What kind of world will businesses be facing when they are free to reopen their doors on 12th of April?
A long-awaited easing of the third coronavirus lockdown is fast approaching, major parts of the economy, including non-essential retail and hospitality, will be reopening.
Pubs, restaurants and cafes will be serving food and drinks outside in gardens and terraces and it will be table service, personal care premises such as hairdressers and nail salons will be able to take bookings for the first time since December, we are all desperate to get a haircut!
Even with the help of various support mechanisms such as the CJRS, cash grants and business rates holidays our traders still forecast that they’d be unable to pay their bills by the end of the year. There is the obvious financial imperative to reopen and restart trading but it’s not going to be business as usual. Businesses are preparing for the permanence of some changes that have come about in the past few months. What kind of world will Traders be facing when they are free to reopen their doors on the 12th of April?
Some industries may see an immediate upturn in business back to comparable levels before the lockdown was introduced but others could be living with the effects and changes for years to come. It’s hard to imagine the restaurant and hospitality industry enjoying full-to-capacity dining rooms this year.
This is all without factoring in any possible prolonged economic downturn or reduction in the public’s discretionary spending. Less money for purchases means less going to businesses that badly need it and this deflationary chain reaction could prove to be the death knell for entire industries. If there’s one positive that has come out of the uncertain economic landscape we’re facing then it’s that more businesses are beginning to understand and recognise the importance of our local community and need to support each other.
This means going beyond vague ideas of “shopping local” – small businesses and entrepreneurs must focus on sharing advice and methods of mutual support: Local Networking and support of Muswell Business – our Trading Association.
There are many long term benefits that adopting a local focus can offer. For one thing, it allows people with accessibility issues to more easily participate in networking, saves time and keeps money in Muswell Hill. Prioritizing working with local experts and businesses is the way forward. We should, we must use each other services as given.
With the advancement of modern communications technology and the adoption of decentralised working being accelerated by the current pandemic, localised business groups like ours now have an unprecedented opportunity to redefine how businesses can support one another. But we need all businesses and our residents behind us!
Our chief Deanna Bogdanovic runs also the Muswell Business traders’ association, warned it wouldn’t be “business as usual” Read more in the Ham & High article.
https://www.hamhigh.co.uk/…/reopening-of-hampstead-and…
