Local businesses across the nation need support, so dedicating some time to those in your area is highly recommended.
Uncertain trading conditions and turbulent weathers are just some of the issues plaguing independent firms this winter, with the usual seasonal problems intensified this year in many cases. With a record 250,000 smaller firms on the brink of closure, any help you can provide would undoubtedly be appreciated, sustaining these services until brighter days begin to dawn.
Here are some of the reasons as to why you should take special care to support local businesses for the foreseeable future.
Lockdown Uncertainty
Lockdown brings a host of long-term issues that won’t suddenly be remedied the moment smaller firms can reopen.
For example, public awareness and perception can be key issues. Many business owners are worried about being forgotten, whether it’s being excluded from government support or customers moving on. People will undoubtedly be looking to reinvent their lives somewhat when the current restrictions are over, and part of that shakeup may involve shopping in new places or indulging in newer interests that they took up over the lockdown period.
Even if you don’t utilise their online services or trade with them directly, social media shoutouts and word of mouth recommendations for smaller firms are good ways of doing your part to keep them afloat. Spreading awareness and championing their services could inspire others to use them or track their dealings, which can do more for a business than buying a product or service as a one-off gesture. Keep their names in circulation, and it will provide independent businesses with the most important assurance of all; that there is a future for them when all of this is over.
Using Essential Services
Essential services have remained open during the lockdown, so it is important to use them wherever possible to keep them busy.
For example, snowfall can impact people’s arrival to the workplace, and business owners are perhaps more likely now to tell people to work from home rather than remedy the situation on-site. If you’re a business owner, don’t resort to homeworking the moment you can’t access the premises due to snow – use the right services instead to get things back on track!
For example, quality gritting companies are a great option here. Gritting Works clear all the snow and keep cycle paths clear, but they can also reduce the risks of slips and trips on business premises. They make sure all gritting services are done quickly and only when necessary, and offer pay per visit or contract gritting depending on how often you need them. Gritters are essential and useful, so use them!
Winter Storms
Winter can have a devasting effect on smaller firms, many of whom never recover when the fouler weathers come into play.
For example, in 2015, independent businesses in Hebden Bridge were hit hard by an onslaught of flooding, and it took three months before they could ever reopen. In other affected areas, the impact from winter storms was so devastating that many smaller firms could not reopen at all. While it easy to be drawn in by the more enchanting side of winter, there is a darker side also.
For many shops operating independently, their operations are currently like a house of cards, and it will take only one gust of wind to blow them down. The more people trade with them, however, the more resources they will have at their disposal to make a recovery should bad luck strike.
