Can we help?
Can we help?
Can we help?
As we all sit at home and wonder what to make of the current situation my mind has taken on a whole new lease of life.
Lying in bed at night thinking how will it pan out.
- When will schools be back?
- When will the children be able to play together again?
- When will business as usual start again?
The Covid-19 virus has hit us all so fast that it still seems like a dream, but while we may feel helpless in this situation there is somethings we can control.
Firstly and most importantly we can control the spread.
We have been kept up to date by the government and by the CMO Dr Tony Holohan of how to slow the spread.
Stay at home. Restrict our movements and keep our distance. Excercise only with a 2km radius of your own home.
Do not travel to another house. Stay with your own family.
As the majority of the Irish people have observed the measures while some have not and have taken their own stance by doing what they want.
Aside from this I was thinking can we help in other ways.
The answer I think is yes.
The essential items such as fuel and food are among the list of services still open for business.
One thing we should consider during this time of job losses, temporary layoffs and in some cases redundancy is that we can still help.
Behind every job in companies still open for business are people. People with mortgages, loans, rent, utility bills and more.
Whether you are in or out of work everyone has some form of financial commitments.
The people, who still are lucky to have a job need to be supported to ensure no more companies are forced to close due to lack of revenue coming through their tills.
This also will help those who are unemployed. How I hear you ask?
Well with every purchase of every item in every sector there is value to the pot of income to the government through taxation.
So while tax income has fallen due to the over 1 million job losses now, the income for tax can still function through purchases we make.
I would suggest that if every person can spend between €1 – €5 per week on an item they normally would not buy as part of their essential shop, this will have a huge positive effect for companies and tax income here in Ireland.
Covid -19 weekly payment of €350 per week for 12 weeks comes from the tax we have all paid through employment and purchase on items everyday.
That bottle of water, or a newspaper you have not picked up in a long time or an item you have never purchased before from a local supplier, this will help.
Many companies have online options now and others are in the process of getting this in order to deal with the current situation.
Social distance and government guidance must be followed at all times. No one can just jump in their car and go where they like.
Purchases I refer to are in the local shop, chemist, grocery store, or any company that has an online offering (many purchases online will exceed the €5 amount).
But again it's what you can comfortably pay at this time.
Everything we do at home to pass our time, many require a product. A deck of cards, a packet of colouring pens, reams of paper and so on.
If we can all do our part where possible, to make a small purchase every week in some way this will help in more ways than one.
The supplier of the product, the delivery company who ship the products, the delivery woman or man who deliver the online item.
They all benefit from a simple purchase that we make.
If we support the local business community in our area this will mean so so much to them. Many S.M.E companies in Ireland are family owned and run.
Again behind each person is a family. So by us doing this small thing, which we can control, it can really play a significant part in a situation where control of the situation may be out of our hands.
Remember WE have the control in how this plays out. Both with the virus spread and the way the economy can run for now.
You may think, how will I make a difference with a small purchase. But if so many of us do this, then it is the power of numbers.
People uniting together to do something together, from a distance is an idea that may ignite a surge of money back into the economy.
Unity is what will get us through this.
We can help.
We can stop the spread.
We just need to listen to what we are being told by the professionals.
They are to be trusted.
They know more than we do.
Stay safe and support the businesses of Ireland when you can.
Alan Gould
Unity Media.
