The best way to avoid getting coronavirus is to stay home and steer clear of social interaction - but what does that mean for a small business and employees in Muswell Hill?
We are calling all our traders to respond to a drop in revenue as customers stay home by fundamentally changing the ways they work.
As the coronavirus spreads, we are urging our small business owners to rethink their strategies and adjust their services.
If you run a restaurant, consider offering more pick up or delivery options.
For example, restaurants in China are implementing ‘contactless’ pickups to keep people safe.
Here, customers order via an app, website or phone call, workers put the orders in sealed bags, and they are placed in pick up spots where no human contact is required.
You can knock on the door, put it on customers’ doorsteps and walk away.
Restaurants and cafes could also offer semi-finished dishes for their customers who would like to stay home and cook themselves.
If you have a retail shop think about increasing your online presence and offer more products to be delivered.
Or roll out an online promotion, so you still have a steady stream of revenue if social distancing becomes a reality.
As our high street is hit hard by the impact of coronavirus, this is not the time to double down crushing your competition.
It’s time to come together with your competitors and brainstorm ways everyone can get creative during this unprecedented time.
We need our community to embrace the idea so that we can still use our high street, just not necessarily in the traditional manner.
If you, the residents, have the means, you can support small businesses by buying gift vouchers, shopping local online, taking advantage of discounts and ordering in.
It’s never been so important to spend local.
For more information on Muswell Hill business and how to support local traders, visit muswellbusiness.wordpress.com or email muswellbusiness@gmail.com
For the latest coronavirus news from the Ham&High and across north London visit our live blog and join our Facebook group.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here