CHARLOTTE, N.C. — For most small businesses staying afloat during COVID-19 requires new approaches or doing things you didn’t think you had time for before.
Troy Robinson Sr. is one businessman weathering the storm by getting creative to keep his business flowing.
“You can walk in no store in America and get this suit," Owner of Troy Allen Clothier Troy Robinson Sr. said.
Troy Robinson Sr. is a perfect example of a businessman who is passionate about what he does and how he hopes to make his clients feel.
“This is from scratch, you want a button here you want a button there, we will do whatever you want to do," Robinson Sr. said.
Robinson Sr., who is originally from Columbus Ohio, has been selling men’s suits for 30 years.
Five years ago he decided it was time for a change so he picked up and moved to Charlotte.
“I opened up the store the day after Thanksgiving 2019 three months before the pandemic," Robinson Sr. said.
“It was a risk but because I had been in business for over 30 years I had customers," he added.
When coronavirus cases surged causing his business to come to a halt shortly after opening the mission was to figure out how to re-attract customers at a time no one was buying.
“So what I thought about doing and what I do is called 601 live on Facebook live," Robinson Sr. said.
Every Tuesday and Friday he met the people where they were at.
“I launched it and started calling all my customers having them to tag people, now we have another source of income," Robinson Sr. said.
A new stream of income by attracting his target audience with advice on what they needed most during the pandemic.
“They are doing the Zoom call so now we’re not doing the full suits, some of the guys say I have shorts on or pajama pants but I need to look neat up top so we will do a nice sweater a nice turtle neck, sweater, shirt and a tie," Robinson Sr. said.
Now dozens of people watch his show helping him stay connected and generate thousands in sales.
Robinson Sr. said that alone was all the momentum to keep going.
“I would say whatever your game plan is make sure it's concrete and it's quality," Robinson Sr. said.
Troy Allen Clothier is located at 601 S Sharon Amity Road.
WCNC Charlotte is part of seven major media companies and other local institutions reporting on and engaging the community around the problems and solutions as they relate to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a project of the Charlotte Journalism Collaborative, which is supported by the Local Media Project, an initiative launched by the Solutions Journalism Network with support from the Knight Foundation to strengthen and reinvigorate local media ecosystems. See all of our reporting at charlottejournalism.org.