Working From Home

Our fans rallied to support us after the burglary (thank you!!!) but the lost businesses since quarantine put us in an especially vulnerable financial situation. Closing the shop ahead of the Governor’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order meant lost revenue, but we felt it was necessary to recoup after the burglary and slow the virus’ spread. We are heartbroken for the barbers and stylists whose work is completely on hold and thank them for their sacrifice; staying home and practicing social distancing is working to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Oregon.

Meanwhile, we all still have financial obligations to meet: rent, mortgages, loan payments, and paychecks to issue. Shuttering our business and waiting to see how things turn out simply isn’t an option for us, so we moved all of our tools home and continue to work under quarantine. Working at home is nothing new to us and we’re settling into the new workflow. We recognize this is an immense privilege, as many cannot work from home or have been laid off.

SBA Paycheck Protection Program

Though politicians continue to celebrate the program and we’re even seeing targeted ads about it, the $350B loan program designed to help businesses like ours has been a total failure. The measure passed, but banks haven’t received clear guidance on how to issue loans yet. We applied but don’t know when--or if--federal aid will be available.

We want to thank so many people for stepping up in Portland. Built Oregon is taking surveys and hosting webinars with answers to all of our hardest questions, our bankers at Beneficial State Bank have been responsive and transparent about our options. Stephen Green (who has been a great mentor to us since day one) continues to provide timely commentary and advice for the Portland small business community on his Twitter account.

Renter Protections

Portland passed an emergency moratorium on residential and commercial evictions for the time being. Some landlords are working with tenants to defer payments on a case by case basis. Though rent at our empty workshop is still due on the first of the month, Hunter’s landlord was kind enough to defer a portion of his April rent to a time after the COVID-19 crisis. His landlord’s stated goal is to help fill the gap until federal aid is available for those residents who are most affected, even though the law does not require them to do so.

Supporting Local

We still have to buy food and other essentials, so we’re paying especially close attention to where we spend our money. Local small businesses will be hardest hit by the sudden loss of business, so that’s where we’re spending our dollars. It’s also easier to maintain social distancing at smaller markets and food carts!

If you can afford to do so, please support businesses that depend on gatherings: continue paying membership to your usual yoga/martial arts/fitness/etcetera studio. Buy gift cards from your barbershop. Order a bag of coffee online from your favorite cafe. Donate to museums and performing arts. It will take our collective efforts to not let our beloved local businesses disappear.

Facemasks are #trending

N95 masks--those most effective at stopping airborne contagion--are desperately needed by undersupplied healthcare workers. If you have a surplus of masks or gloves, we hope you will donate them. Healthcare workers on the frontlines are most at risk of exposure. If they go down, there will be nobody to help if you catch the virus and require hospitalization. This is very personal to us as we have immediate family members and close friends who are doctors and nurses who need these supplies to protect themselves!

Using a fabric mask is better than nothing and is now encouraged by the CDC. Alex was busy sewing masks over the weekend as part of Crafters Against COVID-19 PDX. “The group was created on March 18 in response to our governor's announcement that Oregon had only 14 days supply left of medical PPE….The goal of this group is to produce masks for patients only, NOT healthcare workers, using readily available materials in order to make the quantity of masks needed for patient use in hospital-based settings.”

Thank You

We have experienced nothing but kindness and support from our fans and fellow small business owners amidst all of this. We can’t thank you enough for answering our call and coming to our rescue. If you would like to support Portland Razor Co., the best thing you can do is place an order. We are not available for in-person visits for obvious reasons, but we are offering free shipping on all orders over $25. It’s clear that you care and want to support small makers like us, and we will do everything we can to stay afloat and help others where we are able. We don’t know for how long this will last, but we are proud to be in it together.

Burglary Updates

Since being burglarized on Sunday, life at Portland Razor Co has been chaotic. The response from our community has been overwhelming; THANK YOU for your support as we work through this stressful time. Every word of encouragement, every shared post on social media, every positive review on google or Facebook gets us closer to business as usual.

Getting robbed--or victimized in any way, really-- doesn't end with the initial crime. There's a lot we have to take care of: emergency repairs, securing bank accounts, dealing with police, insurance, updating case information, and filing claims. It may take months to wrap this up entirely. We won’t get that time back.

The most unsettling part is that there are no guarantees. Banks don't always have your back. Insurance finds ways to ignore your claims. Police have more significant/more urgent cases. We are lucky to have friends, family, and a community behind us that care. It would be nice if they were more concerned with small outfits like ours than with large corporations with more resources than we have; each “no” we hear is a reminder that we won’t be their priority.

The inventory, cash, and tools lost in the burglary are priceless. Many of these were custom, handmade items that are irreplaceable. They are also easily identified, so the thieves will have a hard time selling them without getting caught. Fortunately, we have everything we need to keep making products and fulfilling orders, but that's where the good news ends.

The thieves also stole our checkbook. Our bank account was frozen to protect us, but that means there will be a delay in receiving payments as we open new accounts. Our local community bank has been very helpful and attentive in guiding us through this difficulty. It is such a relief that a community bank still has the community’s best interest in mind, and we are proud to bank with them over larger banks.

Our landlord’s and property management company’s response to the burglary has been extremely disappointing. We insisted they manage emergency repairs of our unit’s door, to which they replied we might be ultimately responsible for the expense. They have been no help in securing the exterior of the building. We are currently exploring solutions with fellow tenants and living with daily concern that the thieves, sensing an easy and under-monitored target, will return.

The most unfortunate news came from our insurance agent: we will not receive compensation for the loss. The policy we purchased is a specialized product for manufacturers of sharp things and had a greater emphasis on general liability protections than on protecting our retail operations. Our insurance agent did not discuss this lack of coverage with us, and we did not know we had to ask. Our old policy had theft protection included, why wouldn't this one? Unfortunately, this event was an expensive lesson in reading the fine print.

We have no choice but to keep our chins up and charge forward. We have a lot of practice at that…like really, lots and lots. We wish it were easier. It would be nice to take time off to be sad and angry. For now, we have other, more immediate concerns.

COVID-19 Readiness

This article explains why you need to start practicing social distancing TODAY. It's a short read that will save lives and help us return to normalcy as soon as possible.

The robbery and its consequences aren't the only things weighing heavily on our minds: COVID-19, its spread, and prevention are all top-of-mind for us. We are especially appreciative of your help knowing that everyone is affected by the virus. We are forming a company action plan to respond to COVID-19 using the CDC and WHO as references. Our goal is to protect ourselves, our employees, our clients, and our communities in the event of a pandemic.

What we know about the virus that causes COVID-19 related illness:

Race/ethnicity is not a factor in your likelihood of catching or passing on the virus.
It passes between people in close contact with one another--approximately six feet-- via respiratory droplets formed from coughing or sneezing.
Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, the infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, and even death.
The virus has an incubation period of up to 14 days, during which the infected person is likely contagious. It is more contagious than seasonal flu.
The virus can survive on surfaces for up to several days.
While most cases will be non-life-threatening, the very old and those with chronic health conditions or suppressed immune systems are at the highest risk of complications resulting in death.

How you can protect yourself and your community:

Wash your hands with soap and water often, especially after blowing your nose, coughing, sneezing. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
Avoid close contact with sick people, and avoid proximity to other people if COVID-19 is spreading in your community
Avoid touching your face
Stay home if you're sick
Cover coughs and sneezes, use a tissue and throw it in the trash, and immediately wash your hands
If you are sick, wear a facemask
Clean and disinfect commonly-touched surfaces like doorknobs and light switches with an approved disinfectant

Just this morning, Oregon Governor Brown ordered all public schools to close through April 1st to slow the virus' spread. The decision to close schools and ban large gatherings must have been an incredibly difficult one to make and demonstrates how seriously everyone should take this. Although the team at Portland Razor Company is in the demographic least likely to die from COVID-19, we want to do our part to protect our clients and community. One way to do this is by easing the strain on societal systems that will be most taxed during a pandemic, such as public transportation, delivery services, healthcare. It isn't just about protecting yourself. You can be a vector for transmitting the virus for up to two weeks before showing symptoms, meaning anyone you come into contact with is at risk during that time.

How Portland Razor Co is Operating during COVID-19:

Effective immediately and until further notice, we are closing the shop to visitors to limit exposure and ease pressure on our overwhelming schedule while we recover from the burglary
We will be present at the shop to manufacture products and ship orders as needed.
All razors, including those in the shop for honing services, will be sanitized with an EPA-approved disinfectant (Barbicide or a 70%+ alcohol solution) before servicing and immediately before shipping. Sanitizing razors before shipping has always been a part of our standard practice, not something we’ve added given current concerns.
All members will wash their hands immediately upon entering the shop
We will clean commonly-touched surfaces at least once each day with Barbicide
If sick, we will STAY HOME!

We also have an action plan in place in the event one of the team gets sick that will allow us to continue fulfilling orders. Thank you all again for your support and understanding during this difficult time. We’re wishing good health to you and everyone in your community.

Thank you for reading. Now go treat yourself to a shave! We could all use some self care right now.

“Endure, and keep yourselves for days of happiness.” - Virgil

Working From Home

Seeking Financial Aid

Prosper Portland Small Business Relief Fund