Boxing and getting boxed

We have been packing on and off, but it has mostly been off so far, as we have been swamped by the changes to work life caused by the global conditions with Covid-19 has thrown our schedule into disarray. Today though, we are going to try and get a lot more done and put as much of the boxing behind us as possible. We are still unsure if we are able to get the moving van we have ordered for next weekend, so we might have to find an alternative - a friend with a van or trailer. We don't have too much heavy item, but it is impossible for me to do it alone and my wife is unlikely to be able to help with things like the bed and couch. I don't think anyone likes moving house at the best of times and these days are definitely not what anyone would call ideal conditions to do pretty much anything. But, these are the conditions we have and therefore, we have to do the best we can.

I am actually trying to see the humor in it all as most saw that 2020 was going to be a year of growth and opportunity worldwide, but none predicted they would be fighting in the supermarket aisles for toilet paper.

Well, that really hasn't happened in Finland as while there was empty shelves, they were restocked quickly. However, the restrictions are expanding and as of yesterday, no one is able to enter or leave the Helsinki region and they have deployed police to patrol the roads. Luckily, we aren't moving there.

Thus far, Finland hasn't been hit too hard by the flu itself, which is likely due to the fact that the Finnish culture is essentially built on social distancing and isolation. I have heard quite a few so far say that not much has really changed in their daily life, as they didn't normally leave the home much anyway. The networks are also strong here and many companies have had remote working for a long time, so it is very much business as usual for a good portion of the population. However, there is also quite a lot of manufacturing here still and of course the bars and restaurants are going to suffer.

The worst thing in this is that over the last two decades, there has been a consolidation of bars and restaurants and they are often owned by the large retail corporations and chains. Over the last few years, there have been a drive for more small business though, and that is what is going to suffer the most under these conditions as they do not have the cash flow from other services to feed in to keep themselves afloat. These kinds of economic crushes definitely favor a survival of the fittest process, with the fittest being the ones with the deepest pockets to weather the storm.

The entrepreneur small business owners are suffering heavily and will feel the effects very fast, as they live off the income month to month. Belts only tighten so far. I am hoping that for many, the government support that is being issued will be of the kind that keeps businesses running and encourage the retention of staff as much as possible, rather than only support the newly unemployed.

Finland has pretty good social services and a great safety net, but it requires good times and saving to keep it sustainable in the lean times. One of the problems I have found in Finland is that a lot of people are unwilling to use the safety net as it is intended, in my opinion. That is, to encourage the attempt to leap, knowing that there is a safety net to ensure that in failure, the fall isn't fatal. The rate of entrepreneurship in Finland is quite low as people would rather the employee life, as it is less work, more stable and doesn't carry the same responsibility. I had the sense that there was an uptake in the rate of entrepreneurship of late, but I think it will be crushed by these conditions quickly. At least to begin with.

What I am hoping is that once the dust settles, people will start to realize that the safest way forward is to distribute revenue streams within the country. One example from the past is the reliance that the country had on Nokia, which brought in billions and hired 30,000 employees. While still running today, it is a much smaller company. Yet, the large office premises they resided in were not empty for long, as startups were birthed and filled the vacuum left, like thunder chasing the lightning. In the wake of the decline, the tech industry actually grew heavily, similar to cutting down a large and very thirst birch tree so that the surrounding plants can flourish.

Countries and citizens seem to love the large corporations and the symbolism and prestige that comes with them, but when it comes to stability, they are points of weakness as when the giants fall, they fall hard. Distributing risk across many points is kind of like the pressure between sitting on a nail, or laying on a bed of nails - quite a few nails need to be removed before they will pierce the skin due to the distribution of weight.

But, it is never easy as one of those distributed nails that is at risk of being removed. I know that for me, my business is going to take very heavy monthly losses for the foreseeable future and risks being lost as an entity completely. I of course do not plan on succumbing to this and will maneuver to try and survive, but there is only so much one can control and a great deal I cannot. What I am not fearful of however is failure, as as long as I strive to do what I can, I can't actually fail - the business most definitely can. I don't plan on identifying myself with the failure of a business.

I think this is actually what holds back many people from starting a business in the first place. Many are scared that they are failures if they can't get their business to work, so it is better to take a position where the failure is the responsibility of others, like as an employee in a corporation, or the unemployed on the couch. Giving the responsibility to others means having someone else to blame, but it means living boxed by the decisions of others. Blaming others might feel good, but it doesn't change much by way of improving conditions.

Time to pack another box.

Taraz
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