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AS THE owner of a small business that sells household furnishings, I am worried how my business will operate once lockdown is eased.

I have seen Government information but I’m still unsure when I can open and what measures I will need to put in place when I do resume trading.

I don’t know how my business will keep going once this is all over. Can you help me?

Lockdown restrictions in Scotland are being eased in a series of tiered phases, as outlined by the Scottish Government.

The purpose of this is to minimise the risk of the virus spreading and lessen the chances of a resurgence of the virus as things begin to slowly return to normal.

Businesses are advised to have some social distancing measures in place for when they reopen, such as ensuring a distance of two metres is maintained between people using business premises.

This includes people waiting to enter the business premises, with the trader responsible for ensuring that people are only permitted to enter in sufficiently small numbers to allow physical distancing to take place.

From Monday, retail businesses with street access (ie not in malls or shopping centres), were allowed to reopen, with guidance in place to ensure social distancing and safety.

The rules are subject to change over time, and to ensure that you are operating within these rules, regularly check for relevant Government announcements at www.gov.scot

There are potential issues for those who go against the Government advice and operate outside of lockdown rules.

In situations where an owner, proprietor or manager (or a person responsible for other premises) goes against the regulations set out by the Government, that person is committing an offence.

Businesses breaching the regulations will be subject to prohibition notices and fixed penalty notices (fines) in cases of non-compliance.

If prohibition notices are not followed or fixed penalty notices are not accepted, then legal action can be taken against you, which can include fines up to £10,000, so it is best to ensure you and your business are operating within the law.

All the decisions being made by the Government in response to the public health crisis, including lockdown restrictions, are reviewed regularly.

The legislation sets out that this should be at least every three weeks but changes can be made on a more regular basis.

More information specific to your business can be obtained by contacting consumeradvice.scot on 0808 164 6000, where your case can be referred to local Trading Standards.

You may also be eligible for financial support during the crisis. Sources of help for small businesses include the Business Support Fund, Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and Bounce Back Loans.

The Self Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), offers payments for self-employed individuals unable to work, to help them through the crisis.

Additionally, payments of VAT and Self-Assessment Tax have been deferred to later than usual to help ensure businesses maintain cash flows.

You can find more info on the different sources of support for businesses at www.findbusinesssupport. gov.scot

I hope your business can get back to trading normally as soon as possible.