As Alberta enters Stage 1 of the province's 'Open for Summer' plan, local small business owners are breathing a slight sigh of relief.

Flirt Cosmetics Studio is a Cochrane-based business that has been hit hard by COVID-19 restrictions multiple times over the past 15 months.

Co-owner, Ciara Ramsden says that for her business, an easing of restrictions means that they can actually service clients again.

"There's no real middle ground for us," says Ramsden. "For us, it was either all or nothing, so we're hoping that now we can just keep plugging along the way we were."

Although Flirt has stayed open for retail, Ramsden says that that side of the business is really an extension of their services, and impossible to thrive on its own.

Ramsden has expressed her frustrations over big box stores staying open throughout the course of the pandemic, even under outbreak status.

"We've never been against public health measures and we've never been against closures," says Ramsden. " We just want it to be equal closures for everyone. When the government is saying 'lives and livelihoods' -- well, let's make sure it's everybody's livelihood."

She says that each time they reopen, it's like starting from the beginning.

"Every time we open it's like starting fresh," says Ramsden. "We had several months of no revenue so we have a lot of work to do to make up for that."

Still, Ramsden is hopeful to get her business back on track, and she's grateful to be able to welcome Cochrane clients back to the studio.

"We've got amazing clientele and a really great community and they're dying to get in and support us," says Ramsden. 

Flirt Cosmetics Studio is located on 4th Ave West in Cochrane.