We asked entrepreneurs who will be hit hardest by a non-work week
No sooner had the authorities announced their intention to make the first week of November non-working, when the capital’s businessmen were alarmed in earnest. Of course, the increase in the incidence of coronavirus is very annoying for everyone, but the fate of their own business worries even more – this is what most small businesses think now, who can be hit hardest by the lockdown week.
“If we are banned from working, it will be a disaster for us,” says Maria, the owner of a small pub. – I have a full refrigerator of products, a barrel of unfiltered beer is worth it. We have already “stocked up” for the holidays in full, we thought – ahead of 4 days off, people will come, and we – and pork ribs, and chicken wings, and here it is … “
Masha says that a similar situation was in March last year, when the whole country suddenly went into a deep lockdown. Then they had to give food and beer for free to neighboring cafes, which continued to work during the lockdown, take-out and through delivery. She and her husband have a very small catering point, and it is difficult for them to organize delivery, and the location of the bar inside the building does not allow to work as a takeout. In general, the guard, the woman sums up.
Another business owner, the owner of a beauty salon in Bibirevo, Ekaterina Gordeeva, at first glance, is not at all upset about the coming weekend. He comments on the situation with humor: “Everything that does not kill the business makes it stronger.” But then you realize that this is laughter through tears.
“For the pandemic, we have already gone through all the stages of despair, from hysteria to indifference, we were fined for lack of protective equipment, and my masters fled, went home, most of them are newcomers, rent apartments in Moscow, and what to pay rent if there is no work. But then somehow everything settled down. Instead of some masters, others came, when they discovered us, women went to make beauty, there were even more clients than there were. And we also realized that all these sanitary measures are now with us for a long time, so we had to learn to observe them ourselves and the clients were taught to wear masks. Once the fine was paid, now everyone in the hall is wearing masks. Of course, a week of downtime is very bad. The most offensive thing is that all the masters who work for themselves and do not pay taxes will continue to serve clients at home. They just won’t suffer, but I pay taxes and incur losses from downtime. The main thing is that we are not closed before the New Year, when our clients go in jamb, so let it be better that this damned wave of the “crown” passes now, and in December everyone will be healthy and beautiful, ”says Ekaterina.
According to my interlocutors, among their employees, almost all were either vaccinated or had recently been ill. Therefore, it will not be difficult to fulfill the obligation to vaccinate 80% of the staff. But they agree that not all private customer service firms are doing this well. For example, Maria knows that many waiters in neighboring food service outlets are not vaccinated and did not intend to be vaccinated. “A friend of mine works there, a senior manager, and she told me that the management also offers days off to those who will give the vaccine, and additional days to leave, but people by hook or by crook are taking time off. That’s why we are suffering now, ”she says.
And the owner of the beer bar believes that the measures to support small businesses during the pandemic were insufficient.
“We are renting the premises, and we were promised during the last lockdown that they would be exempted from rent for this period, because the owner of the building was also promised tax benefits, provided that she would not take rent from us. But as a result, she was denied benefits, and she also forced us to pay. With difficulty, but somehow we got out of it then. I’m not sure if it will succeed now, ”says the owner of the bar.
See also: Non-working days from October 30 to November 7: how they will pay
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