Published by Programme B
The Clock is Now Ticking Down to the Return of Normality
Having made all manner of sacrifices over the last year during the pandemic, there is finally some sign that normality may soon be returning to our lives, although it is true to say that the vaccine rollout in Canada is not without its problems.
Both self-employed and employed people have been taking financial hit after hit recently, and that has been repeated the world over, and it has been an extremely stressful time for us all, there is no getting away from that fact.
Furlough schemes have helped in many countries of the world and all manner of grants and loan schemes have also been launched to help business owners ride out the effects of the pandemic, but sadly not everyone has been able to keep their job or stay in business.
Let’s take the online gambling industry for example, expert Doug Hirdle from Betting.ca , a portal where you can find some of the best casino sites, stated recently that most business involved in the gambling industry have also been taking a hit, so even companies that have often been able to weather downturns in the financial climate have been suffering recently and are likely to do so for some considerable time to come too.
Signs of Green Shoots for the Sporting Industry
If there is one industry that has been completely decimated over the last 12 months, it is the sporting industry, for with most sporting events cancelled or postponed repeatedly, that marketplace has been suffering from a complete lack of income.
Many sports clubs have been faced with some difficult decisions too, with ongoing outlays each month they have had to dig deep into any financial reserves they may have had or seek financial support from their club owners and/or by taking out loans.
Whilst the cost of borrowing has been low for the last year or so, getting in debt is something that many sports club owners and those additional businesses associated with the sporting industry have been hesitant to do, for they, like everybody else, have had no idea as to when things will return to normal.
Laying off staff and team members is something most sports clubs have had to do, and it is the case that some of the larger and better-known clubs have had to look at selling off their star players too, in the hope they can raise the desperately needed funds to allow them to continue.
There are of course some green shoots so to speak beginning to appear, and it is hoped that sooner rather than later sporting events are going to be given the green light to return, and in turn it is hoped that fans will start to return to watching live sporting events which will at the very least allow many sports clubs to start generating some income through ticket sales to those events.
However, many business owners have had to pull their advertising budgets and many business owners that once sponsored sports clubs and sports teams and even individual athletes have had no other choice but to pull their sponsorship deals or suspend them.
Therefore, the only hope for the long-term survival of many sports clubs and team will be the loyalty of their fanbase, and the hope that they will help to support them via ticket sales to live sporting events for the foreseeable future.
How Well Have You Coped During Lockdowns?
It can be easy for some people to adapt to change, but when it comes to enforced lockdowns and curfews, for a number of people it has been an exceedingly difficult time and one that they have struggled to make sense of and has led to many people reaching out for help.
Those who run their own businesses have suffered more than most, and therefore I feel it is appropriate for me to advise anyone in such a position to reach out for help regarding moving a business forward once things finally get back to normal, which thankfully will not be too long coming.*
Photo by Radu Florin from Pexels