Amid the second lockdown, 32% of small business owners were concerned about the impact of the pandemic on their mental wellbeing.
As the nation enters the second week of lockdown, Birmingham based KTREW tattoo studio owners Ivy Trewartha-Bustamante and Kirstie Trewartha-Bustamante express how lockdowns have impacted them.
“Real ups and downs. I think it’s been the stop and start that has been really difficult on the business and mental health as well.”
Kirstie
“The stopping and starting hasn’t been easy, because when we do go back, I don’t know about Kirstie, but I’m twice as nervous.”
Ivy
Anxiety in adapting the business
The Smallbusiness.co.uk and UK domain survey also found 48% said that COVID-19 had severely impacted their small business.
Also highlighting 27% of small business owners worrying about adapting their business.
Worries around adapting, resonated with Ivy.
“So much anxiety comes with stopping and starting. I think it takes a lot of energy to get people through. Before [the pandemic]people turned up, you didn’t have to worry too much.
Whereas now you read all these rules, watch this video, don’t do this, don’t do that, bring this, sit here, don’t go beyond the line, fill out this 10-page form, login to the track and trace here and put this mask on all this kind of thing.
I think even getting through all that it’s taken quite a lot of energy before you even start to tattoo.”
Kirstie
Fortunately Kirstie and Ivy were able to adapt their business.
“We have been really lucky. We did receive some help from the government, which helped us to put towards buying stuff, in regards to making the place COVID secure”
So most of the money had gone into that, which we were really grateful for because we needed it when we opened up in the summer
But obviously, we can only speak for our business.”
Ivy
Calls for more support for small businesses
Further anxieties for small businesses were reported this week as the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) survey found more than 250,000 small businesses could be at risk of collapse without further financial support from the government.
Despite the government’s £4.6 billion new lockdown grants, FSB chairman national chairman Mike Cherry described them as “disappointing”.
