Does our community appreciate that small businesses are the heartbeat of our community and mostly gone unrecognized this year- unless to report a closing? As we head into Small Business Saturday (November 28) and perhaps a holiday buying season, we at BHCU, Delaware County’s Credit Union wanted to bring just a few unsung heroes to your attention.
Even amid growing concerns, these heroes have figured out how to keep their operation going, make payroll, and serve the community’s needs. We hope that you agree that their stories should be heard, not just because of their creativity and tenacity but to inspire others in the community to forge new paths.
Meet Katie Taylor, Founder and CEO of The Savvy Gift Giver, LLC in Marcus Hook. Taylor started the businesses in 2012 from her home in Delaware County. It was a family-supported labor of love. In late 2016, the family suffered a devastating loss when they lost everything in a house fire. Not to be overly poetic, but she literally built up from the ashes.
Fast forward to the first quarter of 2020, Taylor had built her corporate gift-giving and concierge services into a thriving business housed in 6,000 sq feet of space in Marcus Hook. She and her seven employees were optimistic about continued growth.
The second quarter of 2020 brought new challenges that required new solutions. As Taylor worked to pivot her business from sourcing gifts to sourcing PPE, she looked to other small businesses as an ally in navigating the stimulus package’s muddy waters and making new connections. The PPP gave Taylor enough breathing room to successfully assemble a buying consortium and source much-needed PPE for the home care health agencies that she used to source corporate gifts.
Taylor joked, “it took a lot of creativity and tenacity. We all pivot into roles outside of our traditional job description. I went into production in the warehouse, and my production team was handling customer service from home. We all worked together because we wanted to make this work. We wanted to ensure that PPE got to the people taking care of the elderly in our community.”
Meet John Mancinelli and Jeff Brocks of Manbroso’s Pizza in Aston. These two childhood friends grew up in Aston and Garnet Valley respectfully. They worked in their family’s businesses and hoped that they could build something of their own one day. In 2017 with the help of a small business loan, they opened and could expand the pizza oven capacity, and their business took off.
In the late winter and spring, when the community was trying to figure out a new normal, Manbroso’s was lucky because pizza orders kept coming in. The community, however, was facing challenges. Manbroso’s stepped up to find ways to support the community’s needs.
They launched ‘Move It Forward Monday.’
Every Monday, Manbroso’s will donate 10% of their profit to charity. Organizers only need to register in advance, and Manbroso’s will provide ordering and tracking information so that local charities can get a helping hand.
Mancinelli joked, “You know local schools and clubs always hit up the pizza shop first when they need a donation or are having a fundraiser. Jeff and I wanted to make Manbroso’s accessible and expand the scope for the type of community outreach that we can do. We already support the community in many ways, even coaching T-Ball, but at this time, we knew that we needed to do more.”
Meet Laura Sperratore of Sperr’s Fuel and Heating Company in Glen Mills. Their already small team was hit hard in the spring. A critical staff member decided to retire. Service staff members struggled with school-aged children at home, and day-cares shut down. One of their service technicians was called into active duty with the Army National Guardsman and deployed for eight weeks. As if that was not enough, Laura’s mother-in-law died unexpectedly.
Through it all, Laura was determined to power through these challenges. When Laura realized their small, community bank was not processing Payroll Protection Program loans, her optimism began to dim. Fortunately, their accountant introduced them to BHCU.
“Even though Sperr’s Fuel and Heating was not an active member, BHCU patiently walked me through the process and ensured that the PPP load was secured,” said Laura Sperratore. “The loan enabled Sperr’s to continue their operations uninterrupted, and most importantly, to cover payroll, healthcare, and 401k benefits for our employees.”
Whether in business for 4 years or 40 years, the small business community in Delaware County has been hit hard, but they are not giving up. They are finding new revenue streams, creating ways to support the community’s needs, and ensuring that employees can support their families.
We certainly owe a great deal of gratitude to our first-responders and front-line workers. We hope that others who are paving the way to recovery will also be remembered, especially as we head into the holiday season.
We would be thrilled to connect you to these unsung heroes and so that you can tell their stories.
