Story 12: Nature’s Corner Market, Jill Rowland
Nature’s Corner Market is a local family-owned-and-operated natural foods market providing you and your family with the best quality natural foods, only organic produce, local grass-fed beef, quality nutritional supplements, skincare, an organic juice/smoothie bar, and cafe. Their commitment is to support organic farming, local producers, source non-GMO products, give back to the community, and educate their customers in a friendly, caring atmosphere. In addition to their extensive nutritional supplements department, they are a full-service natural foods market specializing in gluten-free and other diet-restricted foods.
1. How has the COVID-19 situation impacted your business recently?
As with most retailers, we had a huge influx of purchasing for a week or two. However, things have greatly declined over the last week. Our cafe business is greatly impacted by a decrease in sales.
2. How have you and your business adapted to the situation?
As a small retailer, we are not set up with an online store. I am concerned about how this will impact us as more and more people may choose to strictly purchase online. We are offering curbside pickup as well as delivery options for customers who want to email or call in orders. One other thing, as far as safety precautions — we have also installed sneeze guards at the checkouts. Customers can visit naturescornermarket.com for information.
3. How have you prepared and led your team/employees?
It is of utmost importance to have a safe environment for our shoppers and associates and protect the food we are supplying. If shoppers are coming into the store, we are having them sanitize their hands at the door and reminding of the other precautions. We are sanitizing after every customer, including hands, carts, baskets, handles, etc. — even pens. At the end of the day, the floors are sanitized, and we will begin fogging with a nontoxic solution as well.
4. What new things/perspectives (or old ones reinforced) have you learned about yourself, your business, and/or your community?
We really want to support other fellow small businesses and promote them to our audience. One thing we are doing is inviting farmers for a pop-up market, one at a time, at our stores. With the farmers market closing, a lot of vendors are being impacted.
5. How have you stayed focused and positive?
I have the most amazing staff; I truly feel so very blessed. Some have chosen to take a leave of absence, and I totally understand and support that. We are all in this together and, though there are a lot of unknowns, we know that we will eventually get through this.
6. What are some encouraging thoughts or stories you have heard that have kept you grounded?
I think that we are all learning a lot. Whether it’s reminding us to take time to breathe and relax, how important family time is, taking care of our health, or teaching us to conserve more, there will be some positive outcomes from all of this.
7. How can we as a community best support you during this tough time?
I so appreciate the support of the Cherokee Office of Economic Development in reminding the community to support all of their local small businesses.
To learn more about Nature’s Corner Market, visit them at https://naturescornermarket.com/.
Stay tuned for future stories as we continue to shed a light on local entrepreneurs from Waleska to Woodstock and in between to Ball Ground, Holly Springs, and Canton. We hope you are inspired by these stories and motivated to patronize and support them together.
Have ideas, questions, or stories? Reach out to us at cherokeega.org or emailing us directly at info@cherokeega.org.