Why Are We Doing This?
Just like the listings on this website, MMR is a small business, and we’ve been hit hard with the COVID-19 restrictions. While we are trying everything to not close our doors we identified that many of our clients’ operations have had to reduce their teams to skeleton staff, introduce pay cuts, freeze all spending or even completely shut down, which is hard to watch.
So we decided that we would do something to support other small businesses, like us, to help give everyone a fighting chance to weather this crisis, as we’re all in this together.
We conceived the idea out of an identified necessity. Necessity is the mother of invention. So we fleshed out the concept, built a website and started populating it with business listings whom we identified as having to pivot to adapt to the new conditions we face. We have spent our own money (at a time when money is scarce), time and resources. We have utilised our own team who have worked on this every single day since its conception in early April. This includes weekends and Easter. They haven’t stopped. They have volunteered their time to work on the weekends, public holidays and evenings. Our team has shown just why they are so special, by owning this initiative and doing everything they can to make it work, and help other small businesses, not just in our community, but across Australia.
We can guarantee you that it is 100% free to list your business on this website. No catches. No obligations. No steak knives.
Right now, during this crisis, there is such a thing as a ‘free lunch’. And now that Melbourne is back under lockdown, with the toughest restrictions rolled out since this all started, the community, small businesses and employees need support more than ever.
You can help support this initiative by listing your business, or by helping a business you support know about the site so they can get on here. Spread the word through your networks, social channels, virtual catch-ups. The more people who use it, the better.
Together, we can work to get through this.
Take care and stay calm, considered and confident – Rob.
Rob Kennedy
Managing Director – MMR
stillopen@mmr.com.au
Since going live in April, our site has been getting some attention in the media, which has has been very welcome in spreading the word and helping small business, not just through the first lockdown, but right through the second lockdown as well.
Here are just some of the press links to date…
Business Australia – 10 Initiatives to Pay It Forward during COVID-19
Australian Retailers Association
10 daily – https://10daily.com.au/news/australia/new-website-shows-aussies-which-local-businesses-are-still-open-in-lockdown (unfortunately the 10 Daily Website has since been shut down due to budget cuts at the broadcaster).
And a nice 2 minutes of airtime on SEN 1116