7 minute read
FSB SUPPORT
HEN CORONAVIRUS HIT IN
WMarch, thousands of small businesses saw their custom disappear, with many closing their doors until lockdown eased weeks later.
“FSB’s UK public aff airs team worked tirelessly and quickly to get the most support for the most small businesses,” says Martin McTague, National Vice Chair, Policy and Advocacy, at FSB. “We got new measures put in place in a matter of days which would normally take years to design.”
Th e Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, or furlough, was one of the fi rst support mechanisms to be announced, but there was an agonising wait before small business grants and help for the selfemployed came through, which left many small businesses wondering how many days of cash fl ow they might have left. In April – when many were struggling to get access to their banks to get an emergency loan – one network of accountants predicted that a fi fth of small businesses could go under in a matter of weeks.
Many turned to local FSB representatives during this time, fi nding a vital source of advice and a voice for them where it mattered. “Often when I watched the news on coronavirus, FSB was being interviewed, which made me feel they were doing the right things by their members,” remembers Cecilia Grigor, founder of marketing, events and virtual PA service Planit, whose local FSB representative secured her a hardship grant when she thought she might miss out.
FSB was the fi rst business group to launch a dedicated Covid-19 hub to help all small businesses, back in February. And while members have accessed the host of resources available centrally – from furlough templates to printable signage to let people know they’re open again – it has been the local, targeted support that has mattered the most. Here’s how FSB helped three members survive.
JO FARAGHER is a freelance business journalist
need of Hour
When the Covid-19 crisis hit, FSB was on hand to help thousands of small fi rms at a local level all over the UK. Th e businesses featured here are just a few examples. Jo Faragher fi nds out more
Planit Scotland
Without the support she received to look at my contracts and apply for during lockdown, Cecilia Grigor the furlough scheme,” say Ms Grigor. believes she would have been lost and “I joined FSB webinars on furlough facing a very diff erent future. Her and it was good to see people fi ghting Inverness and Highland-based our corner. I was able to pass on company Planit Scotland, which off ers advice to my clients, too.” marketing, events and a range of Ms Grigor initially put all of her outsourced business services, was hit employees on furlough to give her hard by the pandemic, and it looked time to look at what clients needed as though the company moving forward. might fall through the cracks in terms of Government support. ‘It was good to Although there have been some redundancies within the business, it has been
“We don’t pay rates as see people able to recruit for new we work remotely, so we were offered no financial support,” she says. “If I’d fi ghting our corner’ positions to support clients with a Covid recovery plan. Th e events had a tiny office with no side of the business has staff I could have got a been badly aff ected due to £10,000 grant, but with social distancing six employees based at home I restrictions, but “not having all our couldn’t get anything.” eggs in one basket” means the
Ms Grigor took to Twitter to air her company has been able to keep going. frustration and seek support from her “We’re leaner, but we have defi nitely MP, Drew Hendry. Her local FSB come out stronger,” she says. development manager David “Th ere were also so many changes Richardson was on the case, as he to the schemes, and we don’t have an knew Mr Hendry was championing internal HR person; FSB helped us to this loophole and needed case studies. ensure we were doing things right,”
Th anks to the local lobbying eff orts she adds. “Considering the cost of FSB, Planit was able to access a of membership versus the value hardship grant. But the support we’re getting, it’s great. I often didn’t end there. “David advised me recommend FSB to my clients.”
Totally Wonderfuel
At the start of 2020, Mel Varvel of food business Totally Wonderfuel was booked for a packed calendar of events. Her mobile trailer off ers healthy recovery foods and coff ee at sporting meets such as triathlons and running events, but the pandemic led to cancellations across the board from March until late summer. “Lots of the most lucrative ones, for example with the National Trust or corporate events, were cancelled from the word go,” she explains.
While she was able to off er some online sales of deliverable items such as protein balls, and do home deliveries for some perishable products, her income was severely impacted by the virus. However, attending a local FSB online support event on how hospitality businesses in the south west could get back on their feet helped her to see light at the end of the tunnel.
“It helped reassure me that other businesses were in a similar boat in terms of trying to get to grips with what they needed to do,” she says. “I was able to ask very specifi c questions such as could I take cash, as remote locations
sometimes mean contactless payment is diffi cult, and whether I had to have a screen, which might not work in the confi ned space of the trailer.” Environmental health offi cers were at the event to advise on sanitation issues and new regulations, too.
Ms Varvel applied for the Government’s Self-Employment Income Support Scheme but her profi ts were off set against the purchase of her trailer when she set up the business fi ve years ago, meaning she did not qualify for a grant. But her local FSB development manager, Nicola Bailey, was able to alert her to the second stage of a local council grant in Dorset that was being extended to people operating from residential properties as well as those based in rateable premises. “Had I not been in touch with FSB I might have missed this,” she says.
A slow return to ‘normal’ will begin with local events as she adapts to using PPE and new signage. “I don’t really know how things will go until I do it, but I’ll use it as an opportunity to refi ne what I do,” she concludes.
Kingdom Come
When the Welsh Government South Wales, and later found fi rst imposed lockdown out that centres in other restrictions on 23 March, parts of Wales had been Abergavenny-based soft play eligible for the support. centre Kingdom Come had Mr Basini helped Kingdom already been closed all Come argue that similar weekend, following the ‘We’re businesses had been able to closure of Welsh part of the access the grant schools the community where other Friday before. Owner Tracey and the councils had used their James hoped children have discretion, and she’d be eligible missed out’ they took the for a grant for case to MPs and the retail, Members of the leisure and Senedd in the hospitality industry, given the Welsh Government. Th e initial centre off ered events and decision was overturned and parties. “It turned out soft the business was taken off the play centres were on an exemption list. “FSB has been exemption list, so we were so helpful,” adds Ms James. turned down,” she explains. “We felt like we could chat to Ms James asked for advice Rob at any time to build a from Rob Basini, FSB case and get momentum development manager for going. He helped us fi nd the right platform and message for our voice to be heard.”
Th e grant helped the centre continue to pay its rates and invest in materials to help it open safely, which was scheduled for 17 September. Th e business bought a fogging machine to disinfect the play area and sanitising stations, and is looking into layout alterations and chemical cleans to keep the surfaces safe. “We feel lucky for the support we received as we knew we’d be one of the last to open again,” Ms James says. “We’re part of the community and the children have missed out.”
