EASY WAYS TO HELP INDIES DURING COVID-19
Want to help out your community but not sure how to start? We’re here to help.
Unfortunately, we are all too aware of the difficulties we have all faced over the COVID-19 lockdown period, big or small. The uncertainties and adversities that have arisen for each and every one of us are indisputable.
Right now – regardless of our good intentions and will to help, being generous is not an easy feat. Many of us are facing financial hardships, worries and losses, affecting our ability to give back as we normally would like to. For these reasons, the team at Konichiwa wanted to create a guide that is accessible for all to ensure we can get behind our independents!
One area that has been badly hit is that of our independent businesses, with many of our well-loved and established businesses facing unavoidable closures and cuts. We’ve already had to say goodbye to many despite their tenacity when facing this pandemic, so we want to do everything to support indies where we can.
Thankfully, over a million small ‘bounce-back’ loans have been approved by the UK government for small businesses. In addition to this, a variety of financial schemes have been introduced by the government in a bid to tackle the detriments faced by businesses.
Sadly, this just isn’t enough. So many well-loved indies in the retail, events, leisure and personal care industries – just to name a few, haven’t received such help, and due to the challenges are still fighting to remain open. A survey conducted by Business West highlighted that 71% of businesses stated that the COVID-19 pandemic had seen a decrease in sales (Business West, 2020), demonstrating the gravity of the issue.
Photo of James Koch, at The Gallimaufry | Image Credit – Dominika Scheibinger
Whilst schemes such as the government’s “Eat Out to Help Out” have been greatly beneficial to the hospitality industry and welcomed with open arms, this scheme, unfortunately, is not a long-term solution. Eat Out to Help Out was an amazing incentive to encourage people to get out and spend money and time in the city and its businesses, but it brought with it its own challenges, too.
Problems arose as a result of the pandemic that were not considered in the implementation of these schemes, such as the subsequent understaffing of businesses due to cuts, as well as a lack of resources due to sourcing issues and huge demand. Whilst business owners and those working in hospitality are greatly appreciative of the scheme, many continuing their own versions into October and beyond, it’s important to consider the impact of governmental restrictions of businesses. We are all in this together, so it’s important to do our bit where we can as customers so that we can continue to reap the benefits of our indies for years to come.
SO… WHAT CAN I DO?
Despite these set-backs, we believe there are many ways we can inject some positivity in our community, showing our support and making sure to #ActLocal when and where we can to keep our indies trading. We are all too aware that many members of our generous community want to contribute or help to champion our indie businesses across the city of Bristol, but due to current circumstances, might not have the means to do so. That’s okay – because a lot of these ideas don’t cost a thing, and can even be done from the comfort of your sofa for those of us that are still working from home, isolating, or even those that just love a bit of social media. We think that’s a win-win!
BE NICE & PAY IT FORWARD
First and foremost, be nice! Our dedicated business owners and their hard-working staff have been working overtime – you’d be surprised how far a smile or a simple ‘hello!’ can go to brighten someone’s day. Being friendly can go a long way – this could even be as simple as asking someone how their day has been whilst they make your morning coffee. Speaking of… you could also swap that chain coffee-shop for one made by one of our many talented baristas, perhaps at The Albatross Cafe, The Bristolian or Fed 303, to name a few fab independents.
In line with being kind… let’s talk about #NoMoreNoShows.
Sixty Eight People Hospitality launched the #NoMoreNoShows campaign. Bristol Food Union highlighted this important narrative, surrounding the hospitality sector in Bristol, aiming to bring awareness to the cost of late cancellations and no show parties to our beloved restaurants. To give you some idea of the extent of this issue – Keiran Whaite of Gambas, reported 30 no shows over one day during August! Social distancing restrictions mean that our indie restaurants, cafes and bars are already working at reduced capacity – so every booking counts.
This is just one of the many small things we can do to support – with very little effort. It’s really important to respect businesses’ time and resources right now. If you can’t make it, just drop them a quick line to let them know! This simple consideration makes all the difference. You can read more about the campaign here.
Photo: Heather & Mel, Gopal’s Curry Shack | Image Credit: Dominika Scheibinger
As stated above, by changing-up your daily habits, swapping your chain brands, switching to local greengrocers, butchers and local milk-rounds, you’re injecting money into the local economy. The presence of strong local businesses create the backbone of a successful, thriving and sustainable community, and in turn, this success converts into more jobs for the community.
Don’t forget – business owners love the community feel just as much as we do – so let’s spread this feel-good energy and spark positivity throughout our community. A study by The Guardian revealed that spending £1 with a local business means that 63p stays in the local economy, compared to 40p with a larger business.
All this money spent with indies then goes right back into our economy, and so the cycle continues…
I’d love to, but I can’t afford that right now…
LIKE, COMMENT, SHARE
So, now is for the really easy part. We all spend an inordinate amount of time on our phones, the internet and social media – so let’s transform this time into making some positive movements.
Three easy steps. It really is that simple. Follow your favourite indies and engage with their posts when they pop up on your feed. Leave a comment – this could even be something as simple as an emoji to show your support. Finally, tag your friends and share their posts to your stories. Get the word out!
Post your purchases, food adventures and coffee pit-stops online with #actlocalbristol (so we can reshare). Make sure to tag the indies and leave a fab review if you can. They’ll appreciate it more than you know.
Catherine Lewis at Irie Box | Image Credit: Dominika Scheibinger
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
With all this in mind, we are just weeks away from the biggest celebration of the year. In past years, of course, the months, weeks and days running up to Christmas are jam-packed with festivities: your work’s Christmas drinks, family celebrations, cheese and wine nights with friends (not to mention your traditional festive pantomime trip). Whilst there are some things we may have to sacrifice this year, these helpful tips can be used and are extremely helpful during the festive season, too.
Image Credit: Darren Hayles
So, with Christmas around the corner, if you are purchasing gifts or partaking in festive fun – when you are considering where to buy your gifts for loved-ones or take part in some celebrations (socially distanced style, of course) think of our wealth of local talented indies. Gifting, wrapping, florists, food goods, jewellery, arts – by shopping local, you’re helping that business owner with their vision and dream. Good Store Studio, Bristol Bazaar and Etsy Bristol are Bristol’s artists and makers central if you need a little place to start.
Talking of festivities… there are other ways you can celebrate, and support arts, music and alongside a pint at one place this year.
THE SHOW MUST GO ON
Following a recent report by the Arts Council, which outlined the importance of culture on our highstreets, the Arts Council’s CO Dr Darren Henley stated that “theatres, music venues, museums and libraries are the beating hearts of their communities. They provide a raft of local amenities from bars to bookshops, helping to bring our high streets alive, providing jobs and boosting the economy.”
The report really highlighted and reiterated just how important these spaces are right now. It was stated that “people are increasingly looking for a leisure experience rather than simply a range of shops to visit.” So, if you’re looking for ways to bring back that community feel and get away from the stresses of COVID life, Bristol is lucky enough to have a few different venues that are offering a variety of socially distanced entertainment and culture.
Take the newly opened Strange Brew, for example…
Opened in September 2020, Strange Brew is Bristol’s newest mid-size music venue/artspace. Encompassing all things music and culture, with night-time bar, daytime cafe & record shop, the venue provides support and solace for anyone missing the music scene right now, including a line up of local DJs on rotation. So pop down to Strange Brew – have a chat with some local artists, grab a beer and show some love.
Fortunately, twenty-nine of Bristol’s entertainment venues have received financial support in the name of the £1.57 million Culture Recovery Fund, such as Bristol Old Vic, The Exchange, Artspace Lifespace (The Island, Loco Klub), and Watershed, which is a great start, but it doesn’t end there. A lot needs to be done to rectify the damages ensued by COVID, in the continue to support all.
In this instance, some of this support has come from the music community itself. Setting off on October 12th 2020, two hundred of Bristol’s music professionals, spanning from performers to management and booking agents, have come together to show support and solidarity to the 40,000 music professionals affected in Bristol. ‘The Survival Tour’ comprises a bike tour of 100 of Britain’s most iconic music venues that sadly haven’t opened since March. You can support here.
What’s more, you can learn more about the tour and how ‘Meet Bristol’ are supporting businesses in the city through the pandemic here.
All in all, when living in a city as diverse as Bristol, getting involved with independent businesses is pretty easy, in our opinion. If you take anything from this post, try swapping your chain favourites for indies when you can – from the market stalls of St. Nicks to the socially distanced ‘dancefloor’ of Lakota – there is a world of choice. The vast range of choices from retail to tasty food makes exploring the indie scene in the city a treat.
Our indies bring a unique and vibrant offering to our city, so wouldn’t want to keep that alive? Whilst we may be in hugely challenging times – one good thing that has come out of this is the level of support we have seen across the city. Let’s all pull together and do what we can.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Get involved in the conversation with our very own Indies in Bristol hashtag – #ActLocalBristol.
If these tips weren’t enough – stay tuned. We’ve got exciting plans in the pipeline to support our indies, over Christmas time. Let’s all put a spotlight on our talented indie businesses and support them through these hard times. So get involved over at @IndiesinBristol.
Like this kind of content? Follow us on our socials – @KonichiwaAgency and @IndiesinBristol for all of our latest exciting projects, and stay in-the-know with Bristol’s indie scene.
Written by Bethany Shelper