\u201cYou put your heart and soul into your business. You bleed for it, you sweat for it. Whenever the business takes a hit, you personally take a hit. It felt like putting down a pet,\u201d Elmore sai.<\/p>\n
While some people might blame websites like Craigslist for pushing classifieds out of business, Elmore said their family paper could have operated for many more years if it had not been for the coronavirus pandemic\u2019s impact on local businesses.<\/p>\n
But Elmore did say very little of the paper\u2019s income came from everyday consumers after Craigslist because they had to offer the smaller ads for pretty much free. Their direct customers became local businesses that bought the larger classified ads.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had found our niche,\u201d he said. \u201cWe would have been able to operate at that level for the foreseeable future, on and on and on.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite downsizes to staff and deliveries over the years, the paper had been able to weather the 2008 economic downturn and the turn to digital because it held a unique position in the Four Corners community, Elmore said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had a huge following from the agriculture community, gun owners and people selling livestock and pets,\u201d he said. \u201cA lot of these things aren\u2019t allowed on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yet when the coronavirus hit the Four Corners and nonessential businesses closed their doors, the paper lost its main revenue source. Even with laying off a few employees, Elmore said the paper still had to pay the costs of printing and distribution, which accounts for the majority of the company\u2019s overhead.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe made the decision to shut down because we were hemorrhaging money,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
As public health restrictions began to ease and businesses could open up with limited capacity, the classified still didn\u2019t see a way to continue bring enough revenue in and cover the huge overhead costs of printing and distributing.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost of (the businesses) had taken a hit and just staying alive was the first thing on their mind,\u201d he said \u201cWe take a back burner.\u201d<\/p>\n