Local businesses across the country have been struggling to stay afloat as the pandemic sweeps across the nations and causes chaos in not only personal lives, but work lives as well. Dealing with restrictions, orders on whether or not businesses can open, or simply being able to afford staff during these hard times have been a constant difficulty for local businesses since March of 2020. 

However, there has been support during these unprecedented times from not only customers themselves but from local business owners helping out other local business owners. Bow N Arrow Boutique is one example.

On Nov. 14, Bow N Arrow planned to make that struggle for Sonoma County local businesses less difficult. Mercedes Hernandez, owner and creator of Bow N Arrow Boutique, hosted her second community market called ‘The Soco Market’.

The Soco Market took place in downtown Cotati, from 12 p.m. – 3 p.m., in front of the Bow N Arrow Boutique itself. Masks are required for those who would like to attend the event. 

The small business market catered towards locally, millennial owned businesses in Sonoma County. This month, Hernandez will have 23 vendors involved with the market. These vendors include ‘Golden Finds’, ‘Mel Vintage Thrifts’, ‘Endless Vintage’, ‘Doll House’, ‘Honey Co Boutique’, and much more. 

The Soco Market will be offering a wide variety of businesses, from Vintage clothing to home decor. The market will also be offering food at its event. 

Hernandez’s first Soco Market was in Sept., where she had only half the number of vendors compared to the Nov. market. The STAR was able to interview some new and recurring vendors at the Soco Market. 

After expressing to Hernandez that she wanted to join the second local business market after experiencing the first one, Kylie Sloan, owner of Honey Co Boutique, was invited to the November market even after all the vendor spots were filled. 

Sloan explained to the STAR why this local business market was important for the vendors that were participating. 

“I think that it’s really important because it’s really good networking. Even if you don’t make a lot of sales, you can still meet a lot of people and get your name out there. It’s good advertisement.” said Sloan. 

According to Alicia Adamczyk, a money reporter for CNBC’s Make It, the pandemic has caused a great amount of damage to small, local businesses like Bow N Arrow and the vendors participating in the market. 

When asked about advice for other local business owners that are working through the pandemic, the owner of MilliGem, Emiliana Rivero expressed that perseverance was key.

Rivero said, “…try not to get discouraged when things don’t seem like they’re going great. Don’t give up and stay strong.” 

“Almost 100,000 small businesses in the U.S. have closed permanently since the pandemic began, according to a recent Yelp analysis,” reported Adamczyk. 

Adamczyk reports the personal loss business owners have gone through during, what feels like, robbing times. 

“Many small business owners poured their life savings into their companies to get them off the ground originally. Most don’t have more than a month or two of cash on reserve” wrote Adamczyk. 

Companies across the country are experiencing this tumultuous battle with the pandemic and the new restrictions that play a significant role in the current reality of California. Though California has opened a lot more businesses as time progressed, Sonoma County businesses continue to battle with limited capacity restrictions and other pandemic protocols all while attempting to keep their businesses operating in a successful, but safe, fashion. 

The Soco Market is a stepping stone for local, millennial businesses to keep persevering through such challenging times. Providing not only business for them, but the Soco Market is also providing advertisement for the businesses and posting the vendors on their Instagram to not only show what customers can look forward to at the market itself but to support the vendors and promote their businesses. For more information about the Soco Market, you can visit their Instagram page at @thesocomarket.