A dry cleaning business decimated, a dive shop with only half its bookings, a hairdressing salon that's lost one-third of its clients – small businesses across Sydney are crying out for help | AnnaPattySMH
A dry cleaning business built by Helen Psarakis over 20 years has had its turnover decimated, with its few rare customers apologetic, saying they are working from home.And Cabelo Culture hairdressing salon has shed about a third of its clients.Small business owners in a range of industries have told thethey feel like they are in a “de facto” lockdown, are struggling to stay afloat and in urgent need of help.
“The governments can easily say we’ve got to continue, but life doesn’t continue. This is a Clayton’s lockdown.” “Prime Minister [Scott] Morrison, the Treasurer [Josh] Frydenberg and Premier [Dominic] Perrottet still get paid no matter what happens, but we don’t. This is the third time we’ve been belted around the chops, and we feel it is just getting too much.”Instructor Alison Farrell, left, from Abyss Scuba Diving, takes a class at Bare Island in La Perouse.Ms Fallon has run Abyss Scuba Diving in Ramsgate for 21 years but is now worried about the survival of her business.
Elvio Caires, who manages Cabelo Culture salon in Pyrmont, said his business was finding it more difficult now compared to the last official lockdown period. The only upside was that clients were not cancelling bookings or postponing events that are a year away. Dr Renata Bernard, creative director at Opal Minded in the Sydney CBD, has seen her business drop considerably during COVID travel restrictions.Renata Bernard, creative director for store Opal Minded, which designs and sells opal jewellery, said recent weeks had felt like being in a “de facto lockdown” for her business and others in the CBD.She said she would appreciate some rental relief because businesses in the CBD were paying top prices that failed to reflect the low foot traffic of late.