Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced this Saturday that a 2nd national lockdown was imminent, with a further national lockdown being implemented this Thursday in England.
With Christmas looming & the anticipation of peak sales over the festive period, unfortunately business closing their doors to the public is something every company has to consider & prepare for.
Although group gatherings are limited to 1 other person from another household, we can give you the tools to keep your customers close, keep business transactions contactless & keep your business afloat through Christmas & the new year!
Unfortunately pubs, restaurants, gyms & what are deemed to be non-essential shops have to close for four weeks from Thursday, so considering how your business can still operate during these restrictions is something we advise speaking to us about.
Whether that be adding a web shop to your website, optimising your products offsite, or adding a click-&-collect feature to an app, we’ll help you keep your company operational by introducing an e-commerce option for your customers to buy into your brand.
Even if your organisation is fortunate enough to remain open for business during the forthcoming lockdown, making sure your premises has the right social distancing previsions in place is something every business has to consider.
From POS signage, navigation systems & sanitation stations, to desktop partitions & face shields… keeping your staff & customers safe has been a priority through 2020, & a necessity moving into 2021.
New restrictions outlined by the government will not affect schools, colleges or universities, so educational facilities will remain open providing suitable social distancing measures are in place.
Hey, remember that it’s not all doom & gloom! In fact, this could be a great opportunity to kick-start your business into the new year!
Although restrictions are set to be eased on the 2nd December when we return to a tiered system, creating safe, cool environments for your customers to return to will encourage them to be welcomed back & socializse while socially distancing.
Mr Johnson said: “Christmas is going to be different this year, perhaps very different, but it’s my sincere hope and belief that by taking tough action now we can allow families across the country to be together.”
We understand the concerns of the country during the pandemic, but solidarity, keeping calm & ultimately carrying on is what we’re so great at as a nation.
We feel that applies to the year we’ve had! We pulled together in Spring, remained calm through the Summer… & we’re carrying on through Autumn to prepare & propel you into the new year!
The prime minister went on to say at the Downing Street news conference that he was “truly, truly sorry for the impact on businesses”, but reassured the businesses that the furlough scheme will continue to pay 80% of employee wages through the four week lockdown.
Here’s some of the new restrictions outlined in the prime ministers announcement that will take effect from this Thursday. How will they affect your business?
- People are being told to stay at home unless they have a specific reason to leave, such as work which cannot be done from home & education.
- People are also allowed to leave home for exercise medical reasons, food & other essential shopping & providing care for vulnerable people or for volunteering.
- Meeting indoors or in private gardens will not be allowed
- Individuals can meet one other person from another household outside in a public place
- Pubs, bars, restaurants & non-essential retail across the nation will close but takeaways & click-and-collect shopping can remain open
This for us is a big one for pubs, restaurants & non-essential businesses who still have the ability of sell the wares on a click-&-collect basis from your premises.
That way, customers can still buy the products they love from your during lockdown, while keeping them safe & socially distanced.
Providing your customers with a web shop or click-&-collect payment gateway on a website is going to add some serious value to your brand… literately!
Having the option for customers to buy products directly from your website, & have them contactlessly delivered or collected from your premises will help keep & increase your customer base… when doors to premises are temporarily closed.
Some other restrictions apply to the hospitality industry which will see leisure & entertainment venues & gyms having to close.
However, the good news is that construction sites & manufacturing workplaces will be able to remain open & people will still be allowed to form support bubbles.
Clinically vulnerable people have been asked to be especially careful, but are not being asked to resume shielding.
How does this effect your business & how it operates? If you’d like any advice on how we can get you through the pandemic & prepare you for Christmas & the new year!
Keep safe, keep calm… & carry on! We got this.