Business Owners of Birmingham: Part One

In Birmingham, there are many local hair and beauty suppliers. One of the hair and beauty shops ‘Beauty Queens’ was closed due to the lockdown, but secretly they remain open.

I discovered this through speaking to locals. However, they are only allowing members of the public to come through the side door for a short while to buy some products.

When I witnessed this first-hand it was quite shocking, but then the thought came to me: “How else would they earn their money?”.

During local shop visits, I noticed there was a massive sense of community in Birmingham as people were helping to uplift each other.

There are some businesses in Birmingham that have closed earlier than usual, such as local food shops and banks. This can add financial pressure to small businesses, as there are even less people shopping, so there is less money being made.

Unfortunately, many businesses do not have PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) available to use, and places such as the chemist, have placed signs to let the public know that there are no masks or gloves available.

Very recently in my local shop ‘Toor Supermarket’. I engaged in a conversation with a prison officer who worked for a prison in Birmingham. She looked physically drained and tired. She explained to me that working in the prison has been horrible, and the inmates are not allowed out as much due to COVID19.

I believe that the Government should inform the public about work schedules and development. For example, business owners need to know what time to open and close.

Business owners need clear direction from the government, and I think it is important that companies are constantly aware of the direction and the next steps the government is taking.

This will not only build trust between these businesses and the government, but it helps to keep the company in the light, for instance, when business owners need to know the timings to close.

Even if they are far away, they should be informed on what to aim for and the next step to take, as they need to be aware of the phases the government is taking, so they are not wandering aimlessly and kept in the unknown.

I am very sympathetic for the shop owners who are still running their businesses during this time. When I visited my local post office recently, I saw how tired the owner of the shop was.

Usually the post office is bursting with energy and chatter, even when they are fatigued and mentally drained, they still they aim to keep strong.

After lockdown, I think that people will return to relative normality. One positive outcome to emerge out of the pandemic will definitely be good hygiene.

Overall, my findings and interviews have broadened my understanding to realise that businesses are not the only ones who are suffering, but many key workers too, who are doing a tremendous job, and it seems social distancing will continue for a while.

By Rhea Dehaney