thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-03--Risk Of More A-Level Chaos In 2021 If Government Doesn't Plan For Exams Delay, Labour Warns

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A-Level and GCSE students could face more chaos next year if the government delays exams but fails to ensure it has enough people to mark them, Labour has warned.
Shadow education minister Emma Hardy told HuffPost UK’s Commons People podcast that pushing exams back was a good idea to allow students to catch up on learning lost to the coronavirus lockdown.
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But she warned that a postponement will leave less time for assessing grades and ministers may need to either start training and recruiting exam markers now or push back university application dates to avoid more problems next year.
Education secretary Gavin Williamson has signalled he may delay 2021’s exams to give students time to catch up, but is still studying the proposals.
Hardy also questioned whether the government’s £1bn catch-up service for school children would work effectively, stressing that many of the areas which need it the most also suffer from a lack of tutors.
The Hull West and Hessle MP spoke following this summer’s exams fiasco, which saw many results unfairly downgraded by an algorithm used to determine grades before Williamson U-turned to allow teacher-assessed awards.
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And she warned that the situation was far from resolved for this year’s A-Level and GCSE students.
Labour MP Emma Hardy PA
Hardy told Commons People: “I find it so frustrating because as you know I was a teacher and worked in education and you can see the problems already.
“If you push the exams back, which is a good idea, it gives people more chance to catch up, then you have less time for marking it if you want the Ucas system and higher education system to work effectively.
“If you have less time to mark it you’re going to need more people marking the exams, therefore you are going to have to train and recruit examination markers to get there in place to mark the exams in the time needed, or you are going to have to push back the Ucas system – that’s obvious and no one’s mentioning it.”
Hardy also warned that the government had another “blindspot” on its Covid catch-up.
“They haven’t recognised when it comes to the tutoring that tutors are not in existence right now equally distributed throughout the country in every geographical region, that’s simply not the case,” she said.
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“The areas where we argue we’d probably want more tutors and more support for ours students are probably areas where we have the fewest numbers of tutors available, and again the government don’t seem to be looking at this or addressing it.”
Hardy called on the government to look at training graduates as mentors for the pupils who need to catch-up, arguing it could solve the problem of graduate unemployment while also helping to fill gaps in tutoring.
Sheffield Hallam university is running a similar programme with success and is working with the Northern Powerhouse Partnership to look at rolling the scheme out across the north, she said.
“This would be a really good win-win situation in that we have a huge problem with graduate employment, lots of people looking and not being able to get into jobs that were previously available,” Hardy said.
“So you have this problem, therefore if you look at ways of using that trained population we have to actually support pupils in the local schools it feels like a win-win idea.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-03--Ten Small(ish) Changes That Could Transform Your Business

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If there’s one thing the lockdown has taught small business owners, it’s to be fearless in the face of changes to your business. Some retailers shifted to online platforms, others started to incorporate virtual sessions and appointments and businesses and customers alike realised the potential and convenience of going cashless and contactless (not to mention the safety benefits in a pandemic world).
Here are 10 small changes that business owners adopted in lockdown and beyond - that could transform your own business.
1. Organise new software
Balanced Osteopathy A patient being treated at Balanced Osteopathy.
As the owner of Balanced Osteopathy, an osteopathy centre in Farringdon, Rebecca Root knew her business would have to pivot dramatically once lockdown was imposed. She introduced video consultations for her clients when the business’s doors were shut, and invested in some new software to make remote treatments as thorough and successful as possible.
“We emailed rehab programmes to patients with videos and posted videos on YouTube - historically, I would demonstrate in the clinic,” says Root. “We used Rehab My Patient and Primico as we moved towards telehealth.”
This approach meant that patients were able to work on things at home and continue their treatments, even though they couldn’t come in for face-to-face appointments.
“On the business side of things I was quite surprised how much people can be helped by video. To have that extra string in our bow is really useful. Post-lockdown, it’s such a bonus to now be able to offer up services remotely, too, when people are away travelling or competing,” she says.
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2. Cashless is king
400 Degrees Pizza Wood-fired pizzas from 400 Degrees Pizza
Cambourne-based Sam Corban runs 400 Degrees, known for delicious, wood-fired pizzas that he sells from a mobile van at a local cricket pavilion on Friday evenings.
Rather than making dramatic changes when lockdown set in, Corban found he’d already had many of the necessary ingredients in place to get through lockdown and beyond.
“The bit that I’ve taken away from it is that it validated the stuff that I’ve put a lot of effort into before any of this happened that others were chasing to catch up. Namely, for the past two to two-and-a-half years, I’ve been cash-free,” he says.
Cashless payments aren’t just convenient for shoppers, who can pay with their phones, but have made those going out post-lockdown feel more secure about minimising contact with staff.
3. Go contactless
sturti via Getty Images paying by contactless in a cafe
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Businesses like London’s Harley Health Centre, which offers private GP care and is managed by Alya Shakir, quickly realised that offering contactless payment options would be essential - for both convenience and safety, when the clinic reopened post-lockdown.
“From a tech point of view, it has helped us push forward improvements and more efficient processes that we perhaps would have taken longer to implement,” she tells us.
Changing the payment platform at the clinic was a big one: the new system from Square allows for contactless and Apple Pay payments, as well as giving patients the opportunity to pay for treatments in advance.
4. Diversify your business model
Atipati Netiniyom / EyeEm via Getty Images High Angle View Of Fitness Ball On Hardwood Floor In Gym
Root from Balanced Osteopathy didn’t just introduce video services to her business over lockdown: she became a retailer as well as a clinic.
“I am now starting to sell bits and pieces at the clinic like rehab tools. I’ve realised that it’s important to have a couple of different avenues,” she tells HuffPost UK.
She’s not the only one who has realised the benefits of diversifying her offerings and revenue streams in this period, as cafes have become places to stock up on local beers, produce and even small gifts.
5. Prioritise tech-related issues
mikroman6 via Getty Images Hand drawing a wifi signal on white page with marker
Whether we were working from home or running a business, having tech that worked was critical through lockdown - and continues to be an essential factor in keeping everything running smoothing. It’s worth the extra time - and financial investment - to ensure you’ve got the best technology systems in place.
“We learned that it is important to address technology-related inefficiencies without delay as it greatly improves the service experience for patients and the working experience for staff,” says Harley Health Centre’s Shakir, whose clinic also rolled out video consultations to get through lockdown.
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6. Give your customers a DIY experience
400 Degrees DIY Pizzas at 400 Degrees
Food and beverage retailers found creative ways to pivot in lockdown to give customers the activities they craved while also staying true to their core business models.
Customers at 400 Degrees pizzeria were able to order home pizza making kits for a DIY experience, which promised an afternoon of fun for families who were keen on home baking during lockdown.
Corban also stocked his van with dry goods like flour and pasta, acting as a mini mobile market delivering to those who were shielding.
7. Get mobile with business
Oscar Wong via Getty Images Close up shot of smiling young woman holding a stack of delivery food boxes for sharing.
One quick way that retailers adapted during the pandemic was by getting more mobile, starting delivery services of everything from dry goods to produce to baked goods.
Retailers looking to keep business going through this period, like toy shops and lifestyle stores, also offered home deliveries - welcomed by those needing new entertainment items and birthday gifts.
8. Click and collect
10'000 Hours via Getty Images Woman at home in kitchen, checking fresh food and buying groceries online.
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A small change adopted by various business owners was launching click and collect services - these have been such a success that many small businesses are continuing with them post-pandemic, as they allow people a contactless, pay-ahead experience when ordering takeaways.
9. Create an online as well as a physical presence
Westend61 via Getty Images Young woman using laptop in a small gardening shop
Retailers with physical stores who pivoted their businesses online saw business spike as people sought to replicate the retail experience via online purchases at home. Similarly, food and beverage businesses who had an online presence found that it was much more convenient for customers to order what they needed - not to mention that it helped to minimise food waste.
“I’ve been gently nudging my customers to order online, and gone through three different online options,” 400 Degrees’ Corban says. “Square’s online ordering system is solid and works very well - we’ve tweaked and streamlined it to make it efficient, and it’s been a solid platform for us to work from.”
Beauty businesses also found that online shops were useful for selling gift vouchers to keep business going through lockdown. The online portals now work to allow customers to book and pay online for treatments in advance.
10. Be sure to connect with customers
Alexander Spatari via Getty Images Man photographing breakfast in a cafe with smartphone
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-03--Why Embracing Change Is Fundamental When Running A Successful Business

Change may be inevitable - but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy. Business owners who have grown accustomed to seeing success and profitability after following a specific model may be especially reluctant to test out uncharted waters.
As the pandemic has shown us, however, being agile, adaptable and innovative isn’t optional - it’s essential. Brands that have embraced new digital offerings and diversified their products and services have discovered unexpected bonuses for their businesses, reaching new customers and making profits in uncertain times.
“Whenever there is change, we go through a process of loss, then a time of being in the unknown, until we begin to have a new vision for ourselves,” explains Jenny Garrett, a career coach, leadership trainer and author. “Being more aware of these stages helps us understand how we feel and embrace change as a necessary process. Often that starts as painful, but ends up much better than we could have expected.”
We chatted to Garrett and small business owners who have had to make dramatic changes in order for their businesses to thrive during lockdown to get their advice. The consensus? Don’t be afraid to pivot from the way you’re used to doing things - you could learn a lot.
Tom Werner via Getty Images An aerial view of a mother working on a laptop in her office at home with her young daughter string on her lap.
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Give yourself a chance to get used to change
Human beings may just be the most adaptable species around. That isn’t just apparent in how we’ve come together in solidarity over the past several months, but is evidenced as far back as our ancestors 1.85 million years ago, who adapted to survive extreme changes in the climate. Just because we’re good at it doesn’t mean we like it when we have to change things - especially if it feels like change was forced on us, rather than a choice of our own making.
“It can be helpful to think of the last time change was imposed on you, what you did to respond to the change, what skills and qualities got you through and what you learned and use this on your current situation,” Garrett tells HuffPost UK. “Another way to look at it is to ask yourself, ‘if I don’t change, what will my business be like in a year’s time, will it even survive?’”
Garrett also flags that periods of adversity can have some benefits for business owners. See what opportunities there are for collaboration with other companies and individuals and use any extra time you may find on your hands for research, development, or online learning with MOOCs (massive open online courses).
Find some positive in the negative - and look at potential new sources of cashflow
Twoodle Tim Rundle-Wood with his dog Henry
Tim Rundle-Wood started Twoodle, a natural home fragrance brand, when his dog, Henry, nearly died from toxic shock after sniffing a synthetic diffuser four years ago.
Rundle-Wood ran Twoodle - named after an affectionate nickname friends coined for him and his husband, Tom - from home since its inception and had plans to move to a small workshop space. When the pandemic hit, the space fell through, which Tim now sees as a blessing in disguise.
“It was probably one of the best things that ever happened. I instantly started looking for other places where I could sell my products,” Rundle-Wood says.
Having only sold through his own website and at markets previously, Rundle-Wood used lockdown to take a chance and try some other online retailers: Etsy and Amazon - and Etsy really took off.
With the volume of orders immense, and still doing everything from home, Rundle-Wood managed to find the workshop of his dreams: part-shop, part-workspace, it allows customers to see how the vegan hemp candles and home scents are being made. The new shop opened its doors on Cheshire Street in August.
Not only did he change where his products were sold, but Rundle-Wood completely automated his sales during lockdown to save time, using Greenback to feed his sales channels, which include WooCommerce, Amazon, Etsy, eBay and Square, into one feed.
“The time saved gives me more free time and more time to work on the bigger picture of my business,” he says.
Rundle-Wood also refused to panic in the face of uncertainty, seizing the opportunity to emerge from the pandemic with a stronger business model. He is a big fan of meditation and NLP techniques, which he credits with helping him keep his cool in the face of uncertainty.
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Don’t be afraid to change your business model completely - and ditch the old ways of thinking
Nordic Muse Nordic Muse, a lifestyle store based in Manchester
Jenny Maxwell is the owner of Nordic Muse, a lifestyle store based in Manchester offering a range of brands, from jewellery to stationery, which take inspiration from the simple, clean Scandi aesthetic. Maxwell was hit with supply chain issues from February, which prompted her to be reactive and change her business model swiftly, closing her Manchester shop and focusing her business purely online.
“Retail became less experience and more transactional, but digitalisation doesn’t mean we should remove human contact. I had to mirror the same personal experience we offer face to face and embrace change through a series of touchpoints,” Maxwell explains.
She achieved this personalised-yet-remote approach using a variety of tech tools, like live chat and videos, as well as Square’s merchant services, which were responsible for contactless payments in-store and integrated with Maxwell’s website. People craving socialisation in lockdown were happy to participate in Nordic Muse Google Hangouts sessions, clearly enjoying meeting the woman behind the business and getting advice on everything from gifting to personal styling.
Maxwell adapted to the changing trends around her by taking an academic approach, analysing data of real-time inventory performance, maximising SEO and quickly establishing direct-to-consumer vendor accounts - all of which paid off. The business outperformed last year by 24% (with no physical presence), with the online channel at +90% like for like.
She also responded to changing consumer behaviours by looking at company reports from Square, which detailed top and bottom performing categories: candles, plant accessories and home-beautifying items did very well in the beginning, while jewellery became popular in May, as people started getting outside more.
“This gave me the confidence that I was developing ranges that would be in high demand, with the customer in mind. The retail model has changed forever - post lockdown retail is a whole new ball game, a new world with new shopping habits. I believe many independents have been the real winners of the online boom, with a link to the community, personal service and the agility to react one day and see the results the next,” she says.
Maxwell also looked at what large retailers were doing and extended her returns policy for online purchases, so shoppers wouldn’t feel as rushed and could take the time to decide how they felt about their buys, illustrating that not only are businesses changing their models, but the whole online shopping experience is evolving towards something more interactive and experiential.
Managing demand while adapting to this new way of doing business proved to be the biggest challenge for Maxwell. While she used to run her physical and online stores in parallel, now the two sides of her business have firmly merged.
Ways to protect your business against uncertainty and boost profitability
Tim Robberts via Getty Images Woman using smartphone and laptop
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As any business owner will tell you, there will always be something around the corner that requires you to think quickly on your feet.
Garrett gives us her top tips for business owners to keep business booming in the face of adversity - and to improve efficiency.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-03--It’s More Than “Just Nails”: Customers On The Importance Of Supporting Women-Owned Businesses

We know all too well that beauty is only skin deep, but our relationships with our hairdressers, nail technicians and beauty therapists goes much deeper. Over the visits - and years - they’ve become friends, confidantes and the people we go to when we need a pick-me-up or a confidence boost.
The data everywhere shows that women have been worse-affected by COVID-19, and that includes female entrepreneurs, many of whom helm beauty businesses, which were the last to open their doors post-lockdown in August.
While at-home haircuts and DIY beauty treatments skyrocketed during lockdown, nothing beats the experience of going into your favourite salon or nail bar, relaxing for a spell and emerging feeling like the best version of yourself. We chat to customers and clients about what they’ve missed - and how they feel - now that they’re able to support their local women-owned businesses.
mikroman6 via Getty Images Gel nails on a woman's hand in neon colours
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“My local nail bar inspired me to start my own nail business”
19-year-old Indya, from south London, has been a regular at her local nail salon for the past three years. Those months it was shut helped to ignite her entrepreneurial spirit:
“When we went into lockdown I was really upset I could no longer have my nails done. I decided to buy the products myself and practice. I enjoyed it so much I have invested in a nail course and have set up a small area at home to practice on my friends and family. I am hoping by the end of the year I will be qualified and will be able to run a successful nail business,” she says.
andresr via Getty Images Business owner opening the door of her spa wearing a facemask.
“My pick-me-up was made even more delightful because it was contributing to their livelihood - it felt a bit like my nails were for a good cause”
Going back to get her nails done after months of no maintenance was a welcome return to normality for Teresa, 50.
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She says: “It was amazing to have the pick-me-up, but it was also a bit of a homecoming for me. I’ve been going to the same local nail salon since they opened nearly seven years ago. The first time I was back I saw the owner - we wanted to hug each other after such a long time… But of course we couldn’t, so we settled on an awkward elbow bump, which made us both laugh. We were both equally happy and relieved to see the other. I really feel for these small business owners during this time.”
Westend61 via Getty Images Close-up of barber cutting hair of a customer in barber shop
“It always feels like I’ve visited a friend but the bonus is I come out of there looking fabulous”
“I have been a customer at my local hair salon for 26 years. I won’t go anywhere else. My family are also customers. The salon provides a warm, family feeling. The stylists can actually make you look 10 years younger. They are just fabulous, they give advice on colour to suit your skin tone, cut and style your hair to suit your face shape - it’s always great advice. Pre-pandemic, the junior stylists were always ready with hot beverages and biscuits - it’s very courteous and friendly,” says Amanda, who’s in her mid-40s, and lives in south London.
“During lockdown I missed this place the most. It was hard not to be able to go there and my hair was very grey and unmanageable. The moment they could arrange appointments again, I was eager to book in. I had my hair dyed and cut and styled and felt so great. I just adore my salon, they are just amazing from the senior stylists to the juniors. It’s a beautifully presented shop with an amazing workforce.”
fmajor via Getty Images Young women at the beauty salon
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“There are no words to describe the elation I felt when the salon reopened”
“When my beauty therapist had to shut her salon down due to lockdown, I was devastated. I have been having numerous treatments over the last 20 years and wouldn’t go to anyone else. I trust her and often allow her to choose the best treatment for me, rather than choose myself. I tell her that she is my angel, as she is always able to ease my pain, especially when my muscles spasm due to my multiple sclerosis. I love that she is able to tell me the science behind many of the treatments free of charge - she’s not just a beauty therapist but a counsellor: non-judgemental, funny and professional,” says Lorna, from London.
Konstantin Tsevelev via Getty Images Young woman having her hair cut wearing protective equipment.
“As soon as I enter, I feel at ease and relaxed”
Pat, a grandmother from Swansea, has been a regular at her local salon for years - and now visits have become a family affair with multiple generations getting their hair done together.
“I adore the lady that runs my local nail salon. She really is a friend. I forget about everything else I should be doing. My daughter and granddaughter also visit the same salon so we chat about what the family has been up to,” she says.
valentinrussanov via Getty Images Hairdresser bleaching strands of hair with a rubber hat in beauty salon.
“Getting my hair done is my way to treat myself every few months”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-03--You Are Where You Eat: Restaurant Goers On The Importance Of Supporting Local Eateries

Our local cafes and restaurants are more than just destinations to go grab a sandwich. Our favourite coffee shop is where we kick off our day with a coconut latte or a croissant, we head to family brunch with the kiddos every weekend before kicking a ball around the park and restaurants are where we love to gather with friends and loved ones, to celebrate a birthday, a promotion or an anniversary.
Lockdown had us itching to get back inside our favourite eateries and pedestrianisation schemes have given us the opportunity to enjoy al fresco dining once restaurants, pubs and cafes re-opened their doors.
The hugely successful Eat Out to Help Out initiative has helped us remember just how much we’ve missed dining out. In fact, the Federation of Small Businesses is urging the government to extend the Eat Out to Help Out scheme for longer, to assist small business owners around the country (customers, who have saved 50% on everything from smoothies to multi-course dinners on Mondays-Wednesdays throughout August, are benefitting too).
We chat to restaurant and cafe goers on what they’ve missed about cafe and restaurant life in lockdown.
Tancredi J. Bavosi via Getty Images Spaghetti-alla-vongole, wine and glass of water.
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“I love walking to my favourite restaurant on the beach”
“What I missed most in lockdown was the lovely coastal walk I often do with my friend around Langland Bay,” says Julie, a grandmother in Swansea. “We usually end up at the local brasserie which overlooks the beach. I really missed the view. It was super nice to be welcomed back as the sun was setting.”
Tom Werner via Getty Images Man sitting in a cafe, reading on a digital tablet and drinking a cup of coffee.
“Although this was indeed a catastrophic time, it felt like a social experiment that showed how important eating out and socialising was in our everyday life”
Stratis, from Crystal Palace, has spent the past 15 years frequenting his favourite coffee spots - he alternates between three. He uses them as social havens, workspaces, and places to relax.
“In the past eight or nine years, the local bakery has become our hub where we meet with different groups of people; sometimes we chat and other times we work (each one doing his own business), and at the same time we socialise while working.
“Some days it was just sitting with a coffee and cake and a book or just watching life going by. It was all very under-appreciated and I never realised how important that part of our cafe life had become until the COVID19 closures hit us (with a vengeance) and it was taken away from us.
“That habitual joy of being able to be out freely and communicate with people evaporated. At the beginning it did not seem really hard, but as time went by it became more and more difficult. Only then did it really become apparent how important that part of life was.
“Deep inside us we have that fear that this all can easily happen again. For now I am enjoying every time that I have the opportunity to be there, meet and chat with people and hope it will not be taken away from us again.”
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Kunal Khurana / EyeEm via Getty Images Photo taken in Delhi, India
“We really need to support our local businesses because if it wasn’t for the community and the local businesses that we’ve got we wouldn’t have everything at our fingertips like we do around here”
Property manager and mum-of-three Lisa has been a southwest London local of Battersea’s Northcote Road for the past two decades, and loves to support all of the local restaurants and shops. The stretch has been pedestrianised at weekends - a move that has been extended until the end of September - to encourage eating out and socially distanced camaraderie post-lockdown. Not only is she a fan of the local dining scene; her eldest child is now working at a newly opened Japanese restaurant on Northcote Road, which opened its doors to much fanfare during lockdown.
“I love all of the local businesses and the restaurants. It’s so nice to see everybody’s faces and to feel normal again - to be able to go out with the children and with friends.
“What we’ve seen over the last six months makes you really appreciate how lucky we are to live in such a wonderful area. As we get older and our children get older and they’re going out, I really appreciate how lucky they are to wander down the road and go get a sandwich or a smoothie, and all the bougie little coffee shops.
“I love the Italian restaurants around here. My eldest son was in our local favourite having pizza the other night with his mates and it’s just so lovely - they all recognise him because he’s been going there since he was a baby. It’s really special.
“It’s been so awful, it was like tumbleweed going down the road when lockdown happened and now it feels very alive.”
Oscar Wong via Getty Images Traditional British Sunday roast dinner with beef, vegetables, gravy and a Yorkshire pudding.
“Over lockdown, we missed Sunday roasts in our favourite restaurant the most”
“My boyfriend, daughters and I were so happy to be able to go back to our favourite restaurant in Mumbles after lockdown. We love the owners and how welcoming they always are. They make eating out as a family such a relaxed experience. We missed their incredible Sunday roasts but this week’s visit certainly made up for it,” says Kate, a mum-of-two in Wales.
Sally Anscombe via Getty Images Vegetables in a material string shopping bag
“Getting a takeaway coffee each day kept me going through lockdown”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-03--The Importance of Work-Life Balance When You Work For Yourself

Wellbeing - of the physical, mental, emotional and financial kind - is so much more than a buzzword. Getting that work-life balance right is essential for maintaining your equilibrium as an employee - and a human being. Workplaces that promote wellbeing find their staffers to be more motivated, resilient and productive, which in turn improves worker retention and company output.
“To me, work-life balance is three things: it’s work, it’s rest and it’s play,” says Annabel Zicker, mindset and resilience coach and speaker.
“There needs to be a distinction between rest and play - things that we do which nourish us and stuff that we really enjoy that depletes our energy, and we need to recognise a lot more work that goes beyond doing your job, like caring for kids or relatives.
“You need to have those three things in symbiosis, no matter how limited your time is, because the minute rest or play fall away, we’re in dangerous territory with exhaustion and burnout.”
How do you prioritise wellbeing when you work for yourself? Having to manage work, life, and everything in between, on your own - often while working, living, parenting and more - requires its own set of helpful guidelines. We got some expert tips on how to give yourself backup and a break so that you can be a good boss for you.
Westend61 via Getty Images Young businessman riding a skateboard in the city
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Start small
Not everyone finds the concept of work-life balance easy to adopt - but that doesn’t mean you should ignore it. Everyone, no matter how busy or overwhelmed, needs to come up for air every now and again.
For those trying to figure out how to integrate balance while running their own business, career change coach Alice Stapleton recommends starting small.
“Take little breaks, as opposed to expecting yourself to take whole mornings, afternoons, or weekends off. Maybe even just half an hour away from your desk or screen could work wonders for refreshing your mind,” she advises, suggesting short mindfulness exercises for an immediate sense of calm, easily accessible via apps such as Headspace and Calm.
In order to successfully adopt a work-life balance, some people need to reframe the idea in their minds - a simple change of wording could help you feel a lot happier.
“For some, seeing the concept as more about ‘integration’ than ‘balance’ can help. It doesn’t have to be one on, the other off, like a see-saw. It’s about ensuring that equal attention is paid to all the different areas in our life over time. You can be creative about how you go about doing that,” Stapleton says.
Alexander Spatari via Getty Images Man working on laptop in the living room at home
Get one work thing done each day
The pressures that come when you’re launching your own business can feel overwhelming - it’s simply not possible to sort everything you need to every single day, especially if you’re facing other responsibilities, like chores around the house or childcare duties.
“Focus on one thing every day that will keep you moving forward, even if it’s just sending an email for five minutes. It will give you a sense that you’re making progress. Focus on individual steps rather than the end goal,” says Zicker.
For freelancers or the self-employed who are feeling uncertainty in this particular period, Zicker advises focusing on the positive, practical changes you can make during this time, rather than dwelling on clients lost.
“Think about how you can be flexible and how you can really adapt in the short term, and take advantage of opportunities presenting themselves to you. In order to take advantage you need to be looking out for those opportunities,” she says.
If you’re finding yourself with extra time on your hands, use this time to think about ways you can retrain and upskill (e.g. online marketing courses) so that you’re in a stronger position when this period of uncertainty is over.
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Westend61 via Getty Images Woman lying on blanket on meadow with dog using laptop
Accept that you can’t do it all
If you’re struggling to switch off, consider why - are you overwhelmed by work, or are you worried about letting people down or being seen as a failure?
“Often our inability to switch off is because we feel we’re losing control over our workload. Try to acknowledge and embrace the idea that nothing terrible will happen if you don’t tap into work for a few hours. Often, the things we consider urgent, really aren’t. If you don’t respond for a day, usually everything will still be OK,” says Stapleton.
She recommends unwinding in ways that require complete focus and keep you in the present, like reading, learning, physical activity or making something.
“These give your mind an opportunity to be present, switching off completely from work-related concerns. Try to see unwinding as much of a priority as working, sleeping, and eating. It’s an incredibly important part of self-care, which deserves proper dedication and commitment to making it happen on a daily basis. Block time out in your diary, like you would a work meeting, if you have to,” she suggests.
Alistair Berg via Getty Images Woman working from home during the Covid lockdown
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Create physical separations between work life and home life
The pros of working from home - dressing up for our top-seen-only Zoom calls, having lunch with the kids, typing from the comfort of bed - can quickly turn into cons if we don’t properly delineate between work and everything else.
“If you’re working from home, try to create a physical break at the end of your working day. This could involve shutting down your computer, walking or running round the block or going for a short drive, returning home with a clearer head before unwinding,” says Stapleton.
Zicker recommends claiming some physical “office” space - even if it’s only a shelf on which to place your laptop and headphones.
“Make that space as permanent as you can. Don’t shift from working in the kids’ room to the dining table to the bedroom. Try and create some sort of permanence in the space that you’re using, otherwise it becomes way too overwhelming and your brain is still ruminating over the next thing you have to do.”
Note: this works even if you have to work in a corner of your bedroom, just separate your bed (all about rest) from your desk space (all about work), and remember to keep it consistent and create a routine that you stick to.
“Remember to include rest and play and make that as important as you would a meeting with a potential investor or the CEO of the company you work for,” says Zicker.
Westend61 via Getty Images Young woman sitting on couch at home meditating
Be a little bit selfish


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-03--Women Who Started A Business During Lockdown On How They Made It Work

It’s a sad reality that women have been harder hit by the coronavirus pandemic, whether that’s dealing with higher unemployment and job insecurity as a result or bearing the majority of the burden for childcare, homeschooling and other unpaid care work at home.
A recent UN study has warned that the progress women have made towards getting on an equal footing with men over the past several decades is at serious risk post-pandemic, as the clock rolls back on women’s advancement.
Female entrepreneurs and women determined to be their own bosses and change the world around them with their businesses are a silver lining to emerge from the clouds of Covid-19.
We chatted to three inspiring female entrepreneurs about how they made lockdown work for them, from turning redundancy into a new career to launching a new fashion collection while factories were shut.
The designer: Titi Adesa
Titi Adesa Designer, Titi Adesa
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Titi Adesa’s eponymous footwear label is all about celebrating other women - just look at the diamond logo on the sole of each pair of shoes, a reminder of Adesa’s mother’s saying that “within every woman lies a diamond - unique, resilient and imperfectly perfect.”
The shoe range may feature classic, elegant styles, but it’s a brand that stands for female empowerment and lifting women up by more than just their heels. Adesa just launched an educational platform aimed at underserved young girls in Nigeria, the TA Foundation, so they can benefit from sponsorship and mentorship to pursue further educational opportunities and become designers themselves.
Adesa’s direct-to-consumer shoe range debuted in August 2019; her second collection was due to launch in spring. One small issue? Her shoes are manufactured in Italy, which was in full lockdown by March 9.
“I had just done final checks on my plans - it was the worst timing, to be honest. I didn’t expect that I would be designing my second collection away from the factory - that’s my happy place, a place to learn and rejuvenate and sharpen my skills creatively,” Adesa says.
Inspired by another quote her mother favours, “necessity is the mother of invention,” Adesa looked at how other founders were pivoting and accessing their creativity in lockdown. She communicated with her factories remotely, designing, shipping samples and making tweaks to the shoes before sending them back to Italy, where factories reopened in May.
Titi Adesa Didi Fuchsia pumps from Adesa's Hope collection
“It inspired me to look at everything with a new lens. I needed something positive to keep me going, to look forward to,” she says.
This summer, Adesa launched her new collection, Hope, which features 10 brightly hued styles, all crafted in lockdown. The collection pays homage to Adesa’s Nigerian heritage, incorporating didi braiding as embellishments on a trim or ties that wrap around the ankle.
“The truth is the way we envisioned the brand was almost like lockdown, thought-wise. It’s straight to the customer, no hoopla, all very organic anyway. Lockdown just made us even more present - this is how everyone else is doing it now, but we were already doing that. It was a reaffirmation that we’re walking in the right line,” says Adesa.
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The online chef: Poppy O’Toole
Poppy O’Toole Chef, Poppy O’Toole
When 26-year-old chef Poppy O’Toole was made redundant from her junior sous chef role at London women’s collective, the Allbright, at the start of lockdown, she had no idea what she was going to do next.
So she did what she loves best: she cooked, and showed the world what she was making through her social media platforms (@poppycooks). Although O’Toole was rehired and then furloughed along with other Allbright staffers, the fire in her belly had been lit.
Her videos showcasing what she eats in a day, recreating McDonald’s breakfast favourites at home and teaching people how to make their home-cooked food more tantalising drew in thousands of viewers, especially on TikTok, where her following grew from 6,000 followers to 39,000 in a matter of weeks.
@poppycooks @poppycooks, Salmon and Tikka Flatbreads
“Redundancy might be one of the best things that ever happened to me. I feel like I’ve worked long enough doing 70-80 hours a week to take everything I’ve learned and put it into my own business, brand and career,” says O’Toole. “There are opportunities now for people to be able to do things for themselves.”
The Michelin-trained chef has spent the past several months recording and editing everything she eats for her channels, as well as collaborating with brands who share her vision and hosting cook-alongs to motivate staffers, for people around the globe. In her cook-alongs, she incorporates team games and chats with tips about cooking.
“I like to make sure they take something from it, so I do a lot of stuff like making flatbreads with halloumi or tikka salmon wraps or making a mayonnaise, so they can take that and use it again another day. So within that recipe they get to take a technique from it,” she says.
Watch this space - there’s most definitely a supper club, pop-up or cookbook around the corner.
The tech entrepreneur: Benedicta Banga
Benedicta Banga Tech entrepreneur, Benedicta Banga
When entrepreneur Benedicta Banga, a product manager working in technology, spotted a gap in the market to make black-owned brands more visible and easily accessible, she decided to take matters into her own hands.
Blaqbase, which puts a selection of high-quality black-owned brands together in one place, was born.
“I was looking for role models - it was challenging to find products on the local high street. For hair products, I had to travel quite a bit to find stuff. I did some research and found that black women are the least funded group in business,” she says.
Blaqbase started life as a directory app, but as it developed, shoppers wanted a more seamless experience. Now, users can purchase multiple products from different brands in the same place, so it operates like an ASOS-style marketplace.
This latest iteration of the app launched at the end of June, and Banga spent her time in lockdown, while on furlough from her day job, perfecting it and tinkering with the tech side of things.
Blaqbase https://app.blaqbase.co/


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-03--Why Diversifying Your Revenue Streams Is A Smart Way To Future Proof Your Business

Long before the pandemic hit, businesses were already looking to disrupt their existing models, in the name of ethics, sustainability, an improved customer experience - and profitability, of course.
The pandemic changed business - and everything around it - as we know it. According to McKinsey analysts, the onslaught of Covid-19 moved us 10 years’ forward, in just 90 days’ time.
What did that look like for business owners needing to survive periods of staff furlough and shuttered doors? Lots of creative thinking, innovation, and completely flipping existing business models on their heads - without looking back. Diversity in revenue streams is always important, especially in moments of uncertainty, and businesses have adapted and pivoted in various ways.
One of the biggest changes for businesses in recent months has been embracing all things digital, whether that’s moving physical stores to the online sphere or setting up contactless payment options to minimise person-to-person contact in store. Online payment portals also give people the convenience of paying for food or beauty services in advance.
“Specifically bringing in digital services to more traditional businesses with a physical presence is a theme we’re seeing a lot,” Emma Jones, founder of small business support network, Enterprise Nation, tells HuffPost UK.
“From bars delivering drinks selections to customers’ doors to butchers and bakers introducing online ordering, we’ve also seen launderettes adding websites and contactless laundry services which undoubtedly will continue to be a feature of their business moving forward. Some of the more crazy things we’ve seen are the gin distilleries flipping their model completely to make hand sanitizer and the vending machine company delivering healthy goody boxes to workers based at home,” she says.
10'000 Hours via Getty Images Man using computer in home office
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Brush up on your digital skills
The pandemic has accelerated the need for businesses to add various tech tools to their arsenals - out of necessity initially. However, many entrepreneurs have found there’s an added layer of convenience, for staff as well as customers. In-store card readers with contactless payment options also help us feel safer as we start to navigate being out and about after lockdown.
“Until very recently, almost half of the UK’s small firms were not using digital tools effectively. The pandemic has forced the hands of many of these firms and we’re seeing thousands brush up on these skills,” says Enterprise Nation’s Jones.
Being adaptable is crucial when it comes to diversifying your revenue, and many small businesses like retailers were able to quickly pivot to an online model. They discovered that not only did they remain profitable while their physical stores were shut, but they even saw unprecedented success via their online shops.
Small firms in need of a digital skill boost can check out Go and Grow online from Enterprise Nation or e-learning course, Amazon Small Business Accelerator, a free course offering advice on how to adapt, enhance or learn new digital skills. Square’s business resource centre has helpful blogs on moving bricks-and-mortar businesses online and introducing cashless payments into your business.
It’s important for businesses to think laterally, too, putting themselves in their customers’ shoes to cater to their changing needs.
“The thing about having great ideas and adapting to the new normal, is that they need to be properly costed and planned to ensure they are profitable. Consider collaborating with other businesses - can independent stores coordinate deliveries to keep costs low? But that doesn’t mean you can’t act fast and be nimble,” says Jones.
You can also get help if you’re stuck. Try the Recovery Advice for Business scheme, where an adviser can offer an hour of help a month for free.
Add some new products to the mix that fill a gap in the market
Pivoting your business online and launching digital-first offerings was one key way to diversify your revenue streams when lockdown commenced.
Wonderfully photogenic doughnut chain, Doughnut Time, discovered that a Square-powered online shop along with a quick response to consumer demand as customers were looking for fun activities to do at home (often with kids in tow), was a winning combination.
“When the pandemic hit we knew we had to significantly change our business model in order to survive. Previously we solely operated from our London-based stores; majority of which are based in the central city. With stores closed and city workers now all based from home, we had to create a new offering which would deliver the Doughnut Time experience directly to customer’s doors,” Tom Anderson, CEO of Doughnut Time, tells us.
The brand devised DIY Home Kits in a range of flavours; each box included doughnuts, icing and toppings for a fun, edible isolation activity. Customers could also order Doughnut Time aprons online to complete the experience.
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Doughnut Time DIY kits from Doughnut Time
The DIY kits have been such a success that the brand is continuing to sell them online even as stores have reopened, and is currently working on developing a more premium packaging system for them. Anderson credits Instagram for allowing the brand to communicate directly with customers to see exactly what they were missing in their lives.
“Listen to your audience to find out what they want and what they need. We’re constantly engaging with our followers via our Instagram platform. The ability to hold Q&A sessions and get feedback in real-time is priceless. It was this that helped us create a product that specifically catered to the needs of our customers,” he notes.
Rework your whole business model
Flip Food Sophie Fox from vegan deli and cafe, Flip Food


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-03--The Businesses Keeping Community Spirit Alive To Survive – And What You Can Learn From Them

Local businesses proved their prowess the past several months as they completely transformed their business models, moving physical stores online and introducing new products and services. While everyone was in the same boat of trying to stay afloat, some businesses stood out in lockdown, giving back to the community with free food and services - and they thrived in the process.
LPETTET via Getty Images Food delivery service during the covid-19 pandemic of 2020.
We take a look at two UK small businesses to see how they pivoted with the changing times but continued to put people first, in lockdown and beyond.
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The social enterprise pizzeria fighting to eradicate food poverty
Tiny Idea Tiny Idea based in Castleford West Yorkshire.
Tiny Idea, a community-focused non-profit based in West Yorkshire, was founded by father-of-three, Steve Wright, and makes delicious artisanal pizzas made with local ingredients, distributed from a 1958 English caravan. Pizzas are donated to the homeless and those who access food banks in a discreet brown box - Wright describes it as “almost like a food bank, but without the stigma.”
“We have found that in this district that people are very proud. They don’t want to be judged. However, when they come to our caravan they leave with a brown box with a hot, amazing pizza inside. Who’s to know whether they’ve been given it for free or paid £7 or £8 for it?” he says.
The pandemic put a total stop on the business as suppliers ran out of flour and yeast and trading ceased - Wright used up all of his remaining ingredients to make pizzas to donate to the local homeless community twice a week. When that ran out, he started getting Chinese takeaway noodles from his supplier and delivering them to rough sleepers.
When Wright was able to produce pizzas again, he launched DIY pizza kits, with dough and ingredients to make pizzas from scratch at home, hand-delivering them to customers who purchased them from the caravan and his online store, which also sells Tiny Idea’s homemade bottled sauces. The proceeds from these purchases then paid for more noodles, so Wright could continue helping those in need through lockdown.
In addition to helping tackle food poverty, Tiny Idea is committed to a zero-waste policy - all unused ingredients are donated to local food banks and packaging is compostable, degradable, recycled or plant-based.
Collaboration has been another key component of Tiny Idea’s success: Wright reached out to Alex, who runs Maud’s Cafe, to work on events together, and also enlisted local artist Rachel List - known for her artwork celebrating the NHS - to paint a mural on the side of his caravan.
“We are in talks with someone at the moment to lease a cafe in Pontefract so we have a brick and mortar premises. The plan is to look for local unemployed people suffering with their mental health, and homeless (recently housed) to work in the cafe. We will have ‘pay what you feel’ weeks, as well as ‘pay it forward’ schemes in place,” Wright says of his future plans for the business.
For anyone working for the NHS or emergency services, you get 25% off DIY pizza kit and pizza orders from the caravan - for good.
The children’s entertainer who provided online classes for free
KangaRooKids KangaRooKids offers inspiring drama and music classes and camps for young children in locations in north London and Hertfordshire.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-03--‘Running Your Own Business With A New Baby Is Going To Be Crazy Whether There's A Pandemic Or Not’

It’s no secret that parents haven’t had it easy over lockdown, whether that’s turning their home into a nursery to entertain their toddler, attempting to homeschool older children or motivating grumpy teens. Don’t even get us started on what working parents have been through…
Running a business during a pandemic has had its challenges, as restaurants reinvented themselves as takeaways and salons hosted at-home beauty tutorials for loyal clients to get through those lockdown months.
Kate Enright’s buzzing Brixton coffee house-cum-co-working-space, CAYA - the name stands for ‘Come As You Are’ - is one business that’s all about bringing people together, with delicious local coffees and pay-as-you-go tables that allow you to get your work done in a relaxed environment. Not only did Enright have to re-think her business model to get through lockdown, she also had a baby on the way and gave birth at the height of the pandemic.
CAYA Kate Enright’s from buzzing Brixton coffee house-cum-co-working-space, CAYA
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From early March, Enright started ramping up hygiene and cleaning measures, implementing social distancing and swapping to disposable food and drink containers, launching a takeaway-only service by mid-March. The cafe officially closed its doors on March 22.
“It was an emotional day - not least because I was eight months pregnant, exhausted and hormonal,” says Enright. She used the time when the cafe was closed to apply for grants, ensure staff and suppliers were taken care of, access the job retention scheme and think about how and when CAYA could reopen its doors.
The CAYA community also reached out to help: workspace customer Claire Brooks, a graphic designer, made advertising vouchers for the cafe for free, so they could maintain an income while shut.
Tom Dingley Photo Brixton coffee house-cum-co-working-space, CAYA
Enright also started experimenting with technology to expedite reopening the space. She used Square to create an online click and collect store.
“That way, when we reopened as a takeaway we could allow people to order and pay safely in advance and pick up at the door. This was alongside a new in-store POS system set up for reopening! It was a crazy couple of months!! My daughter was born on April 27,” she says.
As a height-of-the-pandemic new mum, Enright had to go to hospital alone (she was joined by her partner for the final two hours of labour) and didn’t have any visitors for the first few weeks. Midwife visits were carried out in full PPE, and even though the cafe was shut, Enright was manically working: planning calls the week of Ellie’s birth, handling furlough payrolls and sorting grant applications while breastfeeding.
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Tom Dingley Photo Brixton coffee house-cum-co-working-space, CAYA


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-03--10 Tips On Turning Your Side Hustle Into A Full-Time Job

We’re a nation of side hustlers. According to figures from a 2018 study, one in four Brits has a side gig alongside their day jobs. Women are especially keen to turn these into meaningful businesses, with research from January 2020 finding that 8million women in the UK would love for their side hustles to become their full-time jobs.
Given the circumstances of the past few months, these figures are most certainly on the rise. Lockdown has unleashed people’s creative energy and sense of ambition, whether as a result of uncertainty in the job market, finding they’re keen to become their own bosses, or, better yet, discovering they’re loving their side hustles way too much to do anything else with their precious time.
Now, how to make your side hustle dream a reality? We ask the experts for their tips, from embracing blue sky thinking to saving some cash in advance so you can really make a go of it.
1. Get your financial situation in check
Peter Dazeley via Getty Images Savings jar
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As well thought out and potentially profitable as your side hustle idea may be, you risk jeopardising it as a future career if you don’t get your finances in order first.
“You don’t want to have any major debts. Have as little debt as possible - if your personal finances are not under control, you’ll keep running into reasons to run back to your job instead of focusing on your hustle,” says Bola Sol, a financial wellness coach.
Sol stresses that you’re still going to have to pay your day-to-day bills while trying to get your side hustle business to take off, and recommends saving at least six-12 months of expenses. Another key point? Differentiate any money you have for the side hustle business from your personal finances - don’t mix the two.
“It becomes addictive to see the business grow. Before you know it, you’re neglecting your personal finances for the sake of potential business growth. It’s really key that it’s separated,” she notes.
2. Don’t wait for the “right time”
10'000 Hours via Getty Images Man working from home, childcare issues, multi tasking
There’s never a perfect time to make a major life decision, no matter how prepared you may want to feel. Eventually, you’re just going to have to take the plunge to see if this is the career you really want.
“The main thing to acknowledge is that it will always feel scary. Even if you’ve been building momentum and your side-hustle income matches/outruns your 9-5 salary, it will still feel like a leap. This is totally normal but can hold a lot of people back from biting the bullet,” says Sophie Clyde-Smith, a life and career coach who side hustled her way into her dream career.
“Sometimes life presents you with a crossroad too (like an unwanted promotion or a redundancy) which can help give you the push you need. Stop waiting for it to feel right or perfect - feel the fear and do it anyway and send yourself a message that you’re ready to step up! Don’t be a forever side-hustler.”
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3. Prioritise all of those business admin tasks
10'000 Hours via Getty Images Man working in living room with laptop
When you think about turning your side hustle into a dream job, you’re probably imagining yourself smiling from the pages of a magazine profile piece detailing how you ditched the grind to become your own boss (what, just us?).
Remember all of the non-glamorous sides of the business too, Sol reminds us: “Getting a business account, registering a company, getting an accountant,” she says, ticking off the list of must-dos that people often forget about.
“People struggle with parting with their money and sharing out with other people. It’s helpful to have someone who checks contracts, who makes sure you’re paying to HMRC, who tells you that when you’ve made £1,000, it’s not really £1,000, because 20% goes to HMRC, there are admin fees, you need to reinvest back into the business and then pay yourself 25%.”
4. Embrace blue-sky thinking
Constantine Johnny via Getty Images Lightbulb moment
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We’ve all heard the stories: the side hustle businesses that take off don’t just fill a gap in the market, but always seem to be about a deep emotional connection with the work. Don’t be afraid of a little creative thinking to explore how your side hustle can become your livelihood.
“Blue-sky thinking is idea creation with no limits, no boundaries, where you’re able to break free from the constraints of your current reality and imagine your ideal future self/business,” explains Clyde-Smith.
She recommends getting out of your day-to-day environment, surrounding yourself with those playing in the arena already and incorporating guided ideal, future-self visualisations to make that blue-sky thinking your side-hustle reality.
5. Make your side hustle look professional - even if it isn’t, yet
Westend61 via Getty Images Close-up of two women working on photos on laptop
When you’re tight on budget in the early days of your business launch, you want to spend your money on the right things.
For Clyde-Smith, the right branding can give you an instant professionalism - and make your company memorable.
“Make sure your business has a recognisable feel, well-made logo, branding colours and keep it consistent across your channels. This doesn’t need to cost loads - I set up my initial branding for a couple of hundred pounds. Canva is your new best friend!” she says.
She also recommends setting up a website - even if it’s just a landing page where people can find you after a quick internet search. You’ll also want to collect testimonials from happy customers and start to build your credibility as a brand by becoming an expert in your space: be a guest speaker on podcasts, create value-adding content and get into the press where possible.
6. It takes money to make money
Thomas Barwick via Getty Images Barista pouring coffee in coffee truck
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Here’s a little secret: entrepreneurs aren’t savers. They’re too busy, in the words of Sol, “always pumping money back into the business.”
So if your goal this year is to finally buy that house or even that nice car, remember that you will be making sacrifices for the sake of your business - and you need to feel OK about that.
“It’s the constant sacrifice of seeing your business flourish. You have to sacrifice starting anything that is seen as a big deal,” Sol tells us.
7. Give your side hustle space to thrive
kumikomini via Getty Images Japanese woman making masks at home
If you’re juggling full-time work with trying to make the side hustle work, it can be tricky but essential for financial reasons. Sol has a few helpful points:
“Carve out a working space. Home needs to be a space to sleep vs. a space to live vs. a space to work, something people don’t always factor in. Be OK with having a tiny social life. And prioritise what’s important by having a business goal every day.”
8. Motivate yourself with failure - and stories of those who did it
Kelvin Murray via Getty Images Workers at a distillery
Clyde-Smith’s favourite side hustle story comes from a recent coaching session with a client she’d worked with for nine months, during which time the client went from a full-time corporate recruitment job into a side-hustle. Two months ago, she was able to quit her job and pursue the side hustle full-time.
“In our session, my client was reflecting and she was having a bit of an out-of-body experience. She couldn’t quite believe she had created this new life, that she was her own boss, that she felt so calm and in alignment with what she was doing. She literally used the words, ‘I need to pinch myself’.
“I experienced the same thing - every so often realising that I actually work for myself. I can work from anywhere in the world, I am in control of my life - I get to choose. That is a special feeling and I wish it on every side-hustler,” says Clyde-Smith.
Similarly, not every business is going to work out, but each “failure” can lead to a future success. Playing it safe isn’t the way to make it work, though.
“Get comfortable with the idea of iterations, failures, growth and pivoting and you’re much more likely to succeed,” she says.
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9. Outsource when necessary
krisanapong detraphiphat via Getty Images Businessman analyzing investment charts with calculator.
Both Sol and Clyde-Smith reiterate that starting a business isn’t all about you - in fact, knowing how to outsource is a key skill that’s as much about finding the right support from mentors and friends as it is about recognising your strengths and weaknesses to make the business the best it can be.
“Let go of some money to outsource where possible. Not everything should be about me, and how I did it all by myself,” says Sol.
10. Celebrate your successes
PeopleImages via Getty Images Woman sitting painting a pottery bowl in her workshop


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-03--Life After Lockdown: Could This Be A New Dawn For The Local High Street?

From retailers to restaurants, our local high street businesses have reopened with a new fervour this summer. The lockdown period was a time of uncertainty for everyone, but small business owners around the country proved how adaptable, innovative and versatile they can be as they quickly evolved their businesses to function remotely, pivoted to sell new products and sought to help the local community.
HERMIONE HODGSON Square POS technology
As we walk back into our favourite coffee shop or book in for a much-needed haircut, we’ll notice the retail landscape has changed dramatically – and not just in visual terms. Businesses have taken every precaution to ensure the safety of staff and customers is paramount, from partitions to PPE to limiting how many people are in a shop or restaurant at once.
There are other changes afoot, too, like paying for a service ahead of time from the comfort of home or using click and collect at our favourite local bakery, so that ordering our favourite lunch dish or getting our nails done is a hassle-free experience.
Below, we explore some of the ways that business owners have thought on their feet to quickly adapt their services to the changing times and cater to exactly what clients need and when – and how these changes can benefit both businesses and customers alike.
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Embracing technology
Doughnut Time DIY kits from Doughnut Time
One of the first – of many – realisations of lockdown was the transformational power of digital to positively enhance our lives. Office workers turned bedrooms and kitchen tables into office spaces - and maintained workplace-levels of productivity - while restaurants and retailers discovered that shifting to online platforms meant that business could continue somewhat as usual... even when nothing else in the world was.
As stores shuttered their doors for days, then weeks and months, shifting physical shops online became a lifeline for retailers and food and beverage businesses who needed to continue trading remotely. It also allowed businesses to maintain customer relationships when owners and clients weren’t able to meet face to face.
A recent survey from Enterprise Nation, which provides expert advice for its small business members, found that 81% of small business owners are open to broadening the business, with 69% indicating that meant adding new online services (58% said they expected to diversify so they could pivot more easily).
Doughnut Time, purveyor of Insta-friendly doughnuts with fabulous flavour combinations and memorable names, like Bellatwix Lestrange and Bueno Mars, is one example of a business that shifted its offerings online – and adapted its products to keep them relevant during the lockdown period.
With 15 physical outposts around the UK, the business had to quickly pivot to online-only sales, thanks to easy-to-use technology from Square, which offers businesses tools like online stores and virtual terminals, so that the business could run remotely. Doughnut Time also launched a DIY home doughnut kit online, selling 50,000 via its Square online store in weeks, and tapping into the lockdown hunger for making something with our hands.
“We use Square for our POS in-store and therefore it was a natural pivot to move to Square’s online services to build a platform for online retail,” Doughnut Time CEO, Tom Anderson, tells HuffPost UK.
“The user-friendly technology made the process relatively pain-free and helped in a big way with creating and loading new products. It was important to us to use technology that was simple to operate, enabling the DT team (all with varying tech-skill-levels) to understand the OS whilst working remotely.”
Sellers can set up an online store for free, handpicking which items to sell online. For beauty businesses, restaurants and retailers, this includes eGift cards and voucher sales – a huge boost to keep small businesses going when their doors are shut – as well as setting up local delivery or contactless pick-ups.
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Diversifying offerings – and seeing business boom
HuffPost UK Aries Bakehouse in Brixton
The pandemic forced businesses to change their revenue streams, sometimes overnight. Sit-down only restaurants became community food shops and markets, delivering fresh produce to customers who were sheltering in place or couldn’t access supermarket slots; distilleries pivoted production to produce hand sanitiser amid stock shortages; and fashion and homeware brands began creating face masks out of deadstock fabrics that would otherwise go to landfill.
Takeaway took over from table service and cafes such as Brixton’s Aries Bakehouse found that being able to sell their uber-popular sourdoughs through the window meant they could continue trading during the lockdown period. Aries Bakehouse also started stocking local beers so customers could get all of their essentials in one spot – and business boomed as a result, with the owners scaling back from being open five days a week to three, just to cope with demand.
Square started rolling out its newly launched curbside pickup and local delivery to Square Online customers on March 20, 2020. From that date to April, there was a 5x increase in weekly payment processing for Square Online, compared with January to February, 2020, which shows how quickly sellers accelerated to move online as lockdown measures came into place.[i]
Square’s tools have been popular for small businesses during lockdown, since you don’t need to be a resident techie to get on board with the technology – anyone with an account can create an online shop and start selling in minutes. Business owners also like how quickly they see cash in their account, with over 99% of each payment processed into their account the next day, while contactless pick-up and delivery options allow customers to minimise contact with other people.
Click and Collect offerings
Square Click + Collect, powered by Square
Small businesses aren’t the only ones who have diversified their product offerings and experimented with new tools and technologies to adapt quickly to changing customer needs.
Greggs, a leading UK food-on-the-go retailer, with more than 2,000 retail outlets throughout the country, has partnered with Square to roll out digital channels like Click and Collect, which allows customers to order their beloved sausage rolls, bacon butties, cakes and coffee from the comfort of home.
The process couldn’t be simpler: you book a time slot (there’s one every 10 minutes), choose your order and pay online. Customers receive an email when the order is ready for pick-up and then head over to their local shop, where social distancing measures are firmly in place, with one customer allowed in the shop at a time.
Click and Collect is currently available at 40 Greggs stores; from mid-August, Greggs is rolling out its Click and Collect services to 1600 stores nationwide, with 400 shops launching the service each week.
“Click and Collect allows our customers to order and pay in advance for their Greggs favourites through this new digital service channel. With Click and Collect - and the services provided by Square - we now have the opportunity to serve our customers in a more convenient way - wherever and whenever they want - as well as being able to manage demand and queuing time in our shops in a more controlled and efficient manner,” said Tony Taylor, Business Change Director, Greggs.
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Making cashless payments easier
Square Square POS technology
It’s safe to say the future of our high street isn’t going to involve us fiddling in our purses for coins and notes: cashless transactions are here to stay. It’s not just an extra safety precaution minimising contact between people during the pandemic, but because cash-free transactions represent yet another level of ease and convenience for customers. New government rules from April 1, 2020 have helped, increasing the tap-only contactless limit from £30 to £45.
We’re also moving towards off-site payments for services such as paying in advance for beauty treatments as well as retail orders. Square offers an interface for businesses that allows customers to tip when they pay for services, too - an added convenience for customers looking to thank their hairdressers or nail technicians, without needing to worry about having cash on hand at the appointment.
Cashless transactions via Square Online also allow customers to access and pay for services remotely, useful for a variety of reasons, including savvy parents sending their kids to the local shops to collect their purchases.
According to Square UK data, there was a 15-fold increase in cash-not-present payments at the height of the pandemic, up from 2% in January to 33% in April. 13% of payments made are still not in-person (that’s 44% higher than January’s figures), while 1 in 3 UK businesses is now cashless. The number of cashless businesses has increased 288%, from 8% in January pre-lockdown to 31% in July.[ii]


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-03--‘My Business Is Based On People’: How This Salon Owner Used Tech To Reopen Her Business Safely

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Keeping a small business running during lockdown, and making sure staff are provided for, has been challenging for entrepreneurs. Looking after young children - homeschooling, no less! - has been stressful for working parents all around.
Doing both of the above, while simultaneously working as a VP at Barclays throughout the lockdown period, is nothing short of a marvel.
Which is why we’re utterly in awe of Bee Kwan-Chia, mother, employee and the owner of Lavender on the Hill, which provides luxury massage, osteopathy and facials from licensed physiotherapists across two London locations, in Highgate and Primrose Hill.
HuffPost UK Bee Kwan-Chia, mother, employee and the owner of Lavender on the Hill
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Kwan-Chia spent her days working an investment banking job as well as focusing on her salons (the Highgate branch opened in 2018; Primrose Hill in October 2019) - even though she wasn’t able to reopen their doors until July.
“It was a bit apocalyptic, when I came back in July and all the plants had died. Just before lockdown, we did the whole garden up with lavender and jasmine, and I remember walking in and there were dry leaves blown into the shop,” Kwan-Chia tells HuffPost UK in an interview.
“I take pride in using natural ingredients - all my holistic facial products, which are handmade in Oxford, expired. All my stock. It feels like time sat still for four months.”
HuffPost UK Interior Shot: Lavender on the Hill
Lavender on the Hill is more than just a beauty salon. With its marble finishes, plush velvet furnishings and gorgeously scented, natural products, it’s an urban oasis and then some. In fact, it’s very much an extension of Kwan-Chia’s personal self-care ritual: she’s been having weekly massages since 13 weeks into her pregnancy with her now six-year-old daughter, and the main therapists in each branch have been her personal massage therapists for years.
One main impetus for launching the business was not wanting to see these talented therapists dragging heavy massage beds on the tube and in cars around London - she wanted them to have a dedicated space where they could focus their energies on doing what they do best. Kwan-Chia herself recently qualified as a sports therapist, so she can be sure everyone she hires really, truly knows their stuff.
“My business is based on people and on the skill of these people. Peoples’ livelihood was at stake, and there were 15 people who depended on me to reopen,” she says, noting that she took out a COVID-19 business loan from the government for her therapists to use if they needed, as well as paying for them all to take antibody tests ahead of reopening, to help them feel more secure before they returned to work.
Since all of the therapists at Lavender on the Hill are qualified physios and osteopaths, skilled in anatomy, they can really hone in on exactly how to relieve that specific back pain in clients who have been hunched over desks for 10 hours a day… or how to soothe an aching muscle pulled from ambitiously running a 10K over the weekend.
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HuffPost UK Patient receiving a treatment at Lavender on the Hill
Being able to run the business remotely was critical to Lavender on the Hill’s survival - and Kwan-Chia’s as a working parent. Her six-year-old daughter, Emily Rose, would be next to her on a laptop, learning her Year 1 curriculum as Kwan-Chia worked her day job.
Kwan-Chia also credits Square technology with helping her to reopen both of her locations in a COVID-secure way.
“Square doesn’t charge a monthly fee, and the cash flow is really good because it’s in the bank the next day. They accept American Express - I always say you’re going to lose business if you don’t take Amex because I’d rather spend myself on Amex and get points with Amazon or BA,” she tells us.
Everything in the salons is digital, from the Nuki door lock which allows her to remotely lock and unlock the door to the Ring doorbell and Nest camera, which gives therapists the chance to greet their clients and open the door remotely, eliminating the need for a receptionist.
“We don’t want to handle items. We only accept card payments - Square is tied into my scheduling system, Acuity, so when a client books an appointment they have an option to pay now or pay later. It allows them to tip by giving them an option without the cash. I personally don’t carry cash, and seeing that option encourages people, it gives them that flexibility and convenience and is really good for the therapists,” she explains.
HuffPost UK Bee Kwan-Chia, owner of Lavender on the Hill


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-03--‘We Had Queues Around The Block’: Bakery Owners On How Community Support Made Them Busier Than Ever

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The enforced isolation of lockdown made those small moments of pleasure all the greater: that first sip of your morning latte, a mouthful of a ham sandwich in freshly baked bread, the friendly smile of another fellow human as you went about your single outing of the day. Unable to spend time with our loved ones and friends, our local community businesses became our sanctuaries away from home.
“Customers were really appreciative of us being open and trading through lockdown so they had access to fresh baked products,” says Jackie Mckinson, the owner and baker at Aries Bakehouse in Brixton, along with her partner, Les. “We even heard customers say that being able to have our produce during lockdown was something to look forward to and gave them joy in such strange times, which is incredible.
HuffPost UK Jackie Mckinson, the owner and baker at Aries Bakehouse in Brixton
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When lockdown hit, Jackie may have closed the front doors to the bakery - but she still stayed open every single day. She was able to serve the many queuing customers - there was a huge increase in weekday trading as everyone started working from home - from a distance through the bakery’s front window, as well as offering click and collect and delivery options through Square to those shielding at home.
HuffPost UK Click and collect and delivery options through Square at Aries bakery
From the start, the bakery was completely inundated - anything Jackie baked, shoppers bought. Customers purchased 300 sourdough breads in three days. Amazingly, only Jackie, Les and a local teenager were working at the time.
Jackie implemented a range of changes in her bakery during lockdown, in addition to enhanced sanitation measures. For starters, she built up her pantry items, sourcing eggs, flour, sugar and yeast to sell to customers. Jackie also started stocking beers from local breweries, which were snapped up by customers during pub and restaurant closures. Once demand at lunchtime grew, sandwiches also appeared on the menu.
HuffPost UK Jackie diversifying her offering at Aries bakery
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Most significantly, Aries Bakehouse launched an online shop during this time, which allowed customers to pre-order goods, and minimised customer-staff contact as items were pre-bagged. The online shop has also been pivotal in helping to reduce food waste as Jackie can plan what she needs to bake each day.
Aries Bakehouse only celebrated its first anniversary in April 2020, so prior to the online shop’s launch, orders were taken via DM, on Instagram. Jackie was so busy baking she wasn’t seeing all of the messages to make the orders on time - and many items had sold out by the time she managed to click through them all. That’s when a loyal customer who spends most weekends at Aries Bakehouse, stepped in.
“It was her idea to use Square to do the online shop. She came in and used her evenings to get it up and running - I had my hands full with baking. She was here every Saturday bagging all the goods, too,” says Jackie.
Customer support became critical as they were quickly overwhelmed by demand, which is when other customers stepped in to help, packing bags, serving customers and jumping on bikes to deliver goods to people in isolation. At one point, Jackie had a team of eight people working flat out, made up of locals who had been furloughed and wanted to offer their help. Of those eight, four have stayed on to work at Aries permanently, including the barista, a former gym manager, and a baker who was on furlough.
HuffPost UK Produce at Aries Bakery
Even customers who weren’t actively packing goods in the bakery helped by spreading the word about how much they loved Aries Bakehouse.
“Without their help, I don’t think I would have coped during lockdown. Customers started posting like crazy about what product they bought - they’d buy a croissant and do this amazing post with music about it and it grew from there. It was incredible. It made me so happy - their comments kept me going. That feeling and vibe that we had over lockdown - it’s still here. It’s a lovely place to come,” says Jackie.
Square technology was essential for organising the team’s time management, too: at one stage, Jackie and her colleagues were writing names on bags, which decorated every inch of the shop floor. Upgrading the card machine to a Square terminal with a printer was a huge help. Square’s card reader, placed outside the service window, helped ensure safe social distancing protocols were followed.
Since lockdown, Jackie has continued to diversify her offering, using pre-ordering online to run pizza nights and birthday and celebration cake pre-orders, which she notes is a “great additional revenue bump.” She’s also using the online shop for advertising purposes, using her popularity on Instagram to drive customers to the online shop and giving live updates on product availability and specials.
She’s also increased the provisions in the shop, and is now selling tea, peanut butter and even cured meats from local suppliers, Crown and Queue.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-03--Michelin Star Food To Go? How Introducing Takeaways Made This Restaurant ‘Busier Than Ever’

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When the UK government started warning people not to go into pubs or restaurants on March 16th, 2020, to limit the spread of COVID-19 - before imposing the official lockdown - Orwells restaurant in Shiplake, Henley-on-Thames, was happily enjoying its 10th anniversary celebrations, which featured a different top chef guest-cooking in the kitchen each month (Sabrina Gidda from the Allbright in London was at the helm that evening).
As customers started getting panicky and cancelling reservations last-minute, husband-and-husband co-owners, Ryan and Liam Simpson-Trotman, found they suddenly had no bookings for the Thursday and Friday of that week.
“We decided to have a meeting that we called Operation Loch Ness, because it was about keeping our heads above water. We decided to close the restaurant and only offer a takeaway service shop with ready meals, to serve locals with quick bites to eat and groceries,” Ryan tells HuffPost UK.
Orwells is a much-lauded, multi-award winning restaurant in a converted 18th century pub, known for its modern fine dining dishes - think red turbot with samphire and lamb neck fillet with asparagus and puy lentils. When lockdown hit, Ryan and Liam quickly shifted to a takeaway system of “simple food, but done very well,” like fresh bread, simple pates, chicken curries, lamb shanks and beef Bourguignon.
In addition to offering takeaways, Orwells now operates as a community shop, with butcher’s cuts, fresh fish, dairy products and a deli. Liam also grows most of the restaurant’s vegetables in the kitchen garden and a small holding down the road, where you’ll find everything from turnips to caraflex cabbage, as well as honey produced from Orwells’ own bees, all sold in the online shop, created with Square.
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HuffPost UK Orwells co-owners, Ryan and Liam Simpson-Trotman
The first weekend of lockdown coincided with Mother’s Day, so Ryan and Liam devised a bit of an experiment: Orwells originally had 80 covers booked for the occasion, so the chefs quickly launched a set menu for takeaway and delivery. A whopping 350 customers ordered it.
“We were quite shocked, but we were actually appealing to our wider audience. It wasn’t the easiest of days, we weren’t prepared, but we actually got all these ideas together and thought, how do we deliver and package this?” says Ryan.
While Orwells had a website with a small purchasing section prior to lockdown, it was disjointed and required customers to call in to place orders - you couldn’t do it all online. The restaurant’s manager, Arnaud, mentioned to the chefs that Square - which they had been using for in-person payments already - offered a free website service, and within a few hours, the online takeaway service and community shop was up and running.
“It just went crazy. It was working, there was money going into the bank account,” says Ryan. “It looks after itself in a sense. You get orders coming in, you process the orders.”
The duo also launched a home delivery service with Square for those who were isolating, including a regular customer of theirs who was a fan of Orwells’ pub offerings over their more exotic dishes.
She provided them with their next big lockdown idea when she mentioned that their fish and chips was the best she’d ever tasted.
HuffPost UK Fish and Chips - Orwells style
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A week later there was a fryer in the kitchen and 100 orders of fish and chips for that Friday (enough to pay for the cost of the fryer); two weeks later and they had another fryer and 200 orders. By week four they were doing 350 of them on a Friday night, and they now have a fish and chips menu to cater to all tastes, whether you like lobster fish and chips, scallops, salt and pepper squid, or the OFC - Orwells’ fried chicken.
Deep fryers weren’t the only new cooking kit the chefs invested in: they soon had a pizza oven in the garden for Wednesday pizza nights, and launched four signature flavours, like the Kernow Catch, which is topped with lobster, and the Cheesy Fun-guy, a truffle-laden pizza. All cheeses come from the UK, and vegan options are available.
They’ve also launched an ice cream parlour thanks to Pacojet ice-cream churners and, for customers missing the high-end Orwells delicacies they’ve come to know and love, there’s The Orwells Experience, which is the next best thing to an Orwells meal, but enjoyed at home.
HuffPost UK Ryan and Liam Simpson-Trotman busy preparing orders
Arriving in a gable box and containing a starter, main, dessert, homemade bread and butter, pre-starter and petits fours, for £45 a head, The Orwells Experience is available any day of the week (customers typically need to order a day in advance for availability the next day) and has been a huge success.
“We’ve designed this concept where we’ve personalised an interactive video for the customer that’s bought it. Inside the box is a sheet with a special password and a link to the website with the video with me and Liam giving tips, and telling them the best way to heat things up,” says Ryan.
This personalised aspect is one of the primary reasons the duo have chosen to keep the restaurant’s doors shut for now - Orwells isn’t just about amazing food, but also the experience, one where Arnaud jokes around with clients while pouring a glass of wine. “There’s a lot of theatre when you eat at Orwells. We’re waiting for things to calm down,” says Ryan.
The response to The Orwells Experience has been so hugely positive that Ryan and Liam are thinking ahead. The next step? To possibly extend their deliveries further afield, like London, where they have a large client base.
Ryan and Liam’s quick-thinking, creativity and talent made all of these pivots possible. Square’s online services have helped to make them a profitable reality. The duo switched to Square in autumn 2019 for restaurant payments, after using another company they found “didn’t move with the times.”
HuffPost UK Orwells Community Shop, Powered by Square


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-03--Zahid Younis Found Guilty Of Murdering Two Women And Dumping Their Bodies In A Freezer

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A man found guilty of murdering two vulnerable women and stuffing their bodies into a freezer has been jailed.
Zahid Younis, 36, known as Boxer, was convicted of killing Hungarian national Henriett Szucs and mother-of-three Mihrican “Jan” Mustafa.
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He was given a life sentence – with a minimum term of 38 years – at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday.
Szucs, 34, had last been seen in August 2016 and 38-year-old Mustafa in May 2018.
Their bodies were found in Younis’s flat in Vandome Close, Canning Town, east London, in April 2019. Police had been sent there to investigate after Younis was reported missing.
Officers forced open a padlocked freezer, which was in a cupboard, surrounded by flies and with items stacked on top of it.
The jury at Southwark Crown Court took 16 hours to deliberate before reaching a verdict.
Undated handout photos issued by Metropolitan Police of Henriett Szucs (left) and Mihrican Mustafa. PA
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Younis showed no emotion as the verdicts were read out while members of Mustafa’s large family, who attended every day of the three-week trial, said “yes” in the public gallery.
Her older sister, Mel Mustafa, said: “Thank you, God, thank you.”
The jury at Southwark Crown Court in London had heard how the women were subjected to “very significant violence” before their deaths and had fracture injuries associated with kicking or stamping.
Younis had already admitted to putting the women in his freezer, but denied double murder. He has previously pleaded guilty to preventing the lawful and decent burial of both women.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-04--David Davis Warns He Will Vote Against The Budget If It Includes Tax Hikes

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Former cabinet minister David Davis has warned that he will vote against the Budget if it includes tax hikes.
The ex-Brexit secretary became the first senior Tory to vow publicly to rebel over the threat of increases to capital gains tax, corporation tax, fuel duty and self-employed National Insurance that have been floated in recent days.
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The rebellion among Conservative backbenchers has grown rapidly after chancellor Rishi Sunak refused to rule out tax rises in face-to-face meetings with MPs this week.
Sunak said it was important to be “honest” about the need for extra income to help the government restore public finances battered by the coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Week in Westminster, Davis said that tax was “the really big argument of the coming months” between the Treasury and Tory MPs.
“It’s entirely possible that with a sort of tax-the-rich Budget they could get through on Labour numbers I suppose. But it would be a very sorry day for a new Tory chancellor, losing God knows how many Tories,” he said.
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“I’m not exactly the most virtuous person in terms of not voting against my party. But I’ve never voted against a Budget in my life. If it’s a tax-raising Budget I will.”
According to a raft of reports in recent days, Sunak is said to be looking at hiking petrol fuel duty by 5p a litre, raising capital gains on second home owners and cutting pension tax perks for higher rate taxpayers.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak PA
The chancellor was claimed to be considering hiking corporation tax from 19% to 24% to raise £12bn next year and £17bn in 2023/24.
In a meeting with MPs elected in 2019 this week, Sunak said that while there would not be a “horror show of tax rises with no end in sight”, the government was going to have to make “difficult” decisions and could not “simply borrow our way out of any hole”.
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However, there is unease among some close to Boris Johnson at the idea of any tax rises at all, even if they are intended to be short-term and time-limited.
No specific date has yet been announced for the Budget, but it is expected to take place in late November or early December.
On the Radio 4 programme, due to be aired on Saturday, Davis said that war bonds issued in the First and Second World Wars had proved to be good ways to use borrowing over the long term to pay off emergency increases in spending.
“When on earth is the Treasury going to learn that putting taxes up ends up getting you less money?
“We’ve seen under [Nigel] Lawson when he cut income tax rates the amount of income tax paid by the richest one and 10 per cent went up dramatically. And we’ve seen in recent years, reducing the rate on capital gains has increased the take,” he said.
“Our economic engine is sputtering because of the crisis. We have to ensure it gets going again and runs fast otherwise we won’t have the jobs, the welfare cost will be enormous [...] and therefore we won’t have the money to turn the economy into the sort of future-proofed economy we actually want to see post-Brexit.”
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Asked how many fellow Tory MPs were prepared to follow suit and rebel, Davis said “there are a lot”.
PA
Labour has already said it does not think the current recession is “the right time” to put up taxes, arguing – in line with the Institute for Fiscal Studies – that the move could hit consumer confidence and the economy further.
Other senior Tories Sir Graham Brady, Sir John Redwood and Ian Liddell-Grainger warned on Friday that increasing taxes will threaten the recovery after the coronavirus pandemic has passed.
While many Tory MPs have been pleased by the success of Sunak’s Eat Out To Help Out vouchers during August, the spectre of tax rises has caused deep unhappiness.
One former Tory minister told the Telegraph: “I won’t be voting for the Budget [...] I am not voting to put taxes up on entrepreneurs so people can eat half price fucking burgers.”
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Government borrowing soared by £150bn in just four months this year, pushing the national debt above £2tn, as the Treasury introduced emergency measures like the furlough jobs retention scheme.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-04--No.10 Ties Itself In Knots Trying To Explain Whether Or Not It Will Hire Tony Abbott

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As pressure built on Boris Johnson not to hand former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott a senior trade role amid allegations of homophobia and misogyny, a spokesperson for the prime minister attempted to cover all bases.
“No decision has ever been made and hasn’t been made about this,” was the confusing response given by No.10 when asked about the possible appointment.
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The spokesperson added: “Once we have a list of advisers we will make an announcement.”
Abbott is in talks to become joint president of the relaunched Board of Trade to help the UK negotiate international trade deals.
Labour has said appointing Abbott would be “completely unacceptable” because of his “offensive and outdated” views.
Speaking in London earlier this week, Abbott attacked what he sad was “hysteria” over coronavirus.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggest the UK death toll is now 57,310,
While serving on the frontline of Australian politics, Abbott opposed same-sex marriage as “political correctness” and said he was “a bit threatened” by gay people.
Don Arnold via Getty Images
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In 2011 Abbott, the then opposition leader, appeared on stage in front of a sign that called prime minister Julia Gillard a “bitch”.
And in a 2017 speech, also in London, Abbott said climate change was “probably doing good” and policies designed to tackle it were like “primitive people once killing goats to appease the volcano gods”.
When confronted by Sky News presenter Kay Burley on Thursday over Abbott’s record, health secretary Matt Hancock defended the former Australian PM as “also an expert in trade”.
Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, on Friday told Sky he would “want to check the record” of what Abbott had said about women, gay people and coronavirus before he would be “happy to have a drink” with him.
“There are lots of people with whom their comments I vehemently disagree but I’m not into defending people who are not actually carrying out any role for the British government,” he said.
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Abbott has however been defended by his sister Christine Forster. In a statement posted to Twitter, she wrote: “It is nothing short of dishonesty for commentators and politicians who do not know Tony to label him a ‘homophobe and a misogynist’ for the purposes of scoring cheap political points.