Now, more than ever

March 12, 2020

Now, more than ever

it is vitally important if you have local shops, you use those shops.

We are currently in the grip of a worldwide pandemic on a health and well being scale whilst also being on the brink of an economic disaster, and the small businesses (the very backbone of our economy) are the ones who are taking/feeling the brunt of it. If they collapse/close/go under, our whole economy collapses, and that, in turn, will have a knock-on effect for each-and-every single person living in this country. The rich, the poor, the fit/healthy, the sick; young, and old, alike.

A lot of people – an awful lot of people – are asking if Corona Virus is already/is going to have an impact on shop. The truthful answer to that question is “I don’t know”. I don’t think anyone can know for definite. Right now, the building sites around the shop are causing us more issue than I think the virus is, however, I have no idea whether that will still be the case this-time-next-week.

What I do know is that I am doing all I can in the shop to help. I clean the door handles every time someone has been in/out; I always have hand sanitiser that I use regularly at work anyway because of the very nature of the job, so keeping my hands as clean as I can is second nature to me. I’m disinfecting as much as I can, trying to keep any areas where my customers may come into contact with a surface as germ free as possible, yet, I have no idea if someone walking through the door has it and is spreading it around. I have to trust that each person who enters the building is also doing their bit, so there is always going to be a small risk. I have a Mum and several family members who fall into the "at risk" category so when I say I'm doing all I can, you may rest assured that I really am.

There are many florists around the world (some of them friends of mine) who are already seeing a knock-on effect; weddings (and funerals) are cancelling, corporate events are being cancelled, hotels are withdrawing contracts. For small businesses like mine/theirs this can mean they end up having to close their doors for good. It’s a scary time for those of us who operate on a day-to-day scale; just as a lot of customers who live day-to-day are going to struggle if the country follows Italy and goes into lock-down.

Personally, I feel Italy should have allowed the smaller stores to stay open and the big ones to close; the supermarkets aren’t able to keep clean in the same way a small local shop can, and that’s why it’s important during such uncertainty that we continue to use our local shops; you’re far safer in one of those than in a superstore.

Clive, and I, have discussed our options should a lock-down come-to-pass, and we have a contingency in place that will see us through should the worst happen, so please do not fear if you have orders placed with us for later in the year. The only real issue I can see we may have is if the supply chain is disrupted in the mean-time, and that just means I have to work harder to source other options.

Now, below is a little rant which I really should keep from a business page but it needs to be said!

The lack of intelligence shown by those who make up the “me, me, me” elements of society, do genuinely scare me more than the virus itself. Do they not realise that by buying 12 bottles of hand wash/sanitiser (when 1 or 2 will suffice) that they are then stopping someone who may have the virus from being able to clean their hands, thereby passing it on to someone else who cannot make a purchase. What happens when those 12 bottles are used and they then can’t get any? Selfish, stupidity which blows my mind. Also, did these people never wash their hands before?

Don’t even get me started on the toilet roll issues!

We're in for a rough few months I think, so please, look after yourselves, but also remember there are others out there in this world who may not be able to look out for themselves, or have anyone to do it for them. Let's try to make some good out of the bad stuff and find some compassion, because what affects your neighbour. work colleague or fellow random human can have a knock-on effect to your own situation. A little thought and consideration can go a really long way.