Business dropped off since Black Saturday
Organisations like the Country Women's Association and the Red Cross have identified a common thread in country communities under stress, The stress can have many causes, weather, rainfall, crop failure, bushfire, etc.
The common thread is that many, if not most women will put the welfare of their families, children and husband, before their own welfare. Many times, resulting in their own welfare being neglected.
In our district, since the early days of the relief and rebuilding effort, we have tried to prepare pamper packs for the women. The packs were sometimes quite basic, but things that women will hesitate to get, thinking that this is not essential or important. And yet, it is very important. If the woman has a few cosmetics, or a skin lotion, shampoo or the ordinary little things that make life easier, she will feel better in herself, and therefore be able to look after her family a little better.
In Callignee, Koornalla and Le Roy there were some home based businesses and the people who ran them, among them was Lisa, a qualified and experienced beauty therapist who ran (and still runs) Lisa's Beauty 2 U a beauty salon, featuring the following products and services:
- Massage,
- Manicure
- Pedicure
- Waxing
- Tinting
- Catalina Geo professional make up
- Dermalogica facial and skin care products
- As well as a mobile party plans.
After Black Saturday, Lisa was closed for a month, and since then, her business has been running at a fraction of it's pre-fire rate.
The number of bookings has dropped by 50% since the bushfire. Partly, because many of the clients who lived in the vicinity have now been spread far and wide because their homes have been destroyed, or they are busy rebuilding their lives and homes, with other priorities being given for the disposable income.
Lisa is not alone in this predicament, but her situation is typical of a type of problem, and it has been highlighted, to indicate that even with the community getting together and the rebuilding process being in full swing, there will be some members of the community whose lives and businesses will take longer to rebuild.
There are plans and schemes from Federal, State and Local government departments to help people of many classifications and situations, but Lisa looks like being one of those people who is not covered by the various plans and schemes. She has quite simply fallen between the cracks.