COVID-19 Threatens Small Business: Connor Knapp of Piper & Leaf Tea Gets Real about Running a Food and Beverage Company During Coronavirus

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Photo by White Rabbit Studios

Connor Knapp, co-owner and co-founder of Piper & Leaf Tea Co., joins Carrie this week — they delve into how COVID-19 is affecting small businesses and how they are coping with the ever-changing landscape. In this incredibly honest conversation, Connor and Carrie discuss the mandates that affect small businesses, and how that has affected Piper & Leaf’s projected income for the next three months. Connor tells us about their contingency plan, how they are trying to pivot the business to meet the needs of the community, and the importance of adapting as quickly as possible. Connor breaks down the pros and cons of shutting down a business, and gets super honest about their financial numbers. He dives into the stimulus plan that has been proposed to help small businesses, but then reveals who is really profiting off of this “help” and how big corporations are still making huge profits during this crisis. Connor and Carrie wrap up with some excellent business-related book recommendations, and Connor gets very real about the future of Piper & Leaf. 

Mentioned in this episode: 

Piper & Leaf Tea Co.

Pizitz Food Hall  

Bigfoot’s Little Donuts

The Great Game of Business

The Tipping Point 

Profit First 

Dave Ramsey’s envelope system

About Carrie

Carrie Rollwagen is host of the Localist podcast and cofounder of Church Street Coffee & Books. Currently, she works as Vice President of Strategic Planning at Infomedia, a web development company in Birmingham, Alabama. Find the Localist at @thinklocalist on Instagram and follow Carrie at @crollwagen.

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