GOLDEN, Colo. Several small businesses in Golden on Washington Avenue say preventative power shutoffs during strong winds are cutting into what is typically their busiest shopping weekend of the year, forcing owners to get crea tive to stay open while bracing for lost revenue.On Friday, many storefronts along Washington Avenue were without electricity as high winds moved through the area. Some businesses relied on generators, natural light or cash-only transactions to continue operating. Susan Lusk, owner of Red Wagon Gift Shop, said the timing could not be worse.This is literally the busiest weekend of the year, or should be, Lusk said.Lusk said December sales help carry her business through slower months early in the year. Without power, she has been limited to cash or Venmo payments and reduced staffing, with far fewer customers than usual.This is where we make a lot of our money, Lusk said. That gets us through the slow months, and the fact that were shut down for at least two days and some people have been shut down for four days now its tough.Lusk estimates the shop has been losing about $1,000 a day, with losses climbing into the thousands if the outage continues. Just down the street, Old Barrel Tea Company owner Heather Maccalous said losing electricity during the final weekend before Christmas could mean missing out on tens of thousands of dollars in sales.Having our busiest weekend out of commission could be $10,000 to $20,000 worth of sales, which is significant, Maccalous said.Maccalous said her store stayed open using limited power from a generator, but the lack of lighting and full payment systems made operations difficult. She said the priority remains paying staff, even as uncertainty looms days before Christmas.My staff is my priority, she said. My staff will get paid. But the week of Christmas, its difficult. At Vital Outdoors, generators allowed the business to keep some lights on and process card payments, though foot traffic was noticeably slower than normal, according to assistant manager Makaila Connell.Usually, we definitely have a lot more people coming in, Connell said, adding the store could be down a few thousand dollars compared to a typical day this time of year.All three businesses said they understand the purpose behind the power shutoffs, which are intended to reduce wildfire risk during extreme wind conditions. Still, owners say the economic impact during peak holiday shopping is significant.Its hard to say whether its overkill or not, Lusk said. You certainly dont want another Marshall Fire again.Despite the challenges, business owners said they are relying on community support to help them get through the outage.Golden is a resilient community, Maccalous said. Whether its 10-feet of snow or wind, people are still going to come out. So, it was important for us to stay open. ...read more read less