“Business has a responsibility to give back to the community.” – Ben Cohen
It’s anything but difficult not to feel scared and nervous about the present circumstances with COVID-19, however, while some people are tensed to the verge of paranoia due to the uncertain future, and others are stockpiling on even the least required stuff, we request that you do something kind and think of other people who are in urgent need of your assistance during this coronavirus pandemic. From the vulnerable and elderly, to neighbourhood food banks and homeless shelters, consider donating to one of the worthy charities, and do your bit to support your community.
Even, numerous business organizations, from Tech to Aviation industries, whose revenue has dissipated during the coronavirus lockdown are not simply sitting there trusting that limitations will lift or salvage credits and loans to be processed. They are donating products and services to the community to do their part in this combat against COVID-19 outbreak. Now, as leaders, here is how your business can help with the national relief efforts:
1. What do you do?
What your business can contribute to the national relief efforts for COVID-19 depends on what your core business is and how you can utilize it for the community’s benefit.
If your core business lies in the Educational sector, then you can shift your focus to digital learning. With the nation’s education turned upside down, you can help by supporting the parents, teachers and educational institutions with digital learning. For example, Logitech has launched a program for k-12 teachers to receive free webcams and headsets as they transition to virtual teaching. Audible and Babbel are offering hundreds of free titles and language courses for students. Comcast, Cox and Spectrum are offering limited-time basic internet package with low-income customers and students. Google and Zoom are helping by providing free virtual platforms to hold virtual classrooms.
2. What do you have?
What are the resources that your business have? Perhaps instead of just letting them go to waste, they could be used elsewhere and be beneficial to the community? You need to think what you have in spare and to share with the charities and community organisations be it, monetary support, facilities, expertise, workforce or inventory.
If your business has or manufactures resources such as bedding, you can donate mattresses to healthcare institutions and other temporary medical facilities to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, Serta Simmons Bedding donated 10,000 mattresses to hospitals and medical facilities.
If your business revolves around the Food sector, you can partner with the neighbourhood charities, for example, restaurants like Ideal Bite Community Kitchen are donating food to organizations like Cass Community Social Services (CCSS), a nonprofit organization for helping the vulnerable and at-risk communities in Detroit.
3. What could you do?
If this COVID-19 pandemic has brought your business to its knees or you are unable to think of a way to lend the community your resources or workforce, then maybe it is time to think differently yet something adjacent to your core business sector to aid in this coronavirus battle.
If your core business is the beverage industry, then it might be helpful to rethink your business model as your usual business is now forced to shutter due to the COVID-19 lockdown. This is the time to realize that there are more uses of alcohol than just to drink. You can convert your distilleries’ operations to produce large quantities of hand sanitizers. For example, distilleries such as BrewDog, Pernod-Ricard, Bacardi, Tito’s, CannaCraft and others have shifted their business model’s focus to manufacture, produce and distribute large-scale quantities of hand sanitizers for free or for much cheaper rates to the general public or directly to the hospitals, medical facilities and other healthcare institutions.
Although this COVID-19 crisis continues to increase in severity and seriousness claiming more lives per day, it is quite inspiring to see these corporates and businesses to come forward and provide whatever help they can to those in need either by monetary support, leveraging their existing resources or by supporting their employees and workers. United we can, and together we will get through these dark times of COVID-19.
ABL Recruitment team
