The August 10 earthquake affected premises, inventories and workdays across much of the department. Today many of those businesses are open again, and what they need most is customers.
To bring them closer, the Gobierno de Caldas, through the Secretaría de Desarrollo, Empleo e Innovación, has launched Es Natural Ayudar a Caldas, a platform that connects affected business owners with people who want to support them.
"We want this platform to be a bridge between our affected business owners and consumers," explained Juanita Espeleta Noreña, Secretary of Development, Employment and Innovation of Caldas, during its presentation.
How to buy
On esnaturalayudaracaldas.com, each business has a profile with what it sells, the municipality where it is located and how to contact it. Anyone who wants to buy writes to or calls the owner directly. The sale is agreed between the two, and the full payment goes to the merchant.
Today the showcase brings together 102 businesses from 17 municipalities. There is coffee, crafts, food, clothing and footwear, restaurants and beauty services. And one category stands out: tourism and lodging, with 38 businesses.
Traveling through Caldas also helps
That number says something concrete. A good share of those waiting for customers are lodgings and tourism activities that can be contacted right now. Spending a night in Chinchiná or a weekend in Riosucio is already just one message away.
Each booking helps a business in the region keep its people working.
For affected business owners
Businesses that want to appear in the showcase register on the same page, using the option Registra tu comercio (Register your business). All it takes is publishing the profile with a WhatsApp number so customers can write directly.
From there you can also reach the census of businesses with losses run by each chamber of commerce. Being in that census is the requirement to access any support that is defined, so it is advisable to complete it even if the profile is already published.
Other ways to contribute
The platform also brings together the Fondo Solidario por los Empresarios de Caldas, created to support those who were affected, and the TerritorioLAB space, which receives ideas and solutions for economic reactivation.
"It is not only about asking for support, but about creating mechanisms so that this support translates into purchases, resources, information and solutions," said Secretary Espeleta Noreña.
The invitation is simple: go to the showcase, choose a business and make your first purchase today.
Es natural ayudar a Caldas.
