Talking Point: How revealing hardship grants could hurt a business

Nothing can destroy a business quicker than a rumour along the lines of “I have heard so-and-so is not going very well,” a small business owner says as he thinks naming recipients of hardship grants will hurt local firms.

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CONFIDENCE is a funny thing in small business.

Ask a small-business owner, “how’s business?” and I would think 95 per cent of the time you would get a reply of “going great”, or something similar.

To survive in small business, you almost need a confidence verging on the ridiculous. You need to be always moving in the direction you are setting.

There is always something going on, always something popping up to distract you, an obstacle in the way. Then there is COVID.

Why do most small business owners react this way?

Most often it is a case of never giving a sucker an even break.

There is always someone else willing to step in and take that customer away, take that idea.

Especially in a place like Tasmania, where we all know each other, we all talk to each other.

Nothing can destroy a business quicker than a simple rumour along the lines of “I have heard so-and-so is not going very well”.

Potential customers hear this and go elsewhere, go to someone they have heard is going great guns to ensure the product or service is not under any risk.

So the answer is always “going great”.

Dean Young from News Xpress Glenorchy. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

COVID has changed this a little bit. A lot of businesses have struggled, through, in the main, a lack of customers compared to usual times.

Something out of their control.

This is definitely where the shop local campaign has helped, and the people of Tasmania have, as they usually do, responded to a call to arms and helped their friends, their family, their community and many businesses are on the way back.

Both public and the government have given that little bit of help required.

I have a friend who is a travel agent. I ran in to them the other day and was annoyed at myself I hadn’t reached out earlier.

Their last six months have been hell, no income.

This is where the idea of what people think in the community becomes apparent.

They had been harassed in coffee shops with their family, abused because of slow refunds.

They had been asked whether they were going broke more times than should have happened, which again leads to people trying to access funds quicker than the bigger businesses had refunded them.

Travel agents, well, good ones like these are, have a trust account where customers’ money is kept until the booking has been finalised, however people just panic and see money disappearing.

So no, they are not going broke.

Stressed and feeling crap, but not broke.

People do not see this, all they see is, where is my money.

I will not get started on landlords, and paying rent with no income. That is a story for another day.

All of this is leading to the fact that while politics are being played with who and how much grant money people received, they needed that helping hand to get them through, to keep your local travel agent, your local newsagent, your local plumber going in an unprecedented time.

Do you really want to add the extra pressure of people wondering about whether that business is going broke, do I take my business to a more successful place, do I create even more stress and uncertainty for that small business owner, or do I continue to buy local and be happy they are there.

I, for one, am happy.

Congratulations and good luck to all our small businesses (and big) in Tasmania. I know how hard you work.

For the record, we received an initial grant from the Tasmanian government of $1500, but thanks for asking, we are going great and always happy to see everyone in the newsagency.

Dean Young has owned newsXpress Glenorchy since 2006. He is a former Liberal candidate for the federal seat of Franklin.