Well, have you been outside in the past couple of months? Between cities burning and a literal plague sweeping through the entire planet, one thing has been made clear– state responses to global health issues might not be as quick as they should, and we need to ensure the safety of our communities by preparing for times like these.
You might be thinking, events like a pandemic don’t happen all the time, so how are we supposed to know when to prepare for them? The point is we don’t know, and we can’t really afford to gamble on the safety of the community. If you keep the general population safe, you have higher odds of containing viral spread earlier– sparing you from any further losses on account of extended quarantine among other things.
Just like you’d hire building security to make sure your assets are safe, emergency preparedness is one of those expenses you need to factor in. A community is always safer when everyone does their part to prepare, and if other businesses follow your lead, business should be back to normal in no time!
But okay, let’s say you’re not too keen on spending the scratch for it. What’s the worst that could happen if we don’t roll with ol’ miss ‘rona here? From the looks of it, a lot of bad stuff, apparently! That’s not an understatement. Data seems to agree that not addressing the threat is a genuinely terrible choice for business.
The cost of inaction
While the ship of a delayed COVID-19 response has long since sailed, it’s worth noting that the cost of inaction is best illustrated by its effects on the working population, and the extent to which this “new normal” would continue to amplify the existing damage. Who’s getting burned by this, and to what extent?
For starters, lockdowns have had a profound effect on the local gig economy, particularly with home and ride sharing services. Small business owners have also been struggling to stay afloat in the absence of regular foot traffic, and usually resort to employee layoffs to help manage existing overhead. It’s a sad sight, with effects that ripple out into the community.
The world at large took warnings from the academic and medical community for granted, and now we’re in this mess whether we want to or not. Moving forward, the very least we could do is have proper safety nets in place to mitigate the cost of inaction. It’s a little extra on top of regular operational costs, but the payoff is worth more than just the sticker price.
