If you're self employed/small business owner, how do you feel about the current lockdown and tier plans?

[VikingsandDragons]

I'm interested to talk to other small business owners, as I'm aware my personal area of interest (fitness) might be massively colouring my views of the current plans. I'm really struggling with the huge uncertainty around when we can reopen, but also in my area January is our busiest month, and opening all the shops, pubs, restaurants etc in December, and then having this week of relaxation so everyone can get together at Christmas, I just can't see that this isn't the end for my business. We can't open and close on a few days notice without big cost implications, I'd imagine a lot of pubs and restaurants especially are the same. However I'd actually really love to hear that for some people the current plans make sense,, or if you're in the same kind of position as me.

We supply a product to (primarily) the hospitality industry. Primarily I just want our customers (and by extension us) to have the opportunity to open up as close to normal as possible in December, to give us a fighting chance of still being here next year. So many of our customers have weathered so much this year, and spent a fortune on bringing in COVID secure measures so closing again for the month was heartbreaking. When there’s been speculation around keeping hospitality closed, in order to give the opportunity for others to get together at Christmas that I really worried me and just seems so shortsighted. January will be what it will be, but for us and most of our customers it’s December that’s going to be what counts.
I do feel though that venues that haven’t taken COVID security seriously should be treated far more harshly than they have so far.

I deliver training to adults, groups and one to one. before the first lockdown this was primarily in care settings. We moved it all online from March then as stuff opened up most of it remains on line but I go to a minimum of workplaces for one to one meetings where the individuals haven’t engaged on line or if they need additional support. At the minute I m out one or two days a week, pre covid it was every day. I am allowed into workplaces etc as we are classed as education this time, we weren’t allowed in during the March lockdown. For me personally I am better off as less petrol and wear and tear on the car and I can work in the previously dead travel time. Plus the demand for courses particularly mental health and well being has absolutely exploded understandably. I am aware I m very lucky, in March I thought I was going to lose everything, now I wonder why on earth I used to spend 20 hours a week parked on the m1 and why I didn’t know about zoom.

I hope others who have been negatively impacted find a way thorough, I have a few friends in beauty who are really struggling and it’s horrible to see.

Office activity, so all online and not too much difference.

My work has been badly impacted by the virus rather than the lockdown or the restrictions.

Indirect clients are cutting costs and dispensing with certain services, some things cannot take place responsibly during a pandemic and so are postponed/cancelled - this is due to the virus not the lockdown/restrictions in my case.

Activity cannot restart until there is widespread vaccination and suppression of the virus in my case, so the sooner these things happen the better for my industry.