The first quarter of 2020 was not an easy one for any of us. The Covid-19 pandemic was unexpected and none of us were prepared for the measures we had to take to safeguard our health and that of our loved ones. 

As a nation we have however stood up and, with resilience, discipline and responsibility implemented the measures the Government and Health authorities asked us to, even if these led to most of our businesses suffering a loss of income, loss of jobs, and a radical change of in our business plans. 

However, some of you, the protagonists of the Maltese economy, have chosen not to give in to the situation and instead figured out creative ways of helping others whilst creating new revenue streams for your business. Some businesses changed their production line, others ventured into the unknown by giving e-commerce and online sales a try. This is a commendable effort by those of you who chose to turn around something that is essentially negative into something positive and reap its fruit. 

Throughout this ordeal, the Family Business Office has tried to offer whatever support it could, not just through its day-to-day work but also by sharing good practices so that others may be inspired by those who have taken the initiative and the lead in using this time to create new business concepts and implement them creatively. 

If you were one of these business heroes and are part of a family business, we want to hear from you. Your experience may help others boost their confidence, encouraging them to implement an exit strategy that shall take us to the next phase back to what we know as normality. Together we can do this – One Nation, One Family.