Unless you’ve been stranded on a desert island since the start of year, there is no way to have missed the breaking news about Coronavirus (COVID-19).Not since the great Spanish flu in 1918 has influenza been recorded to be as destructive and contagious as COVID-19. Now the contagion has been officially declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) and thus top lawmakers, doctors, government officials have imposed mandatory quarantines worldwide. Several countries have taken this literally including Italy, Spain, and France, and now Silicon Valley, the hub of the world tech-industry now more closely resembles a ghost-town as opposed to the digital mecca it is universally known for.
Facebook, Apple and Twitter, have requested that all employees work remotely. Google however took it to a step further and banned all visitors from their Silicon Valley and New York offices. The United States is in the process of closing schools, bars, restaurants and stores which are all complying with an edict from Governor Newsom issuing a mandatory quarantine unless citizens venture out to shop for food or medical appointments. Already, professional sports leagues are suspending their seasons, virtually cancelling both the Stanley Cup Playoffs (NHL) and the NBA Finals (NBA) both of which get underway in March with Finals in June. Major League Baseball (MLB) has cancelled spring training until further notice and for the first time in history, the NCAA president Mark Emmert and the Board of Governors announced that all Division I men’s and women’s 2020 basketball tournaments have been cancelled including March Madness.
The markets are in turmoil as the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average have entered bear market territory for the first time since 2008.. People are selling so quickly that the market has had to institute its emergency trading halts several times in the past few weeks. These triggers come into play when the market drops by more than 7 percent.. Many reliable companies have gone red in the span of just a few weeks. On the other hand, there are other industries that might actually see a boost.
With Clorox, Lysol and Purrell all boasting considerable gains- to be expected- and Big-box retailers like Costco and Sam’s Club having to close stores early to allow employees to replenish bare shelves from hordes of panic buyers…again, no shock here. The one industry that seems to have blindsided most analysts is the dating industry. Huh? Yep, not a typo. In times of crisis, people instinctively seek out one another looking for reassurance, comfort and companionship. This was true following the attacks of September 11th, 2001 where total strangers embraced one another while they tried in vain to make sense of a tragic situation.
No one wants to go through adversity alone. Universal pain and suffering seems to be the great equalizer…your three-million-dollar house in Palo Alto with the coveted zip code can’t save you. Neither can your boat, Range Rover, Harley or Tesla. When President Trump placed a mandatory travel ban on all flights from Europe for the next thirty days, folks could be seen begging, then ultimately paying up to twenty-thousand-dollars for a ticket home to the US. Dire straits tend to offer those willing to see a clear perspective. Nothing is more important than being with those you love. Nothing is more comforting than being with those we trust in uncertain times.
This is why business is booming for go-to personal search firm Kelleher International. Based in Silicon Valley and boasting offices in London, Stockholm, New York, Beverly Hills, Boston and their flagship located in the heart of Silicon Valley, in Marin County, ,California. The firm is the uber hush-hush choice of A-listers, Fortune 500 CEOs as well as household name athletes and celebrities. This a unique population that can be severely impacted by the issues surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. They are simply looking for companionship to help them through a difficult time. This is one of the major reasons why the dating industry sees a major boost during times of crisis. With so few people able to go outside in public, particularly with bars and restaurants closing, there are limited opportunities for human interaction. Kelleher represents a respite from the crisis unfolding not only in the United States but all over the world.
While the coronavirus pandemic has triggered the shutdown of numerous industries and has contributed to a global financial emergency, the dating industry is actually one of the lucky few that will likely see a financial uptick in business. During times of crisis, the human instinct is to reach out for fellowship,comfort and relationship with the rest of humanity. No one wants to end up quite literally alone. If there is a brightside to an otherwise frightening set of circumstances, it’s coming to the realization individually that there is absolutely nothing more valuable or important than love.
