BEAUMONT, Texas — With restaurants, salons and other businesses closing up around the state, many families are left with questions about how they'll pay the bills.
With April just beginning, millions are starting out jobless.
12News talked with two salon owners on Wednesday, who say they're trying to figure out the next steps after the executive order was extended to the end of the month.
Kara Shaver is the owner of KP Styling Salon in Beaumont. She says she has money in savings, but if the crisis continues, it may not be enough.
"I am fortunate that I did build up a little bit of savings before all this started, but, like I said I am brand new," Shaver said. "I didn't really have time to build a mountain of savings, I'm just getting started. Just getting off the ground."
Because of that order from Judge Branick, Kendra Jones couldn't hold her grand opening of 'Belle Grace' salon.
"That Monday was going to be our grand opening but everything was to be shut down," Jones said.
She's thankful her husband still has a job, but her income is vital for her family.
"By the time this is all over with, I'll have been out of work for 2-3 months and that's 2-3 months of bills, new bills that we just accumulated that I am not working for," Jones said.
In Texas, officials fear the unemployment rate could reach double digits. That would be historic. The last time the state had an unemployment rate near 10%, was November of 1986.
"My main challenge as a business owner is having employees underneath me that I feel responsible that they don't have a job right now," Jones said.
In a time filled with hardship, we're all holding onto hope that this will soon pass.
"Hope and faith, I all of a sudden have a peace about this," Shaver said.
Jones says she's continuing to sell hair products to help make some money while the salon is closed.
"I just want everyone to stay positive, keep praying, stay home and let it be over," Jones said.
Meghan Cobb and her husband own Cobb Creek Construction in Beaumont, and say they just wrapped up a final job. To keep themselves and others safe, they won't be taking on any more jobs until the pandemic is over to comply with social distancing guidelines.
She says they're looking at options to help them get through financially.
"As far as loans go, I have not applied for any yet. A lot of people have applied for them and we need them to be clarified, we don't know the terms, we I have not applied for anything yet, and I don't know that I will," Cobb said.
