People Making A Difference: Woodland Hills Business Owner Starts Group Championing Small Businesses
WEST HILLS (CBSLA) — The coronavirus pandemic has impacted everyone's daily life, but some of those hit hardest are small businesses.
Those that are still open are relying on their local communities for support, and in the West Hills area of Los Angeles that community is the Maiden Community.
"You're going to find a good network of people that are going to embrace each other and really give you a purpose," Kimberly Maiden said.
Maiden owns Pickwick's Pub in Woodland Hills, so she knows firsthand how difficult the last seven months have been on small businesses.
"The whole premise is that you support, shop and you share," she said. "So, basically, I pick about four places a week that I ask the community, 'Please, just go and support them.' It's just a group of people that have joined forces and have done really great things in the community."
And, Maiden said, the support from the community for the community has been overwhelming.
"The community that started with like 300 went to 3,000 in three months," she said. "It just keeps growing and growing and growing."
Using social media and word-of-mouth campaigns, the Maiden Community has helped more than 70 local businesses, including The Golden Rose Bakery.
"She was an angel," Pouneh Nadem, Golden Rose Bakery owner, said. "Kim came to our bakery and said, 'Don't worry, I help you.' She started to advertise on her page for like five days. She brought 75 people to my bakery."
While many people may say that it takes a village, in West Hills, it takes a community.
"Small businesses rely on the simple things," Maiden said. "I mean, someone just even buying one t-shirt is going to help them keep their doors open.
"And that's what I want to show people: that with the help of community ... there's enough of us to create enough businesses for one small business to succeed to soar," she continued. "It can grow because of us."
Maiden Community, which started out as a private Facebook group, has since grown to a webpage supporting local businesses.
