Veronica 

ZIPCODE: 10468

Overview

Veronica interviewed several fashion apparel businesses to analyze how COVID has affected their business and how they have navigated their way financially through the pandemic. Her research question was centered around the specific techniques and strategies used to stay afloat during the pandemic. She noted how methods of marketing merchandise influenced business owners' approaches to the pandemic and their demeanor towards customers. Beyond strategies dealing with times of unprecedented crises, Veronica discovers how the businesses' organizational structure has shaped their accessibility to customers, affecting their likelihood of business success.

Methods

To explore strategies used by businesses in zip-code 10468, Veronica surveyed three different companies. She interviewed owner/managers from Rainbow and Denise clothing stores and a smaller boutique to gain perspective about how both franchise businesses and small businesses are coping. Due to time constraints, she asked four main questions during interviews, which include:

1) How did you adapt during the pandemic?

2) Are you selling clothing online?

3) What practices did your business change during the pandemic?

4) Are you concerned about losing local customers?

Findings 

She found that clothing businesses used a variety of techniques to stay open during the pandemic. For example, one business owner recounted how they had to take out a Paycheck Protection Program loan in order to cover the salaries of employees. A manager from Denise also told Veronica how he was very grateful that his landlord was understanding. Additionally, she found that businesses that had an online presence seemed to fare better than those without any online advertising and/or merchandising.

Alyssa

OVERVIEW

ZIPCODE: 11204

Alyssa analyzed the presence of hypoallergenic and vegan beauty products in a variety of different stores. Her interest in creating her own vegan cosmetic business inspired her research project. She aimed to examine the accessibility of vegan and hypoallergenic products in her neighborhood. To explore the accessibility and availability of these products, she organized beauty products into a systematic catalog. 

Methods

She examined three businesses within her local neighborhood; Target, Walgreens, and a local beauty supply store. To create a more nuanced look at available products, Alyssa cataloged two different Walgreen stores. After undertaking the task of cataloging vegan/hypoallergenic products, she researched stores online to see if they offered any products exclusively online.

FINDINGS

Interestingly, the local beauty supply store carried more vegan and hypoallergenic cosmetic products than larger retailers like Target and Walgreens. However, the beauty supply store sold more vegan items in general than hypoallergenic. These trends in product availability of vegan products within the local beauty supply store lend evidence to a burgeoning interest in natural and hypoallergenic products within Bensonhurst. Alyssa's research provides meaningful findings for residents looking for alternative products to assist with problematic skin conditions.

community Outreach

Alyssa was able to report her findings to an organization called Reaching Out Community Services. Although there were no specific organizations related to the cosmetic industry in her area, she presented her work and received feedback on future directions for her project. A representative from the organization named Tom thought her project would help local consumers who struggle with certain skin conditions. Given that most people go online for help with skin issues, he remarked how helpful it would be to have a centralized list of local retailers that sell vegan/hypoallergenic products. 

Janay 

Overview

ZIPCODE: 10026

Observing a growing population of homeless individuals in her neighborhood, Janay surveyed several local delis in Harlem to explore attitudes toward giving back to homeless residents in the area. After observing customer interactions with staff, she asked owners and employees whether they were aware of the population of unhoused individuals in Harlem and if they felt any responsibility to help them. 

Methods

Janay conducted in-person interviews with seven delis owners as well as their employees. Interview questions included: 

1) Are you aware of the homeless population in Central Harlem?

2) Do you think businesses have any obligation to give back to the community?

Janay also asked follow-up questions for clarification. The duration of the interviews ranged from 5-9 minutes per participant. 

Findings

Most owners and employees indicated that they were aware of the homeless population but felt no obligation to give back. Using convenience samples, Janay also spoke with patrons of these stores. She found that 88% of customers were aware of the homeless population in the area. Contrasting the responses of deli owners and employees, over 45% of residents indicated that they believe that local stores such as delis and supermarkets had a responsibility to give back to the community. 

Community Impact

Janay returned to the businesses she collected data from, and she noted that store owners and employees displayed a general indifference to her results. She also reported her findings to a local community center in Harlem. During her presentation, residents expressed shock and surprise about store owners’ attitudes towards donating food. When community members asked Janay what would “giving back” to the community entail, she suggested that business owners donate the food they don’t sell to homeless individuals at the end of the day. She also proposed that businesses provide meals commensurate with the money that individuals can afford. Her research created an important dialogue that evoked critical thinking about the obligations of businesses. Local establishments (e.g., restaurants, delis, supermarkets) must understand their roles in the larger economic and social ecosystems in which they are situated to produce fundamental changes within the neighborhood.

Solvianny 

Overview

Solviany conducted three trials to investigate why nail salons in her neighborhood of Elmhurst, Queens, have experienced stagnated business in recent months. 

Zipcode: 11368

Methods

Using observational and interviewing methods, Solviany examined the lack of specialized nail services in her neighborhood. The first trial included observations of four different nail salons in Elmhurst. After taking notes about what services these businesses provided and observations about the quality of services, she returned to these same businesses to meet with owners and employees for interviews. Additionally, she booked appointments with two independent nail technicians to interview them as well. Interviews lasted 5-10 minutes per employee. 

Findings

Solviany found that many nail salon employees she interviewed did not provide very personalized services (e.g., designs, nail techniques), limiting possibilities for customers. In comparison, independent nail technicians with more training and expertise provided more tailored customer services. Due to an appointment-based system, nail technicians can offer more attention to their customers, contributing to higher customer retention. 

Community Impact 

To report her findings to the local community, Solviany reached out to local businesses in her area, where she received feedback directly from her district. Community members encouraged her to continue her research and explore how the pandemic has affected nail salon businesses. 

Taylor 

Research Question

How have restaurants and bars have contributed to gentrification in Harlem?

Overview

Taylor explored the role of restaurants and bars have played in the gentrification process in the Sugar Hill district in Harlem. While growing up, Taylor noticed many fast-food establishments in his area of Harlem, however, there weren’t many sit-down restaurants. During the early 2000s, his neighborhood began to experience gentrification leading to an influx of investors wanting to open restaurants in Sugar Hill, thus serving as the inspiration for his research project. 

Methods

Taylor took a mixed-methods approach to examine the effect of gentrification in his neighborhood. After surveying 21 Harlem residents, he conducted 4 in-depth unstructured interviews with local restaurant owners. 

Findings

Residents indicated that businesses had a responsibility to provide employment to the community. Moreover, almost all residents reported that restaurants should consider the local community when setting prices. On the topic of gentrification, more than half of the residents (62%) believed that gentrification was a problem. Surprisingly, older residents and those who had lived in the neighborhood longer were less likely to view gentrification as a community issue. Taylor also spoke with Marcio, a local resident, and bar owner, who expressed that establishments have a responsibility to the community, but do not have to consider local residents when setting prices. Marcio indicated that because he provided high-quality food and service he should not have to lower his prices to be commensurate with the median income of the neighborhood, although he did acknowledge the importance of making local residents feel appreciated.  

Dimitris 

Research Question

How has the use of outdoor dining structures impacted local restaurants in Astoria, Queens? How effective have these structures been? Which outdoor structure has worked better compared to others?

Overview 

Dimitris was interested in how restaurants in his neighborhood were surviving the pandemic. Noticing that many restauranteurs decided to create outdoor dining structures, he investigated the effectiveness of the structures in the context of NYC’s outdooring program. 

Methods

 Dimitris surveyed 7 local restaurants in Astoria and asked owners questions about their outdoor dining structures. He began by asking owners what materials they used to construct their dining structures (e.g., wood, metal, plexiglass). Next, he asked owners if the structure had paid through their own revenue or through a loan (e.g., PPP loan). Additionally, Dimitris was interested in how well customers responded to outdoor dining. At the time his research was conducted, New York City had not fully opened up and prevented customers to dine inside, so he asked owners how safe customers felt when eating at their establishment.

Findings

All of the restaurants Dimitris surveyed reported constructing an outdoor dining structure. Notably, most owners used a wooden or steel component in their structure. Additionally, four owners chose to hire a company to build the outdoor structure, whereas three owners choose to build it themselves. On average, owners spent between $3,000 building their structure, however, many took out loans to help with the cost of the structure. 

Community Outreach

Dimitris spoke to the  Hellenic American Neighborhood Action Committee (HANAC) in Astoria, Queens to present his research to the community. More specifically, he spoke to the building coordinator, Mrs. Efthimiades, who commented on the relevancy of his research. She spoke about how outdooring largely saved Astoria’s restaurant industry, underscoring the resiliency and adaptability exhibited by restaurant owners during the pandemic. 

Cheyenne

Research Question

How has online school affected kids’ stress levels in my neighborhood on a scale of 1 - 10? What are their ways of destressing?

Overview

The pandemic had negatively impacted many people who had to quickly adapt to a new way of life. Arguably, one of the most impacted groups was K-12 students. Throughout the pandemic, students had to learn modes of learning while facing numerous challenges. Cheyenne was interested in examining how K-12 students were faring in terms of their mental health. Thus she set out to understand the stressors that students in the Bronx faced during the pandemic and how it was affecting their mental health. 

Methods

Online surveys were sent to out 22 participants ranging in age from 16-28. The survey was composed of 16 short answer questions, taking approximately 20 minutes to complete. She began by asking students how stressed they felt on a scale from 1(Not at all stressed)  to 10 (Extremely stressed). Since research has demonstrated that exercise can help reduce anxiety and negative moods she asked participants if they regularly exercised. She then asked students if they found it difficult to concentrate in school on a scale from 1 (Not difficult at all) to 10 (Very difficult). Lastly, she asked participants what strategies they used to reduce stress and whether these strategies were effective. 

Findings

Although some students reported feeling moderate to very stressed (7 students) she found that many students did not report feeling stressed. However, many students still reported that online school was difficult for them. Most students wrote that they preferred in-person classes rather than online classes citing fatigue as the primary reason for their preference. Students reported using meditation, music, exercise, and reading as tools to deal with stress with a large majority indicating that these strategies were effective. 

Community Outreach

To report her findings to her community, Cheyenne spoke to the director of the Davidson Community Center located in the Bronx. When asked why she choose this topic, Cheyenne stated, “ [I] chose this research topic is that as a student who was going through a tough time during these past semesters, I thought it would be interesting to know how other students in my area feel also.”  The director was impressed that Cheyenne drew upon her own experiences as a student to motivate her community-centered research project and asked her how she could continue her research in the community. She responded that it was possible, however, she was unsure if she wanted to continue this line of research.  

Shayla 

OVERVIEW

ZIPCODE: 11204

Alyssa analyzed the presence of hypoallergenic and vegan beauty products in a variety of different stores. Her interest in creating her own vegan cosmetic business inspired her research project. She aimed to examine the accessibility of vegan and hypoallergenic products in her neighborhood. To explore the accessibility and availability of these products, she organized beauty products into a systematic catalog. 

Methods

She examined three businesses within her local neighborhood; Target, Walgreens, and a local beauty supply store. To create a more nuanced look at available products, Alyssa cataloged two different Walgreen stores. After undertaking the task of cataloging vegan/hypoallergenic products, she researched stores online to see if they offered any products exclusively online.

FINDINGS

Interestingly, the local beauty supply store carried more vegan and hypoallergenic cosmetic products than larger retailers like Target and Walgreens. However, the beauty supply store sold more vegan items in general than hypoallergenic. These trends in product availability of vegan products within the local beauty supply store lend evidence to a burgeoning interest in natural and hypoallergenic products within Bensonhurst. Alyssa's research provides meaningful findings for residents looking for alternative products to assist with problematic skin conditions.

community Outreach

Alyssa was able to report her findings to an organization called Reaching Out Community Services. Although there were no specific organizations related to the cosmetic industry in her area, she presented her work and received feedback on future directions for her project. A representative from the organization named Tom thought her project would help local consumers who struggle with certain skin conditions. Given that most people go online for help with skin issues, he remarked how helpful it would be to have a centralized list of local retailers that sell vegan/hypoallergenic products. 

Click Below to download the full research report.

Jamel

Research Question

How did the Open Restaurants Program in NYC affect restaurants during the pandemic? 

Overview

Interested in the impact of the Open Restaurants during the pandemic, Jamel set out to understand the economic impact this program had on local restaurant owners in Harlem. 

Methods

Using a survey, Jamel asked four restaurant owners whether their revenue over the past few months increased, decreased, or stayed the same. Additionally, she asked owners their thoughts on the Open Restaurants program in NYC. 

Findings

Restaurant owners overwhelmingly reported that they relied heavily on outdoor dining to stay afloat during the pandemic which highlights the adaptability of business owners in NYC.

Community Outreach 

Jamel spoke with three residents from the local tenants association in Harlem. Residents discussed the ubiquity of outdoors dining structures, but also questioned the safety of these structures during the winter months.

Brian

Research Question

Would outdoor structures keep barbershops open during the COVID Pandemic?

Overview

Brain researched how barbershops could adapt after the pandemic hit. He went on to propose the idea of outdoor structures for the shops in his research and proposed the idea to local barbershop owners. 

Methods

Brian used survey questions for his research. He asked the following questions:

“Are responses different for different questions or segments?” 

“Are responses changing over time?” 

“Are responses for different questions correlated?”

Findings

Brian received an overwhelming “positive” response from the participants in his research project. Brian noted that few participants thought of the idea (an outdoor structure for shops) as a possibility. Brian also noted that other participants would welcome the extra space on their existing lease. 

Devin

Research Question

How should demographics affect what kind of food is sold in a community?

Overview

Devon researched how different types of people would respond to different types of food. Devon researched the demographics of different surrounding neighborhoods and interviewed local businesses. Devin did all this with hopes of furthering their knowledge to one day open their own food business. 

Methods

Devin used surveys and interviews for their research project. They sent out surveys to 2 people in the local community asking if the neighborhood seemed to be an active one, relatively fitness driven, but still enjoyed comfort food.

Findings 

Devin found similar data between the two interviews conducted. They found that the neighborhood seemed to be an active one, relatively fitness driven, but still enjoyed comfort food. They also found that the community consisted of traditional American families who cared for locally sourced foods. 

Community Outreach

Devon spoke with three local community members about their findings. They spoke with a health inspector, a kitchen owner, and a member of a local wholesale club. The talks between Devin and these community members consisted mostly of advice to Devin on how to start their own food business and what obstacles they will likely encounter. The community members, Devin noted, also will stay in touch to serve as mentors if Devin should ever need it. 

Gabriela

Zipcode: 11232

Research Question

 How does using social media marketing among barbershops in my neighborhood affect customer traffic?

Overview

 Gabriela’s research was specific to 2 barbershops in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn. She interviewed them both to find the origins of their business and how they have grown since. More so, Gabriela’s research focuses on how social media can impact a business’s popularity and whether or not the barbershops she researched are impacted by social media use. 

Methods

 Gabriela interviewed 5 barbershop owners in the Sunset Park area, but only 2 agreed to be recorded. She asked questions like “How many years have you been an entrepreneur?” and “How do you promote your business?” and also “Do you think that there are enough resources for barber shops to promote their business online?” 

Findings

 Through her two interviews, Gabriela found that both barbershop owners found difficulties in setting up their shops initially but are now comfortably thriving with one shop even expanding into other neighborhoods. Gabriela also found that the one shop owner interviewed who does use social media to advertise their business is the shop owner who has expanded. Gabriela’s research points to the conclusion that social media makes a notable difference when attracting customers. 

Camila

Research Question

How do larger chain stores impact the advertising strategies that smaller boutiques use to attract customers in Coral Ridge, Florida?

Camila was interested in investigating the impact of big-box chain stores in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She decided to conduct an observational study to examine foot traffic patterns of a local boutique and a popular big box clothing store located in the same shopping center.

Methods

Camila observed the number of customers that entered a local box chain clothing store compared to the number of customers entering a local boutique specializing in summer clothing and beachwear. Camila conducted a preliminary observation where she discovered that the small boutique sold clothing and beachwear at a higher minimum price ($49.99) compared to the chain store ($19.99). She also interviewed the local boutique owner to understand the strategies they used to compete with larger and more well-known stores. 

Findings

Over a period of 55 minutes, Camila counted a total of 93 people entering the big box chain store compared to only five customers who entered the small boutique. Although shoppers had to walk by the small boutique in order to enter the chain store foot traffic to the boutique remained low throughout the day. In her interviews with the boutique owner, she discovered that the store dresses up a mannequin in clothing from the store and walks it around the shopping center to attract customers, although the owner did not indicate whether this was an effective strategy. Camila’s research underscores the importance of protecting small-business and serves as an entry point to explore the dynamic between large and small owned businesses in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 

Community Outreach

Camila spoke with the Coral Ridge Presbyterian church to report her findings to the community. Several community members expressed surprise at her findings that the larger clothing store did not boost foot traffic for smaller businesses

Miguel

Research Question 

How has the vaccine mandate in New York City impacted restaurants in Little Italy and Chinatown? 

Overview

The initial implementation of proof of vaccination mandates in NYC prompted Miguel to examine how these rules would affect local restaurants in lower Manhattan. As patrons adjusted to this new rule, Miguel was interested in capturing changes to revenue and foot traffic. 

Methods

Seeking to understand the changes before and after the vaccine-proof mandate, Miguel sought to interview local restauranteurs on how their revenue had changed from three weeks before the mandate to three weeks after the city implemented the mandate. However, Miguel experienced setbacks when trying to secure interviews with restaurant owners. Consequently, he shifted to an observational design where he counted the number of patrons to each restaurant. Additionally, he took notes on mask enforcement at each location. 

Findings

All but two restaurants asked for proof of vaccination from all customers. Miguel noted that many of the restaurants he observed did not have large indoor dining spaces. Furthermore, some patrons decided to eat inside, despite an outdoor dining section due to inclement weather. 

Community Outreach 

Miguel took his findings to a local church in Little Italy, Basilica of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral. He found that community members preferred restaurants with stricter COVID-19 rule enforcement. Interestingly, most businesses in this study adhered to city ordinances regarding COVID-19, which aligns with many residents' perspectives on COVID-19 rules. Additionally, this research highlights the interconnectedness of businesses and patrons within the community. 

Khalil 

Research Question

Is community engagement related to the longevity of small businesses? 

Overview

Khalil was interested in the bi-directional relationship between record companies and residents in the community. Previously having worked as an employee at Fool’s Gold Records, Khalil has some inclination of the company’s ties to the neighborhood but wanted to find out more about how this company has maintained such a strong connection with the residents over time. 

Methods

To investigate the dynamic of record companies in Bushwick, Brooklyn, Khalil interviewed an owner of a record store, Fool’s Gold, to understand how they have maintained their longevity. 

Findings

One central focus of the interviews was community building to maintain and foster relationships with community members. Dave, head of inventory and merchandising at Fool’s Gold speak about building a collaborative relationship with the community.  

Community Outreach

Khalil spoke with eight members of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement - Brooklyn Chapter, a community-based organization in the area, to report his findings. A few community members said that product delivery and quality were more important than community engagement. However, most of the community members Khalil spoke with echoed Dave’s sentiments about the importance of businesses engaging in community building. Khalil’s findings underscore how influential community beliefs and values can be for small businesses. Additionally, his findings provide an illustration of a business that understands the neighborhood dynamic and adapts.