THINK SMALL
Helping fellow Aussies
Just months ago, the #buyfromthebush campaign was a lifeline for struggling businesses trying to stay afloat in droughtstricken communities. Now, small business owners across Australia are praying loyal customers and government bailouts can save them from going under during the COVID-19 crisis. Since social distancing and self-isolation became the norm across the country, retail businesses, cafes, beauty salons and fitness studios quickly felt the sting as sales dropped by up to 80 per cent in some areas, leading to staff cuts, reduced hours and even closures.
But the prospect of hundreds of thousands of workers losing their jobs became real last week when it was announced that Australia would follow in the footsteps of major cities such as New York by enforcing our own more drastic measures – a complete shutdown of non-essential services, possibly for up to six months, to stop the rapid spread of the virus.
As “irresponsible” people refused to follow the health advice to stay at home, and the number of new cases surged, the government ordered pubs, clubs, gyms, restaurants and cinemas to close indefinitely, leaving many uncertain about their financial future.
The government’s $66 billion coronavirus stimulus to help small and medium
businesses with employees through the hard times will issue grants totalling up to $100,000, but Prime Minister Scott Morrison recognised that unemployment is inevitable. “We cannot prevent all the many hardships, many sacrifices that we will face in the months ahead,” he said.
But while business districts emptied out as desk-bound employees worked from home, those whose livelihoods depend on being in the public space have pleaded with others to help keep them in jobs.
Sydney shop owner Alix Crockett’s familyrun homewares and clothing store, Live This (livethis.com.au), has been operating successfully in Randwick’s bustling ‘The
Spot’ since 2005, but for the last two weeks, a noticeable decline in foot traffic has caused serious concern about the business’ future. “Each day it seems a lack of confidence or fear of the unknown among the public has shown in the declining numbers we see coming through the door,” Crockett tells WHO. “If we don’t have sales coming through the door, we don’t have money for the wages. We also don’t have money for our rent, which is already ridiculously high.”
Although Crockett, who runs the business with her fiancé Luke Kendall, has already had to cut back the hours of all but one of her staff members, she’s hoping a new ‘pay online and pick up’ initiative will stabilise sales and work within social-distancing guidelines by allowing people to order and pay online, then collect their purchases outside.
“We can run their purchases out to them,” explains Crockett, who has a son, Beau, 4, with Kendall. “We feel it’s efficient and with minimal human contact, and there’s no delivery fee. You can even support without paying a cent by sharing, liking, and talking about your favourite small businesses with others. Every bit helps!”
The mum of one says the anxiety during this unprecedented crisis is being felt by the surrounding small-business community. “It’s not really a question of what we can apply immediately, but
how we are going to make it through the other side,” she tells WHO. “I spoke with another business owner and he has put half of his staff working from home, but bricks and mortar retail doesn’t allow for that. There’s nothing we can offer floor staff to do behind the scenes.”
Even if the store isn’t required to close to comply with the predicted full lockdown, Crockett says the usually buzzing area is now a ghost town. “It’s predominantly restaurants, cafes, The Ritz cinema, which brings a lot of customers … now restaurants [and cinemas] are closed, there’s no point us being open if our whole area is shut down.”
It’s a similar story for Brisbane interior designer Alexa Nice, who opened her boutique (alexanice.com) a year ago in Fortitude Valley. “The retail component of the business relies on 80 per cent face-to-face customers, with online only contributing 20 per cent,” Nice, 36, tells WHO, adding that foot traffic has gone from quiet to “almost non-existent” in recent weeks.
“As you can imagine, we are currently suffering a huge loss in revenue. I have had to make cutbacks on all casuals and as a result, I am taking on all of the hours as well as juggling being a single parent.”