A retailer in our local area went into administration recently after three decades in business. The comments in the local paper indicated that if people had known the retailer was in trouble, they would have made more of an effort to go there instead of heading to a “big name” retailer for the latest bargain.
I think we are going to find more of this over the next few months and trust we can support each other, by reaching out to check that our friends and colleagues and local businesses are OK. I am paying particular attention to some of my regular haunts who are offering lots of specials, in an effort to drive business into the store. I’m making a special effort to ignore the few extra cents I pay and make sure I patronise those who seem to be running a good local business.
I’m also noticing an increase in letters for donations and even though I cringe a bit at the sight of them, I know that I can afford to give to everyone who asks, so the answer is always “yes”. It saves time and thinking when I already know the answer and reminds me how fortunate I am that I can always give to someone in need.