Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
A significant proportion of small businesses wouldn’t be able to survive a second spike of COVID-19, according to new research.
Sage’s latest report, ‘Survival, Resilience and Growth: placing small businesses at the heart of the UK’s economic recovery’, says that 86 per cent of respondents believe a second wave would have a negative impact on their business. Meanwhile, 39 per cent say that it would be severe and a further 15 per cent say their businesses could not survive it.
What’s more, one in two SMEs say they’re not confident they oculd handle a 20 per cent drop in revenue between now and September. A significant number (39 per cent) of businesses aren’t even sure that they’ll return to profitability by December 2020.
These businesses say they would struggle with other issues like a decrease in customers, losing key talent, cyber security and disruption in their supply chain.
Problems will also arise in the early months of 2021 as businesses will need to make payments that have been delayed due to the pandemic.
Dealing with a second spike or coronavirus and other challenges
Small firms are relying on preparation, liquidity and digitisation to protect them against future crises.
Some 40

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Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
The Government has announced that gyms, pools and other leisure facilities in England can reopen from July 25th.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden also said that tattooists, beauticians and nail salons can reopen on the same day.
As well as general COVID-19 safety advice, such as encouraging contactless payments and putting up signage to highlight social distancing, the Government has issued specific guidelines for leisure facilities.
The full guidelines can be found at the Gov.uk, but we’ve picked out some of the ones you should know about.
Visiting instructors, coaches, teachers, and management
If you’re running class or personal coaching sessions, keep these in mind:

Consider limiting the number of classes that rotating instructors teach in order to minimise exposure
Determine the number of facilities they are comfortable with instructors rotating amongst in order to minimise exposure. Establish a system for monitoring this
Given the high risk of transmission from visiting instructors, where possible, establish a private testing programme for rotating/visiting instructors

Contact while using facilities
Fitness spaces
Pieces of gym equipment should be an appropriate distance apart so as to comply with social distancing guidelines and with a suitable margin for adequate circulation or one-way routes. This can be achieved by moving equipment,

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Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
UPDATED: Boris Johnson is expected to announce next week that the two-metre rule will be relaxed from July 4 and that pubs, restaurants, cafés and attractions can reopen post-lockdown.
For independent bars and eateries, the difference between the two-metre rule being enforced and one-metre social distancing is the difference between viability and the 2.8m hospitality staff currently on furlough not having a job to go back to, according to trade body UKHospitality.
The hospitality industry and the Government will also publish guidance next week as to how to reopen your restaurant, pub or hotel post-lockdown.
The guidance does however allow some flexibility rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, as seen in other business sectors.
Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, told the Today programme: “What we understand so far is that they are looking to reopen our businesses on July 4 with appropriate guidelines in place that will allow individual premises to undertake a detailed risk assessment and propose and put forward the control measures that they feel are necessary to keep their team and their guests safe.”
According to the draft post-lockdown hospitality sector guidance, obtained by The Times:
Pubs

Limits to the number of people allowed into pubs with markings

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Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
UPDATED: Boris Johnson is expected to announce next week that the two-metre rule will be relaxed from July 4 and that pubs, restaurants, cafés and attractions can reopen post-lockdown.
For independent bars and eateries, the difference between the two-metre rule being enforced and one-metre social distancing is the difference between viability and the 2.8m hospitality staff currently on furlough not having a job to go back to, according to trade body UKHospitality.
The hospitality industry and the Government will also publish guidance next week as to how to reopen your restaurant, pub or hotel post-lockdown.
The guidance does however allow some flexibility rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, as seen in other business sectors.
Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, told the Today programme: “What we understand so far is that they are looking to reopen our businesses on July 4 with appropriate guidelines in place that will allow individual premises to undertake a detailed risk assessment and propose and put forward the control measures that they feel are necessary to keep their team and their guests safe.”
According to the draft post-lockdown hospitality sector guidance, obtained by The Times:
Pubs

Limits to the number of people allowed into pubs with markings

Read more...

Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
As businesses start to reopen, the safety of your staff, customers and your suppliers is a priority. One of the first areas to address is your coronavirus risk assessment.
The government has published a series of eight guides to help businesses to reopen across key sectors.
We’ll delve deeper into how you conduct your own risk assessment to ensure that your business is COVID-19 secure.
When should I be doing a coronavirus risk assessment?
If you’re already trading, you need to do it now to prove that you’re working safely. Those who have more time would be wise to carry one out now too.
You have an obligation under Section 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 to do a standard risk assessment. The government recommend that you take out a risk assessment in line with Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance.
Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, the minimum you must do is:

Identify what could cause injury or illness in your business (hazards)
Decide how likely it is that someone could be harmed and how seriously (the risk)
Take action to eliminate the hazard, or if this isn’t possible, control

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Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
UKHospitality has set out draft recommendations for how hospitality businesses should operate post-lockdown.
For example, sauces should be removed from eateries and replaced with individually wrapped condiments. Meanwhile, in pubs, people will be discouraged from standing at the bar.
Hotel buffets will also be off the table, at least in the short term, according to a 75-page document from the industry body.
UKHospitality stresses that you must do a thorough risk assessment before reopening to show that you are taking adequate steps to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Specific guidelines for hotels, pubs/bars and restaurants are set out below.
Hotels, accommodation and hostels

If staff help guests with luggage, keep the required distance apart from guests whilst collecting luggage and either take it to the room before the guest arrives there or knock on the door, step back and leave the luggage at the door. After handling luggage, staff should wash their hands or use a hand sanitiser.
Room service: consider using trays which can be left off the floor next to the door, or think of other ways to protect the order, for example a small light table, or a folding luggage rack both of which have been disinfected

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