen the country. Many women are learning to run their businesses while managing their little ones at home.

As you shop for the holidays, please consider the unusual times women in business are facing. Ask any woman, and she is going to say, "My family comes first!"

Women who own businesses have endured the most challenging year and are continuing to hold their heads high despite the new challenges! Even if you don't know what to buy, purchasing a gift card when available goes a long way.

Let's not only think of women-owned businesses during October during Women's Small Business Month; let's think of them as often as possible. Women-owned businesses make everything that we use, and they operate almost every day of the week during the year.

Season's greetings.

ELAYNE BRUNSON

Sumter Black Chamber of

Commerce co-founder/COO