Over the last 4 weeks of isolation, I have reflected on how fortunate I am and how I am so pleased that I never experienced a pandemic during my working life. I can only imagine what many people are having to deal with. For some families worried about whether they will still have a job, how will they cope financially and, in some cases, living under less than ideal conditions.
For those who made the decision to be self-employed. Not only do you worry about your family but also your employees and their families, some of whom have been with you for many years or may be part of your extended family. You have to try and keep your business viable and can see the results of many years of hard work rapidly disappearing along with the savings you have built up over the years. For some the result will be disastrous and they will have to rebuild their lives and possibly their relationships.
I became self-employed in 1986, and never experienced a major shut down as many are experiencing now but did have my moments when I had many sleepless nights. My business came under pressure in late 1987 due to the 87 financial crash. Many of my customers were in a similar situation, money was tight and interest rates were at an all-time high. Regional towns were hit hard, and a number of national firms closed their reginal operations and up and left town. Centralisation was the polite word for it. This added to the pressure on smaller businesses.
A couple of things saved my bacon, mainly Jenny was teaching, and we lived of her salary and secondly, I was able to adapt to the changing circumstances far quicker than some of my competitors. By 1988 we were still struggling when on the 7th March we were hit by Cyclone Bola which caused significant damage and disruption throughout the Gisborne region. It occurred during the peak of the agricultural season and decimated many of the regions farming and horticultural production. At the time we had large stocks of horticultural packaging on hand, which was suddenly no longer required. Fortunately for me, many of my suppliers were very accommodating and the stock was credited and put on consignment till the next season. Luckily, we were able find room to store it and was very relieved once I knew I did not have to fund the stock till the following year.
In the interim we were able to change tack and were able to tap into the demand for Goods & Services from Civil Defence, Council and the Army who were mobilised to help the region, and became the go to person for many of the products they required yesterday. This was followed by roading contractors, bridge builders, engineers and Gisborne became a hive of activity and with incredible support from my suppliers the months that followed were amongst my best.
However as stressful as this was, it does not compare with what some are going through now with the Covid-19 pandemic.