Three regions in Ontario have now reverted to a modified stage 2 lockdown due to COVID. For how long? Who knows. Since the beginning of the pandemic, I’ve watched mainstay locations in the Ottawa area close. Stoneface Dolly’s, Palki’s Indian Restaurant, Lazer Quest, Don Cherry’s and numerous others are now closed permanently. As I reflected on the realities of our time, I realized something. Every business that has closed is still a life necessity. The need for sustenance, the need for play, the need for belonging, the need for a new experience, all of the foundational ‘why’s of these places are still deep human needs.
The shift to online everything is here, and this pandemic has accelerated that reality. There is a different way to fulfill all the needs these newly closed locations offered. Its just a matter of determining how to do so in a different space. Much like the transition from the typewriter to the computer, businesses need to make a full embrace of the social media space to function. Many businesses have been pushed into the deep end like a kid at a wave pool. Sink or swim. But the resources for rescue and education are out there. All you need to do is ask for help.