I don’t know about you, but I love this time of year. Brisbane is not too hot, but you can feel summer coming and the city Jacarandas are in full bloom. It’s like they turn on a special show every October and remind us to appreciate every moment because they don't last long. I had thought it wouldn’t feel as special this year. Before moving to West End, we lived in the ‘burbs across the road from a park filled with the October purple haze and every weekend, the area was filled with brides and families having photo shoots. It was always lovely seeing so many locals enjoying our little suburban village. But West End is loaded with it’s fair share of lilac pretty too. My morning walk along the river fills me with wonder at the colour of the blossoms in the morning light. And I am not alone in this appreciation of the colour fest. I was bailed up by 2 other West End locals this morning commenting on the colours while I was taking photos for this blog. After 2 years of doom and gloom, the simple things of nature have provided some well needed hope and optimism.
Speaking of optimism, since the talk of opening the Queensland border began this week, many of our clients are starting to see tiny sparks of hope of an upturn in the economy. The hospitality businesses have had more catering enquiries, the retail businesses have had more shoppers in their stores and the tradies have back-to-back jobs booked for months to come. I hope this feeling is widespread and that all small businesses are feeling the vibe. Fingers crossed.
Finally, this week JOG have been successful in assisting another application and approval of a late COVID Grant. Our early applications for clients took 4 weeks to receive approval. This one took 4 hours. I’m guessing this means they have successfully worked through the backlog of claims. Our client was delighted and has grand plans for the cash boost. So, it appears that it’s not too late to apply. Applications don’t close until 16 November and here at JOG we would be happy to help you out with preparing any of the paperwork and hoop jumping. Then, maybe your business can have a triple whammy of happy to celebrate by year end; open borders, an upturn in the economy and government assistance to build an even better small business beyond 2021.
