Dr. Paul Borosky, DBA, MBA, a Sanford business consultant, uses the Second Street project as a case study. The project is wrapping up. The lessons are not, because the next construction zone is always coming.

Your business is open. The street in front of it is not. That is the problem every owner on Second Street faced when Sanford started rebuilding it in June 2025. New sidewalks, brick pavers, lighting, landscaping. Great for the long run. Rough while it is happening.

Here is the short answer on surviving Sanford Second Street construction or any project like it: tell customers you are open, louder and more often than feels necessary. Lock down your deliveries. And build a cash plan for the slowdown before it shows up in your bank account. Sanford will not stop improving downtown. The next project is coming. The owners who plan for it come out the other side in better shape.

What happened on Second Street?

The City of Sanford's Second Street Streetscape project runs from Sanford Avenue to Oak Avenue, built in four segments. The work covers ADA sidewalks, relaid brick pavers, more parallel parking, new lighting including festoon lights, extra electrical outlets for vendors and food trucks, irrigation, and landscaping, plus an information kiosk at Magnolia and Second.

The timeline moved. Rain delays and aging utilities caused setbacks in the fall of 2025. In November 2025 the Magnolia Avenue intersection closed and local traffic was routed through an alley. By the city's March 30, 2026 update, the project was more than 75% complete. The April 2026 update reported pavers, sidewalks, and landscaping done, with lighting, electrical, and the kiosk still in progress and full completion targeted for the end of May 2026.

Through all of it, the city's message was simple: Second Street is open for business. Owners had a different worry. When the street looks like a job site, customers assume the shops are closed. Construction conditions change week to week, so check the city's project page for the current status before you plan around it.

Why do customers think you are closed?

Customers do not read city updates. They drive by. They see barricades, dirt, and cones, and their brain says closed. Then they check Google, see nothing new, and go somewhere easier.

The fix is not complicated. It is just constant.

• Big, bright "Open During Construction" signs at every approach, not just your door.
• Updated Google Business Profile with a post every week. Mention construction by name and tell people exactly how to reach you.
• A simple access map. Where to park. Which side to walk in from. Post it, print it, text it.
• A short weekly update to your email or text list. One line of news, one reason to come in this week.
• Team up with neighbors. Shared signs, a shared "Second Street is open" promo, a stamp card that sends customers to three shops on the block.

Related: Access is not only about barricades. See the business consultant's perspective on paid parking in downtown Sanford. Paid Parking in Downtown Sanford

How do you keep deliveries and operations moving?

Customers are half the problem. Your supply chain is the other half. A delivery truck that cannot reach your back door is a kitchen with no product.

1. Call every regular vendor before work starts. Give them the access route, the best delivery window, and a phone number for the person who will meet the truck.
2. Move deliveries earlier when you can. Early-morning drops beat midday crew traffic.
3. Use the alleys. When the Magnolia intersection closed, the city routed local traffic through the alley between Palmetto and Magnolia. Know your back routes before you need them.
4. If you deliver to customers, update your delivery apps and zones so drivers do not cancel when they hit a closed block.
5. Ask the project team for the schedule. Knowing which week your block gets torn up lets you stock up, shift staff, or plan a promotion.

How much cash do you need to get through it?

This is the part most owners skip. Sales drop during construction. Rent, payroll, and loan payments do not. Run the math before the first barricade goes up.

Once you see the number, you can act. Trim variable labor on the slowest days. Pause nonessential spending. Talk to your landlord early about temporary relief. Line up a credit line while your numbers still look good, not after they drop.

Related: Doing construction of your own? Read how to plan a historic downtown Sanford renovation before you start. Renovating in Historic Downtown Sanford

Why should you plan for the project to run long?

Second Street is a good example of how schedules move. An early update targeted completion before Labor Day 2026. Later updates pulled that to the end of May 2026. Rain, old pipes, and surprises underground all shift the calendar, sometimes in your favor, often not.

Simple rule: whatever timeline you are given, plan your cash for 50% longer. If it finishes on time, you have a cushion. If it runs long, you are still standing.

How Does This Hit Different Industries?

The same issue lands differently depending on what you sell. Here is how a business consultant would break it down for three kinds of Sanford businesses.

How a Business Consultant Helps

Construction is not a marketing problem or a money problem. It is both, at the same time, while you are still trying to run the business. That is a lot for one owner to carry, especially an owner whose real skill is the food, the service, or the craft.

Dr. Paul Borosky, DBA, MBA uses his Organize-Plan-Grow™ framework to take that weight off. Organize: a customer communication plan, a vendor access plan, and a weekly numbers check so you see the slowdown early. Plan: a cash model for the disruption, with a short, base, and long timeline, so you know exactly how much cushion you need. Grow: a plan to win back traffic when the work wraps up, because a brand-new street is a reason for customers to come see what changed.

With 14+ years and 1,000+ clients behind him, Dr. Paul has watched good businesses run out of cash during a temporary problem. The fix is almost always the same. Plan the gap before it opens.

Dr. Paul works on site with owners across Sanford and Seminole County. See how he works as a Sanford business consultant, review his fractional CFO support, or learn more about Dr. Paul's Organize-Plan-Grow™ Strategy.