The Next 100 Days: How you can help your town centre businesses

Tuesday marked 100 days in lockdown.

For over three months, we have lived very different lives with shops and schools closed, businesses working from home, and every facility ruled out of bounds in a bid to curtail the spread of coronavirus.

This week also saw non-essential shops re-opening for the first time since March 23, while schools are set to return full-time in August.

But as the pandemic continues to impact on our daily lives, we want to get a sense of people’s hopes for the next 100 days.

We asked them all the same three questions:1. What are your hopes and fears for the next 100 days?2. What help would you ideally like to help restart things?3. How can local people help businesses like yourselves?Dom Panetta, owner Migele ExperienceWhat are your hopes and fears for the next 100 days?Generally speaking I prefer to look at the positive of most things in life and there are always opportunities and lessons to learn in any adversity.

I think one of the most important aspects in this present situation is that we must operate our businesses and our lives in as safe an environment as possible because the main risk would be if we had a second wave.

However, if we do continue to behave in this new way then we have a real chance of getting back on track and making our business fly.

Having been forced to put the business into hibernation has given me a different perspective on how it should be run.

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It’s amazing how un-necessary costs creep up on you, then when you realise you don’t need it, don’t reinstate it. We’ll certainly be running much leaner which will have a positive effect on our profitability.

I plan to continue investing time and money in the business which will ultimately increase standards in service and the quality of our work.

Can you imagine if most businesses in Kirkcaldy increased their offering, the whole town would benefit?

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What help would you ideally like to help restart things?As we are a business located in the town centre I believe a more positive view of our town centre would certainly help our business and all businesses in the centre.

I walked along the town centre this week and despite the fact that some shops had closed others are about to be launched and there was certainly life.Having come through a period where people have helped each other that should continue and we should all do our best to shop local as much as we possibly can.

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Businesses should work together, a perfect example would be the artisan market.There are good things happening but we’ve got to make it happen.

How can local people help businesses like yourselves?I would need to know what’s available plus Fife Council have apart to play in making it easier for people to shop and spend time in the town centre then all businesses would benefit.

Cheaper fairer car parking, encourage residential so there are more potential customers living within the community.

Allow traffic to come along the high street so that you can even allow small buses bringing people down. Encourage street cafes despite our unpredictable weather.

There’s so much that can be done that wouldn’t cost much but that would generate a buzz. The people of Kirkcaldy must talk it up – not talk it down.

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspapers - the Fife Free Press, Fife Herald, St Andrews Citizen and East Fife Mail.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the highest standards in the world. The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers and consequently the advertising that we receive. We are now more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news by buying a copy of our newspaper.

Thank you

Allan Crow, Editor, Fife Free Press