FREDONIA, N.Y. — Earlier this month, many New Yorkers watched as small businesses in Fredonia were featured "Small Business Revolution," a national television show all about revamping small-town stores.

Entrepreneurs in the village of Fredonia say it's important to work together to encourage people to shop locally.


What You Need To Know

  • Businesses in the village of Fredonia discuss their experience on Small Business Revolution, and how their businesses are doing

  • Community members urge people to shop locally to help businesses survive the pandemic

  • The people involved say they feel it made community bonds in the village stronger

"If you can shop locally and find the same tool you need at a small business, help out the small business they need it more than anything during this pandemic," Mike Plaza said, the owner of Nyce and Clean Auto Detail.

"With a lot of small businesses going under and trying to reinvent themselves help adapt to their change, we're all trying to ASAP to this new normal," Carla Pucciarelli said, owner of The Hair Bar.

Crews from the show "Small Business Revolution" began filming a week before the first round of COVID-19 shutdowns in March. So TV hosts Amanda Brinkman and Ty Pennington virtually helped these business owners navigate the challenges of this pandemic turning their businesses into something they once thought was out of reach.

"They got me new floors, more lighting in the shop, we had donated doors to give us more lighting. They helped with marketing, webpages, logos everything," Plaza said.

"We had like a floating wall in the middle of the salon so they opened it up, we got a new floor new sinks and a new wall focal display," Pucciarelli added.

Michael Herlong co-owner of Fresh and Fancy Floral Design was also one of the lucky businesses to be picked.

"They helped us develop a new website, helped fun massive renovations with local contractors this entire storefront is not what it used to be," Herlong said.

The people involved in this once and a lifetime opportunity say they feel it made community bonds in the village of Fredonia stronger.

"It really gave the whole community something to work together to do, everyone participated and it's putting our little town on the map," Herlong said.