Pictured is The Hair Bar, one of the seven Fredonia businesses selected to be a part of the Small Business Revolution. OBSERVER File Photo

On Jan. 29, Fredonia gathered inside and out of the 1891 Fredonia Opera House, where Amanda Brinkman ran out on stage, signifying that Fredonia had won. The show continues production through the pandemic.

According to the director of marketing partnerships, Julie Gordon, two weeks prior to the shutdown caused by COVID-19, the team from Deluxe, Ty Pennington, and the production crew were able to film the first segment of the show. They spent a day at each of the seven featured businesses. However, the subsequent on-location shoots originally scheduled for April and May have been pushed to a later date in accordance with New York state guidelines.

“Fortunately, the branding and marketing makeover work has moved along at a steady pace, with weekly online calls between featured business owners and the marketing and creative teams from Deluxe,” Gordon wrote in an email to the OBSERVER.

Gordon explained that many of the calls were recorded, with the likelihood that they will appear as part of the episodes to share behind-the-scenes discussions related to impacts from COVID-19 and the transformations of the businesses. This includes new logo and website designs, online strategies and payment solutions geared for the new, no-contact world.

Amanda and Ty were in Fredonia the first week of March to visit each of the featured businesses to get a first-hand look at their space, their marketing, and how they operate. They have not been in the area since, as COVID-19 introduced itself to the area. According to Gordon, Amanda has stayed connected with all seven business owners via online calls over the past three months, offering advice on communication strategies during the pandemic.

Season 5 of the Small Business Revolution was originally slated for the Fall 2020. A new launch date will be announced soon, depending on the timing of New York’s reopening plan, according to Gordon. Updates will be posted at https://www.facebook.com/smallbizrev/.