Local Businesses in Ireland: How Can We Rebuild Together?

Emerging from the Covid-19 lockdown will be challenging for many businesses.  Like all things of this nature, by sharing the load, we make it easier to bear. But how exactly can we do this?

A recent example is the approach that Kinsale Chamber of Tourism and Business have taken to getting their town back on its feet. Click here for the full story.

Kinsale is a beautiful rural Irish town – colourful, charming, and has so much to offer visitors and residents alike.  The Chamber of Tourism and Business has launched the Kinsale Comeback Campaign which is generating huge support from the Local Authority in Cork County Council. 

The County Council are actively looking at ways that planning restrictions can be made more flexible, to facilitate social distancing and ensure that as many businesses as possible can operate effectively. This supports businesses in re-opening despite the difficult circumstances they face.

Businesses contribute greatly to Local Authority funds, through commercial rates.  Getting them up and running is important to everyone, including councils in their areas.  Flexibility, where possible, is very helpful, but a partnership approach may be even more impactful, where we all work together towards a swifter recovery.

Kinsale Chamber has already raised €50,000 to fund a marketing campaign to bring people to the town in the coming months.  Kinsale clearly believes that standing together to regrow their local economy is vital. 

This example shows how powerful a united front can be. Businesses can all support each other.  When making purchasing decisions, wherever possible, all businesses should choose a local supplier, regardless of a marginal price difference.  Swift payment to suppliers, releasing much needed cashflow would also be something that could really help.

As consumers, we face the same choices.  The Covid-19 lock down saw many of us turning to the internet to order goods we needed in our homes.  Smaller stores in towns across Ireland will reopen from June 8^th.  These stores need our assistance to get back to business and it is important that we do whatever we can to support them. Small, local retailers and other business owners have been making things happen in our communities for decades – from St. Patrick’s Day parades to local GAA gatherings.  During Covid-19, they were forced to close their doors to protect us all.  Now they need our help, and it is our duty to be there for them.

As a business, Calor is committed to supporting local Irish businesses to get back on their feet.  We acknowledge and appreciate that the more businesses that survive and rebuild during this turbulent time, the quicker we as a nation will recover and adapt to the challenges Covid-19 has brought about.

Every penny spent in our local shops stays in our economy, enables employment, and puts money in circulation which funds local initiatives. We should all advocate for local business. Kinsale is just one of many examples which demonstrate how we can stand together.