Small businesses in Corporate Jamaica are looking forward to a turnaround in business with the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions and the periodical opening of the economy.

It has been four months since the coronavirus pandemic was confirmed in Jamaica. Since then, the country has been under restrictions and many small businesses have seen a big decline in business. Several entrepreneurs had to lay off staff or temporarily close their businesses because of the pandemic regulations and to minimise the cost of operation.

Chief executive officer of Blow by Blow Jamaica Leiane Evans told the Business Observer that with the economy looking to restart and the restrictions being less stringent, she is expecting brighter days for her beauty salon.

“I foresee more people coming to my salon and the business expanding. I see us doing everything we planned before COVID-19; we just have to do it differently”.

The pandemic led Evans to place her staff on weekly shifts. Instead of everyone working daily, she let them alternate weeks. This was done to minimise the cost of her operations. However, she noted, “We are now able to bring back more people to work.”

Although COVID-19 impacted the amount of traffic that Blow by Blow would normally receive, she noted that it taught her an important lesson on customer service.

Evans said the pandemic led her to improve her company’s customer service to ensure customers felt comfortable and safe. This she hopes will boost their confidence in her business and they would return once the pandemic is over.

Davion Forbes, owner of Davion Forbes Photography, also shared the same optimism for his photography business.

“I hope these relaxed regulations mean a turnaround for me with more bookings,” he said.

Forbes is a photographer whose primary market is destination weddings.

“The pandemic forced the Jamaican Government to close our borders which meant that I lost most of my bookings scheduled for the year and it is well-known that summertime is the most popular for destination weddings,” Forbes told the Business Observer.

Forbes said he took the pandemic in stride and used the time to redevelop his website, which he hopes will make his business more marketable to those who visit Jamaica to have their weddings.

Shacquille Chambers, co-owner of Skimpii Fitz Ja, along with his wife Chandrika Campbell-Chambers, expressed his delight with the relaxed regulations. He sees it as a major boost for his swimwear business.

“The relaxed regulations, especially on rivers, beaches and water parks are a big advantage for my business. This will mean an increase in sales because more people will be going to rivers and beaches. This results in more customers wanting swimwear, especially bikinis,” Chambers said.

While he was pleased about the relaxed restrictions and the positive effects it will have on his business, Chambers admitted that COVID-19 was a major hindrance. He noted that since the pandemic and the ensuing lockdown, there has been a hold-up in revenue. His shipments of goods slowed down, which meant a loss in sales. Nonetheless, Chambers is not deterred.

“I plan to take advantage of social media to keep sales up and to keep my business afloat in these uncertain times,” he explained.

President of the Small Business Association of Jamaica (SBAJ) Dr Ron Foreman welcomed the relaxed regulations.

“This relaxation facilitates a little more flexibility for small businesses. A lot of small business owners were smart enough during the lockdown to keep their business going. With the plans for reopening, we are hoping to have small businesses back on track. We hope it can get things back to normal,” Foreman said.

The SBAJ has been assisting its members since the lockdown began with what Dr Foreman classified as limited funds. He stated that “we have given them [SBAJ members] insight on what to do during this period. But we can only do so much. We are working with limited funds. We can do much more if we work on a partnership with different media houses to get more pertinent information out to the public on how to help small businesses”.