#BTColumn – COVID-19 curse and chances

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by this author are their own and do not represent the official position of the Barbados Today.

by Kammie Holder

Perhaps the COVID-19 pandemic can be exploited to achieve greatness and positive change. Two changes we should see are changes in eating habits to live healthier lives among people and business innovation in marketing to remain sustainably competitive.

For many years, health authorities have been warning about the devastating impact of unhealthy and poor choices in our food consumption, as well as the resulting high charge on the government’s limited purse.

Many the world over ignored and believed health authorities were out of place to tell them what they should eat or not eat. Sodium, the electrolyte, is often mistaken for the corrosive sodium chloride, which is linked to heart disease,
strokes and hypertension.

Yet many refused to shake off the salt habit. Up comes a coronavirus called COVID-19 like a thief in the night, which suddenly makes all persons suffering with Non-Communicable Diseases and who are immunocompromised its prime targets. Let me say, the virus targets all, but the aforementioned are the most vulnerable due to poor health. Thus, COVID-19 should be the greatest catalyst for a diet audit and food eating modification for healthier bodies as well as minds.

The pandemic has forced change upon us and, by showing stubbornness, is an albatross of progress. Now, for businesses to remain competitive, it will mean re- examining service and product delivery while seeking the best economies of scale.

Can some of the abandoned BIDC buildings be created into apps incubators to allow structured coding and network for like-minded people all day, seven days a week, 365 days a year? It’s time we have zonal Silicon Valley for we cannot be inhibited by the belief in the Lazarus syndrome.

Ensuring survival of commerce during this pandemic may also mean forming strategic alliances or mergers to strengthen brand survivability. We have seen the impossible all of a sudden becoming possible. All of a sudden ice cream no longer melts if bought via a drive thru. Fine dining services are now a home service for hire and you no longer have to stand in a line like a beggar seeking alms to renew a driver licence.

I will go a step further and say perhaps a national rallying mantra must be enunciated by our ultimate leader, the Prime Minister, who enjoys great popularity. Just as we have “Not bout hey” and “Ever so welcome, wait for a call.”  For we cannot underestimate the power of words from powerful, popular and personable leaders like our Prime Minister.

If ever there was a time the national consciousness needed a jolt to stop sucking on the nipples of governments, the
COVID-19 pandemic has provided that opportunity. For those who may be tempted to misunderstand the aforementioned statement, I am not saying the labour parties must stray from their socio-democratic ethos, but extreme mendicancy can be a catalyst for retrograde socio-economic development.

Many companies expect to suck on the taxpayers in their time of need but in the past refused to embrace Corporate Social Responsibility. Let me say it’s also pathetic that hotels expect to heavily lean on the NIS. Are these not the same hotels that benefit from heavy taxpayers funded advertising and beg for every concession under the sun?

This paragraph is not about beating up on the hotels but to remind them they should give back like the Golden Sands Hotel, which is always giving back pro bono. These hotels should also learn a lesson from COVID, which is that local tourism is a form of income. I hope that they can, with the help of the government, come up with some packaged promotion for lovers and couples during February as lovers are also suffering loneliness from quarantine restricted socialization in their home countries.

Finally, I would like to humbly suggest the Chamber of Commerce, Small Business Association and Barbados Employers Confederation, Credit Unions and Bankers Association have a national consultation on developing a Blue Ocean Strategy for Barbados. Only a strong, focused and structured strategic response will save most businesses. Just pouring money into the economy or offering concessionary loans to increase disbursements are traps which will ruin lives and families. We can continue to blame COVID-19 or embrace the contingent opportunities the pandemic has created.