Small Business and the Coronavirus

The Coronavirus pandemic has had a huge impact on all of us and small business has been no exception. Many small businesses have been forced to close while others have had to adapt their businesses to the new circumstances.

Thankfully, part of my business is an online shop, so I have been able to continue to supply my customers with their favourite South African snacks. The other part of the business however, my market stall, has not been able to operate which has impacted revenue.

In these difficult times, I have been heartened to see so many other small businesses adapt and change the way they operate to survive. Some have taken their products online; others have diversified their product range, and some are now offering a delivery service where one did not exist before.

A great example of this ingenuity is Windmill Hill Brewing Company. With pubs closed these guys launched a ‘Pub in Box’ which included their beer and other pub products from local producers such as gin & tonics, nuts, pork scratchings and of course my biltong. They even include a pub quiz!

https://whbrewery.co.uk/

Another great example of adapting is greenbean, a recently launched sustainable shop in Warwick. They expanded their product range to include more fruit and vegetables as well as baking goods for all those home bakers, and also introduced a call and collect and home delivery service. If you live local to Warwick, I can highly recommend them.

https://www.facebook.com/greenbeanwarwick

Like other businesses I have also been looking at ways of adapting Ben’s Biltong in these difficult times. As a result, I have set up an online CHILLI SHOP on my website which sells a range of spicy pickles and relishes, hot sauces and other fiery snacks from some of my favourite local producers. You can check it out at

https://bensbiltong.com/collections/chilli-shop

With the announcement on Monday that the UK is beginning the process of coming out of lockdown, small businesses will need to continue to adapt and change to survive. If you can, please continue to support your local businesses with a purchase, they need you now more than ever!