While we are following the #CDCguideline on the #CoronaVirus, workers and small business owners are worried about how they are going to make it. A lot of questions are being asked: how are we gonna pay for rent, food, and utilities? The government promised us some money to help us go through this pandemic, in the meanwhile, here are some things you can do:
- Cut down unnecessary expenses: Cancel gym memberships, by the way, I am enrolled in Planet Fitness, in the midst of the Covid-19, they managed to charge my bank account while the gym is closed, they are not giving me the option to even cancel the membership. The gyms are closed and of course, their website says to go to a branch if I want to cancel the service. I am still disputing the transaction, to get my money back. Planet Fitness isn’t responding to email, phone calls, nor Twitter. God knows, they will probably charge again next month while gyms are still closed.
- Look through your bank transactions, your emails, to find services and memberships that you’re no longer using. Even though certain companies say that they will not charge for services and membership fees, keep in mind that you are on automated billing, when the time comes, they will hit your bank card. So make the safe move, cancel, make sure you get a confirmation number or email, call them to have your information remove from their database until further notice. It is sad to see how big companies are taking advantage of people in a situation like this one.
- If you have a small business, try to keep in touch with your clients, call them personally, email them, talk to them to find out how you can still help them with your service/product. If possible, give free service, if you are in the food business, you can deliver through Uber Eat, Doordash, Postmates, Grubhub, and other delivery services. If you have a bar, a deli, you should still be able to deliver what you have. For services like beauty shops, nail salon, barber shops you can offer advice, one on one tutorial, video call your customers, that way you will feel more connected and helpful to them.
- It’s the time to be creative, explore your possibility, don’t wait on the government or your local state officials, act now.
- Avoid unnecessary expenses, some of us love to shop, now it’s time to slow down. As a matter of fact, if you have stuff in your house that you don’t need, repurpose them, sell them on Ebay, Craigslist, Facebook Market place, Poshmark and so on. Save the money, cause every penny count.
- Let’s not forget the most vulnerable, the elderly still need our help, volunteer, use the PPE to cook for them, go to their houses show some love.