June and the return to “normal” – what it means for businesses

17 May roadmap step three – recap

On 17 May 2021 the Rule of Six was extended to indoor spaces.

Domestic overnight stays with a group of six (or more, as long as the group comprises two households) are permitted, and the same goes for meeting in people’s homes. Groups of up to 30 are allowed outdoors. 

Here’s what the new rules mean for businesses operating in some of the UK’s most affected sectors. 

Hospitality 

Pubs, restaurants and other hospitality venues can begin serving groups of up to six indoors again (and groups of no more than 30 outside). The “table service only” rule still applies and business owners must follow Covid safety guidelines. 

Up to 30 people are now able to attend weddings, receptions, funerals and wakes, and other important life events such as christenings and bar mitzvahs. 

Arts & entertainment 

Indoor cinemas, theatres and bingo halls are permitted to reopen as long as they have social distancing measures in place. In terms of larger events, indoor venues will be capped at 1,000 attendees or 50 per cent –whichever is fewer. 

Up to 4,000 people are allowed to attend outdoor standing events or the equivalent of 50 per cent of the venue’s capacity. Outdoor seated events like football matches can resume at 10,000 or 25 per cent capacity. 

Tourism

Domestic holidays were permitted from 12 April for people from within the same household, however since 17 May the sector has been allowed to open even further with the Rule of Six in place. 

International tourism has also resumed under the Government’s traffic light system. So far,  Portugal is the only major short-haul destination on the “green list”. More could be added in the short term though.

Leisure

Organised indoor sports for adults (tennis, badminton, etc.) and some indoor exercise classes, such as yoga, spin and zumba, are also back on the agenda. 

BUSINESS FUNDING FOR GROWTH – APPLY NOW

What are the Covid rules from 21 June for businesses? 

As long as everything goes to plan, step four (the final step) will enable businesses to fully resume trading with no restrictions. 

The current plan is to lift “all legal limits on social contact” on 21 June, meaning there will be no restrictions on how many people you can meet inside or outside. Some social distancing measures could still remain, such as the wearing of masks in public areas.

As well as spelling good news for the overall economy, it will benefit hospitality, leisure, arts and entertainment and tourism in particular. 

Gigs, nightclubs and wedding businesses

All being well, weddings and other life events will be able to go ahead without limits on guest lists. Music venues and nightclubs will also be allowed to reopen and restrictions on capacity at larger events will be lifted. 

According to the Government:

Under what circumstances will step four go ahead?

The Government has four tests that must be passed before each stage of the roadmap out of lockdown restrictions can go ahead. These include: 

✔️ The vaccine deployment programme continues successfully

✔️ Evidence shows vaccines are sufficiently effective in reducing hospitalisations and deaths in those vaccinated

✔️ Infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalisations which would put unsustainable pressure on the NHS

✔️ Assessment of the risks is not fundamentally changed by new variants of concern

Business funding for post-lockdown growth – how to apply

Lots of businesses, including SMEs and startups, are in the process of hiring new staff to meet the sudden uptick in demand for their products and services. Others have been growing throughout the pandemic.

Take the food and drink sector, for instance. 

A record number of new businesses were started in the food and drink sector in 2020, according to The Accountancy Partnership. Of the 2,200+ startups that were founded, a quarter said they’ll be hiring one or more employees as their business grows in the coming months and years.

Many business owners and entrepreneurs are also looking to secure funding ahead of the June reopening. If you’re one of them, you can use business finance to fund a range of business activities, including:

• Boosting cash flow

• Hiring new staff

• Refurbishing or expanding existing premises

• Investing in new premises

• Buying more stock

• Purchasing an “asset” (e.g. coffee machine or vehicles for your fleet)

Business loan

You can use a business term loan to fund your expansion plans or to improve your company’s cash flow. You can expect to pay the same amount back each month for the duration of the loan term (e.g. 2 years), plus any interest and fees.

A variety of secured and unsecured loan options are available. 

Bridge loan

A bridge loan (or bridging loan) is a short-term loan that enables you to cover a business cost until you can pay it off or secure a longer-term type of finance. Find out about how a business owner in London used a bridge loan to improve cash flow disruption here. 

Asset finance

Growing businesses often need to purchase new equipment – whether it's a fridge for their commercial kitchen or a new car for their delivery fleet – but lack the funds to be able to do so outright. Asset finance takes the weight off by enabling you to spread the payments over a longer period of time. 

Property finance

Property finance is an umbrella term for finance that helps business owners buy, renovate, refurbish or extend property. Commercial mortgages, property development finance, auction finance and bridging finance all fall under this category.

Thinking of investing in new premises? Property finance could help.

The above list finance types is by no means definitive – there are dozens of options out there. At Funding Options, we help business owners get the right finance in place, so they can trade, plan and grow with confidence. 

Use our platform to see what you could be eligible for today, based on your goals and circumstances.