Thousands of small business owners are battling to stay afloat during the extended Greater Sydney coronavirus lockdown. There are fears of closures, with many owner-operators struggling to pay rent.
Atefeh Hekmat is a striking 49-year-old artist with a small art school in Sydney’s west.
Ms Hekmat has a degree in psychology from Azad University in Tehran and has trained, exhibited, and taught art for 20 years. She has also worked as a professional photographer. “Now I am struggling to buy food, and it’s really stressful because I love my job and I can make money when the business is open,” she says.Scott Morrison announces expansion of COVID-19 financial support, extra 300,000 vaccines for NSWMs Hekmat is typical of thousands of business owners, including sole traders, impacted by Sydney's lockdown, especially those operating in the CBD.
"I don’t know how long we can keep it up for. I’ve already started calling suppliers to ask if I can put bills on credit cards to buy us some time." “Sydney represents seven per cent of the Australian economy. If we don't have strong economic activity in the city of Sydney, it has a ripple effect in the rest of Australia," Ms Scully says.Chef Nathan Tomkins is among thousands of rural business owners impacted by the lockdown, with few tourists visiting the seaside town of Port Macquarie during the usually busy school holidays.
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