Business under Lockdown - Amaiz talks to Verity Clarke Hair

05/13/21 • 13 min

“Don’t panic, run with it.”
Verity Clarke was one of the exceptional case studies that emerged from Amaiz’s survey on the effect of lockdown on UK small businesses in 2020. Verity started her current company in 2019, and, as she says, "they say your first year of business is challenging, but come on now." Verity talks through her experience in setting up and running her business and the COVID uncertainty that has defined the past year in this pragmatic chat. She describes the “Mad Max moment” of contacting her clients, although this is a very different type of apocalypse...
Keeping the marketing alive helped the business but also added necessary sanity to the situation. Channels like Instagram have proved their worth, as has support from allied trades, but the bank and government... Not so much. As a new business, Verity’s another enterprise that fell through the gap for government support, although it took some sifting through information and misinformation to understand that.
Verity sees a lot of potential ahead and busy times. Logistics and equipment were particularly crucial in an industry heavily affected by safety rules. An industry that was slow to move to cashless payments has seen a shift, although it’s worth noting that tipping has fallen across the service industry.
Find out more about the Amaiz business app and its payments, bookkeeping and accounting features and how they support small business at amaiz.com/features.

Previous Episode

Business Under Lockdown - Amaiz talks to Carla Watkins - Professional Mermaid

We catch up with Carla Watkins, who we spoke to earlier in this series. Carla’s previously talked about her portfolio of small businesses and the many strings she has to her bow... But professional mermaid? That’s right. Here we talk to Carla about this one particular and unusual occupation as a professional mermaid - a wander through the realms of possibility and imagination and a great example of the essence of a successful small business coming from anywhere. A lot of this success comes from confidence, and that’s why these business stores are important to share.
Find out more about the Amaiz business app and its payments, bookkeeping and accounting features and how they support small business at https://amaiz.com/features/

Next Episode

Business under Lockdown - Amaiz talks to Rich Irving of Squeezed Media

We catch up with Rich Irving, owner of Squeezed Media, an established video and animation company. Covid accelerated its shift towards graphics and animation after Covid halted video production in its tracks in march 2020. Animation quickly became the main part of the business and sustained Squeezed, in spite of rising competition in that area during the pandemic.

This is a great chat with an experienced business owner and an interesting exploration of the opportunities and obstacles posed by remote working and office working.

When the Covid crisis arrived, Squeezed was growing, centred around a central London office and studio, with 14 employees and an emphasis on company culture. The quick establishment of secure and supported remote working made ade Rich question the need for an office. But by the end of the first lockdown, the culture of the office showed its worth. As Rich says, in the creative industry, individual creativity is essential, but so is team creativity. Zoom and other communication tools facilitate work, but they can also suck that creativity away. Advice, for instance, is important: Even the most experienced personnel are constantly learning.
The flow and nature of the business have changed, and it’s still difficult to see the future for video. But animation continues to build. And while the ability to find and convert new business was affected during the lockdowns, clients loyalty kept Squeezed buoyant as they head to an optimistic future.
Find out more about the Amaiz business app and its payments, bookkeeping and accounting features and how they support small business at amaiz.com/features.