Crimes like vandalism can be devastating to a small business owner – especially when they seem to happen on an ongoing basis. That’s why one Chicago business owners is speaking out and trying to draw attention to the vandalism her business has faced.
Whitney Cumbo is the owner of Prima, a beauty supply store in the Bridgeport area of Chicago. She started the business with her sister about five years ago. They chose the neighborhood because it’s close to where they grew up, so it’s both convenient and has the feeling of home.
However, she’s been frustrated recently due to recurring instances of vandalism.
Cumbo explained in a conversation with NBC Chicago, “The prior one, it was a guy on a bike who rode by and punched the window. Before that, it was a guy who rode up and threw a rock at my window and shattered my window. It’s a really an ongoing occurrence and I feel like it needs to be heard and seen.”
The most recent occurrence took place in June. And Cumbo is still waiting on the window to get fixed and is waiting for police to identify the person responsible. She feels fairly helpless in this situation, which is why she’s speaking to the media and trying to spread the word about how devastating this kind of action can be to a small business.
Crimes like vandalism and theft are fairly common, so it’s something that many small business owners can expect when getting started. But dealing with these instances on multiple occasions, especially when there’s no resolution, can be frustrating.
Often, one of the only avenues that a business owner might have is to draw attention to these issues. Cumbo is speaking out about a problem that is plaguing many small businesses in her community and in many others throughout the country. If other community members are able to provide insights that could lead to an arrest or rally around these businesses showing their own support, it could make a large positive impact.
Image: Depositphotos
This article, "Chicago Business Owner Speaks Out After Multiple Acts of Vandalism" was first published on Small Business Trends
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Annie Pilon, Khareem Sudlow
