On a wider scale, James believes the current situation is a good time for government to reassess its treatment of businesses. “It is time for a big rethink,” he explains.
And that means looking at the thorny subject of business rates and the way rateable value is calculated.
He points out that the leisure and retail sectors were facing major challenges even before the coronavirus outbreak and adds: “This is as good a time as ever to overhaul the system.
“There has to be an element of stopping taking businesses for granted and to start thinking about it as a partnership.”
The key for us is a clear
path out of lockdown, though we recognise that it is an awful lot to ask for
James sees no quick return to normality for the sector, pointing out it took businesses years, not months, to recover from the impact of foot and mouth in the countryside.
He says: “It doesn’t take very long at all for people to get scared and it can take a long-time for them to feel safe to start going out again.
“It is going to be a gradual recovery and everything depends on how quickly we come out of lockdown.”
He remains “confident” when it comes to the future of his business but adds: “There are going to be casualties in Lancashire unfortunately, people who have worked incredibly hard to build their businesses.
“It is going to be a rebuilding exercise for everybody. It will be a matter of consolidation and hanging on to what you’ve got. It is not going to be easy and it is not going to be quick.”
Lancaster Brewery is another business that has been hit by lockdown. In normal times it plays host to brewery tours, parties, weddings and festivals, and supplies beer throughout the North West and beyond.
Left with a supply of beer, spirits and wines that would usually be supplied to trade, it offered a home delivery service to people in its home city and the surrounding area.
REBUILDING THE FUTURE
We have been living in unprecedented times and undoubtedly, our focus has been on the here and now. While we have reacted to ensure the safety of our employees and the wider communities, it is important we continue to plan for the long-term as we look to rebuild the future.
The current climate has created a moment of pause for business leaders around the world, providing a unique opportunity for us to appraise our respective organisations to identify previously overlooked skills gaps. For many businesses, these skills gaps have been magnified as we have responded to Covid-19.
Similarly, Covid-19 has been a test of versatility for employees at all levels of an organisation. A business that has continually upskilled its workforce will have reaped the rewards of adaptable managers who have been quick to mitigate the barriers of lockdown. Conversely, businesses that have neglected this have been playing catch-up, with high numbers of unskilled workers entering the uncharted waters of remote working at the expense of output and productivity.
The benefits of addressing skills gaps cannot be underestimated. By addressing the training needs of your employees, you can support the resilience of your business through the development of a skilled workforce. This could be an opportune time to stand back and truly identify the needs of your business going forward – which could then inform more robust training and hiring programmes.
Claire Shore – Senior Business Development Manager at Blackburn College
Blackburn College supports leaders across a range of sectors to recruit, train and grow their respective businesses. They offer an impressive suite of professional qualifications to upskill existing workforces, while providing a bespoke recruitment and vacancy matching service for managers looking to hire apprentices.
Announcing the move, Chris Duffy general manager of the independent brewery, said: “We hope in our small way we can spread some real cheer during these challenging times.”
Meanwhile, the Forum of Private Business has called on the government to reduce beer tax to save pubs.
It also urged the government to act to make leading PubCo’s to give tenants a rental holiday while they are closed during lockdown.
Professional qualifications offered by Blackburn College include CIPS, CIPD and ILM and Apprenticeships cover Intermediate Level 2 to Degree Level 6, with unique delivery options to suit the individual needs of a business.
If you want support with a skills audit of your business, please get in touch with Claire Shore – Senior Business Development Manager at Blackburn College at
claire.shore@
blackburn.ac.uk. Claire and her team are waiting to support you, no matter your goals or objectives.
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