Connect with us
Limerick Businesses Covid 19 Limerick Businesses Covid 19

Awareness

Supporting Limerick businesses and artists through the Covid-19 Crisis

Limerick Businesses Covid 19

Owner of Tuscany Bistro Sabrina Amodeo pictured with her daughter Maxine, prior to the closure of their bistro as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Supporting Limerick businesses and artists through the Covid-19 Crisis

By I Love Limerick Correspondent Mary Doyle


advertisement




advertisement




advertisement




advertisement




advertisement



As the healthcare system continues to fight the spread of the Coronavirus, local businesses and artists are fighting their own battle, as the financial effects of Covid-19 are becoming apparent. After a national shut down of pubs, clubs, gyms, beauty salons, restaurants and other businesses, the economy is taking a major hit. It is vital that we find new ways to support local businesses and artists during this pandemic, as many are struggling.

Purchasing gift vouchers from your favourite businesses is an excellent way to show them support. Gift vouchers for hairdressers, shops and restaurants for example, do not expire and can be used at a later date, while giving businesses a temporary income without putting customers or employees at risk. Vouchers can be purchased on the websites of businesses, so the rules of self-isolation and social distancing do not have to be compromised.

Write a positive online review of your favourite restaurant, gym or salon to promote their business and encourage customers to visit once they are reopened. Use Google, TripAdvisor or Facebook to spread the word about how amazing your local businesses are, boosting their ratings and encouraging future sales. These are just temporary closures, so do your bit to promote them now so that once they reopen, business will be better than ever.

Show your support for local businesses on social media; follow their social media pages, tag them in photos and locations, share their posts. The beauty of social media is that interaction and communication can continue between businesses and their customers, during a time that their doors are closed.

Limerick Businesses Covid 19

Limerick’s Emma Langford is among the many artists whose work is being affected as a result of Covid-19.

Speaking on the situation, Manager of Limerick’s Tuscany Bistro, Maxine Amodeo, said, “This is a seriously crazy time. One most of us never expected to encounter. But you can continue to support businesses like our Bistro in many ways. Write us a positive review, follow our social media, tag us in your photos, recreate one of our recipes that we have been posting and saving on our Instagram highlights – it’s a nice way for us all to be together and interact.”

Remaining positive, Maxine said, ”We now all have more time which really is a huge luxury. Time to challenge yourself a little, relax a lot, read those books on the shelf and drink that hot chocolate. Start dancing if you stopped. Listen to your favourite music even if it’s from your childhood. Make your favourite dish and bake with the kids.”

“Everyone at Tuscany Bistro looks forward to welcoming you all back when this pandemic is over. Please stay safe everyone. We are missing you all so much and cannot wait to be back chatting and spending time with our team and customers.”

Artists are also feeling the brunt of the pandemic, with Limerick musicians and singers such as Emma Langford and Fox Jaw forced to compromise gigs and cancel shows, resorting to other ways that they can promote their music through their social media.

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by Emma Langford (@emmalangfordmusic) on

There are plenty of ways that you can continue to support your favourite musical artists if you are in a position to do so, like purchasing their albums and merchandise, refraining from claiming a refund for show tickets, tuning into their social media to keep up to date, and promoting and sharing their music and projects on your own social media. The arts are needed now more than ever to provide entertainment, comfort and purpose to all of us, as we navigate this isolation period.

Speaking on the situation, Limerick singer-songwriter Emma Langford said, “This is a trying time for everyone, and a time when the arts and entertainment industry really comes into play. People turn to music, books and film for comfort in times of crisis. It’s a difficult time for artists too, as work opportunities vanish into thin air in an industry that is already unpredictable and unreliable. But I believe we all have the creativity to find ways to survive – we’re strongest when we, as a community, work together to help each other, and we’re doing that. To support us, our audience just needs to be there, to tune in and to spread the word, and to throw a euro in our digital hats when we hold them out. It’s as simple as that”. Limerick Businesses Covid 19

For more information on Tuscany Bistro, click here.

For more information on Emma Langford, click here.

For more stories on Covid-19, click here.

Richard is a presenter, producer, songwriter and actor. He was named the Limerick Person of the Year (2011) and won an online award at the Metro Éireann Media and Multicultural Awards (2011) for promoting multi-culturalism online. Richard says that the ilovelimerick.com concept is very much a community driven project that aims to document life in Limerick. So, that in 20 years time people can look back and remember the events that were making the headlines.