THERE is no denying the second COVID-19 lockdown could hit Mildura businesses hard.
But it has not been all doom and gloom, according to Mildura City Heart manager Danielle Hobbs.
Ms Hobbs said the stage 3 restrictions imposed on regional Victoria this week had forced business owners to make changes and think outside the box.
She said small and locally run businesses were not closing their doors this time and would instead continue operating by adapting to the change.
“It is going to be tough — round two really knocked the wind out of everyone’s sails and they are feeling somewhat anxious about it.
“Having said that, there’s some positivity as well, given we’ve been here before and we know what it looks like — (business owners) are much more prepared this time.
“There is no waiting for JobKeeper to kick in or wondering what this virus actually means for us.
“So there has been a large amount of positivity this time.”
Ms Hobbs said businesses were, understandably, very quick to shut shop when the first six-week lockdown hit Mildura.
However, she said this time around businesses were saying: “We are here, we are open, we are not changing our hours, we are ready for this, we have an extra layer of protection with masks and it is what it is and we will work the best we possibly can with the situation.”
Ms Hobbs said many business owners would take the opportunity to make further changes to their business model, whether it be through online sales, renovations or considering what stock they carried or delivered as a service.
“There are still people thinking out of the of the box about how they are going to continue as a business past 2020.
“There has been such a large growth in social media and online sales, like your online websites and availability to shop local online.
“The numbers for Australia Post are up 80 per cent in the last four months, which is ridiculous.
“And that really concerns me, so our message is very much, if you are going to shop online, please look for a local store first and by local I mean small businesses.
“The message there is if you are going to shop with a national (business), have a look at their online website, then call the local store and get them to put it aside for you.
“The local small businesses or franchises are not skipping a beat, they are still here — I’m talking about the ones that can still be open, obviously.”
Ms Hobbs said she was proud of Mildura City Heart’s business community during the pandemic.
“They are still finding the energy to make sure their business stays afloat and not just survive, but thrive beyond this,” she said.
“Please I do not want to see (lockdown) 3.0, so I definitely urge everyone to do the right thing, make sure you shop safe, use the sanitiser, wear your mask, socially distance — everything we possibly can do to make sure our community stays safe and our business community stays safe too.”
