44 BCBUSINESS JULY/AUGUST 2020
up to full speed. "The first couple of weeks,
we worked eight hours a day to get every-
thing online."
The Rufus crew also made videos and
boosted its Instagram content, attracting
10,000 followers. McNamee had to lay off
staff, though he kept on all the teachers,
who moved online. Like Boquist at Walrus,
he's missed out on some government sup-
port. For example, Rufus is making enough
money that it's not eligible for the commer-
cial rent relief program.
But McNamee is as confident as anyone
can be in his position that the business
will survive. In his experience, even when
there's a year-or-more-long recession, music
retail typically does well because people
decide to make their own fun.
COVID-19,
which forced everyone to stay home, actu-
ally brought in some new customers.
Like everyone else in B.C., though,
McNamee can't predict what will happen in
the obstacle course of pandemic mutations
and ever-changing government support
programs. For now, for him, for many, the
most important thing: "We're alive."
n
Average
economic loss
per business
permit/licence
–$721,808
–$474,171 Revenue
–$39,219 Business lease
–$104,703 Employment
–$103,715 Supplier sales
Average loss
to business:
Average broader
economic loss:
Pre-COVID, Loco BC, a nonprofit advocacy and consulting group that
works with local businesses, tallied the cost of commercial permit
and licence delays for retailers and others in the City of Vancouver
Average wait time per permit/licence: 8.2 months
–$513,390
–$208,418
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