Small businesses have shown how adept they are during Covid crisis
BUSINESS COMMENT by David Richardson
While introducing a Wester Ross tourism conference on March 9, I asked who had had bookings affected by the virus. One or two people put their hands up. Exactly 14 days later the whole country was in lockdown, and nine months after that we’re still immersed in the pandemic… and Brexit.
Situation bad? Yes. All doom and gloom? No.
While many of our smallest businesses remain in desperate need of government support, if there’s one thing that Covid-19 has highlighted, it is just how quick-witted, agile and resilient they tend to be. Large businesses are like supertankers – it takes them time to change course, but small businesses can pivot on a pinhead, reacting instantly to problems thrown at them.
Take William and Helen Crawford of Beauly’s award-wining and super-stylish The Old School shop. William enhanced his e-commerce website and saw a 500 per cent increase in sales over the three-plus months of lockdown. This momentum has continued, and both shop and online sales have remained extremely buoyant ever since.
But small, local businesses do not plough their own furrows in isolation. They recognise that they and their communities are mutually dependent and that it is in everyone’s best interests to support everyone else.
In Dingwall, Kenneth and Lesley McKenzie of the Highland Farm Café, as well as preparing meals for community groups during lockdown, supported local producers and boosted their own sales at a difficult time by selling locally sourced produce, much of it fresh. This remains an important part of the Highland Farm Café’s mix today.
Meanwhile, in Inverness, Eilidh Marshall and Helen Ross of the Whale-like-fish PR company are supporting Highlands and Islands producers while creating a second business for themselves by providing a carefully curated online gift box service through A Whale of a Time. Boxes are themed and feature locally sourced gin, whisky, cocktails, tea, coffee and so on.
So there are plenty of reasons to be cheerful. If we support our hard-working and committed local businesses they will support us, and together we can make 2021 an infinitely better year than best-forgotten 2020.
- David Richardson is regional development manager for the Highlands and Islands at the Federation of Small Businesses