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Open Your Heart!
October 24, 2007

You’ve seen the devastation caused by the fires in Southern California.  It’s in all the newspapers and on TV, almost non-stop.  TV gives us all an up close interview of the victims, standing in front of their burnt out homes, explaining how they had just minutes to grab their lives, stuff it into their cars, along with their pets and head for safety over fire-swept roads.  Our hearts go out to them.  So far over 1,600 homes have been leveled.



In the Orange County Register, Costa Mesa-based Anna’s Linens, a discount home furnishings chain, said it evacuated two stores in San Diego County and may have to evacuate more.  Access to Orchard Hills Village Center is limited.  A spokesman for Foothill Ranch-based Oakley said some employees had trouble getting to work Monday morning.  

The wildfires raging through much of Southern California have forced companies in the area to fall back onto their business continuity plans. Those with solid plans seem to be weathering the disaster fairly well, while others may be more strongly impacted by the crisis.

Short term the fires and smoke will lead to slowing retail sales, but according to the LA Times  "In the odd nature of economic accounting, this will probably be a stimulus," said Alan Gin, a University of San Diego economist. "There will be a huge amount of rebuilding in the next couple of years, financed by insurance payments."

One caveat:  if you see these fires as an opportunity for your business, think twice before acting.  In 2001, I worked for a company that offered web seminar services.  The owner came up with the idea of helping New York businesses affected by the horror of the WTC attack.  In a mass email he offered our services, our web seminar software, to businesses struggling to communicate with their clients at a 20% discount.  To be fair, his heart was in the right place, but he didn’t want to price our services below cost.  The email was a PR nightmare!  When so many people were volunteering their services for free, his email was taken as profiteering on other’s misery.

Your help is needed, no strings attached.  If you can give your services or products for free, do it!  There are many hotels that are giving more than half their rooms for whatever time it takes, free to those people who have had to run to escape the flames.  Those that have found shelter in the Qualcom stadium are being fed and clothed for free.  Open your heart and your pocketbook if you can, because it is the right thing to do.

Do you want to help, but don't know how, email me at landfair3554@comcast.net.  I will find an answer!

Posted by Mike Landfair on October 24, 2007 | Comments (0)