Norfolk's Small businesses call on Government to provide more support as Covid cases surge
Reduced footfall, every changing rules and a rise in abuse against workers are the biggest problems they are currently facing
Small businesses in Norfolk are calling on the Government provide them with more support, as Covid cases surge.
Reduced footfall, every changing rules and a rise in abuse against workers are just a few of the reasons why small businesses in Norfolk are calling on the Government to give them more support.
Candy Richards is the Federation of Small businesses' development manager for East Anglia and says time is of the essence:
"What we need is the Government to step up and provide support, because quite frankly small businesses will be crippled if they have to shut up shop yet again. Be it furlough, be it Covid grants, or other support measures we need the Government to act and they need to start acting and communicating with small businesses.
For some businesses within the events industry, about 80 per cent of their profit is made over the Christmas period. It's really easy to see that without those bookings some of these small businesses just simply won't survive this Christmas period. So, its a really, really difficult and challenging picture".
She told us that less and less people are now choosing to go out in Norfolk:
"What we are seeing on the high-street is that footfall is really reducing. Many of our shops and independent retailers are seeing fewer people come through the door. Hospitality and events are two industries that are really really struggling. What we're hearing is that big corporate Christmas parties are being cancelled".
Ms Richard concluded by saying that rules around statutory sick pay and business rates need to be changed:
"At the moment there's a 66 per cent discount on business rates for businesses within hospitality, retail and leisure. We need government to act now and actually make that a 100 per cent discount, so that small businesses who are really suffering are taken out of those rates altogether".