{"id":85067,"date":"2021-11-04T13:12:54","date_gmt":"2021-11-04T13:12:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interac1.wpengine.com\/?post_type=content&p=85067"},"modified":"2026-01-19T10:39:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T15:39:09","slug":"be-where-the-customer-is-how-these-small-businesses-have-thrived-in-the-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"content","link":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/content\/business\/be-where-the-customer-is-how-these-small-businesses-have-thrived-in-the-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"Be where the customer is: How these small businesses have thrived in the pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Stush Patties<\/a> founder Opal Rowe got the idea for her Toronto-based business when she discovered the need for quality Jamaican beef patties.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne night two years ago, I came home and wanted something warm, delicious and somewhat healthy, to enjoy with a glass of wine,\u201d Opal recalls. \u201cI got an intense craving for a Jamaican patty. I went on the hunt to find one that would feel like a satisfying meal and not a greasy snack. But I couldn\u2019t find one. So, I made one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cultural Arts Studio<\/a> grew out of Suzan Richards\u2019\u202fpassion for dance. She opened it 27 years ago to fill a need in the Ottawa-Gatineau area for a dance studio that passes on Afro-Caribbean styles and traditions.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSome people say, \u2018Dance like nobody\u2019s watching.\u2019 But I believe in dancing like everyone is watching,\u201d she says. \u201cCelebrate yourself, your ancestors, your history through the gift of your body and your time on this Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As customer expectations and consumer behaviour continue to push the economy in a digital direction<\/a>, it\u2019s more important than ever to offer the convenience of contactless<\/a> and online payments. Because as small business owners know, it\u2019s essential to make it easy for people to enjoy what you provide \u2014 all while keeping a watchful eye on your accounts and cash flow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s how Interac helps support small-business owners like Opal and Suzan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keeping an eye on small business costs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Opal<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For many businesses, especially new ones, the regular grind has to include keeping a steady eye on cash flow. Stush Patties is still a new business at two years old, and Opal says she needs to make the most of the working capital she has.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cInterac helps me feel in control of my payments, so I can do what I love: making proper patties,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cultural Arts Studio may be more than a quarter-century old, but Suzan says it\u2019s still essential for her to control costs as part of overall management of cash flow \u2014 something that small businesses need now more than ever<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t appreciate the exorbitant fees that some services put on small businesses,\u201d Suzan says. Thanks to Interac <\/em>Debit<\/a>, she says, she can keep payment fees low.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interac helps you be where your customer is  <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

During the pandemic, more consumers have shopped online for home delivery rather than going out to stores. One sign of that shift has been a growth in Interac<\/em> Debit e-Commerce transactions.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to Interac, Stush Patties is able to cater to the rising home-delivery market. Individual customers with a big enough appetite to meet a minimum order size can get them delivered right to their door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For them, Interac<\/em> Debit is a great way to pay. \u201cIt\u2019s just easy and convenient,\u201d Opal says. \u201cCustomers can order at their convenience wherever they are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the shift to home delivery, most of Stush Patties\u2019 orders still come from eateries and retail. When dealing with business-to-business transactions, Opal prefers using Interac<\/em> e-Transfer<\/a> over cheques. Her invoices specifically point out that it\u2019s her payment method of choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCheques can get lost. They have a hold on them, and you have to deposit them,\u201d Opal says. \u201cWith Interac<\/em> e-Transfer, funds are deposited directly into my account without any action on my part.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pandemic \u2014\u202f small business pivots and perseverance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Suzan<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

During the toughest months of the pandemic, Suzan was operating at 50 per cent capacity due to COVID-19 restrictions. \u201cI decided to give it an earnest push, despite the hurdles,\u201d Suzan says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She adapted by offering outdoor and virtual classes. Using Interac<\/em> e-Transfer helped Suzan by giving her customers a no-hassle way to pay<\/a> for virtual classes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe switched to virtual classes once we had acquired the technology to be able to do so,\u201d Suzan says. \u201cThis was a challenge, and required a lot of patience\u201d \u2014 as well as new e-commerce solutions<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cInterac was a huge factor in my pivot to online classes,\u201d Suzan says. \u201cIt allowed clients to register and pay for classes at whatever time was suitable for them and to pay outstanding balances.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interac <\/em>e-Transfer is also how she pays the multiple vendors \u2014 technology suppliers, for instance \u2014 that she\u2019s been using to connect with her audience in new ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lingering pandemic is still making business a struggle at times, but Suzan sees ways to keep dancing through the difficulties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe remain positive that we can make it through as a long-standing pillar in the community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Interac on your side, you can be wherever your customer is. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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