The Covid pandemic has affected everyone in a multitude of ways whether it be physically, mentally or emotionally. However, many small business owners have also had to deal with their livelihoods being temporarily, or in some cases permanently, halted due to lockdown restrictions and have found it difficult trying to stay afloat. As lockdown restrictions ease, it is crucial that we try to support small businesses however we can. According to a survey carried out by Goldman Sachs back in September 2020, "nearly two thirds of small businesses saw their revenues decrease" and "44% of small businesses have had to cut jobs" due to Covid. Although people are under the impression that these businesses will begin to thrive now that they are being allowed to open, this isn't actually the case.
Veli's Grooming is a new barber shop that opened on Caledonian Road on April 12th along with numerous other non-essential businesses. Ozan Tayfun, a barber at the shop, spoke to me about Veli's Grooming and how Covid has impacted business. When asked about his experience as a barber, Tayfun said, "We've been doing this job for a very long time… my colleague's got 15 years of experience." "We've had shops outside London but we sold them because we want to be back where our family is and where we were raised so we wanted to come back to London," said Tayfun when asked why he chose this area. Tayfun also believes it is "a very good area to open up a barbershop" considering the university campus, train station and residential area in the immediate vicinity.
Nevertheless, despite it being in a prime location, customers are still rather sparse for the barber shop and Tayfun admits that Covid has affected his job "very, very [badly]." "Ever since Covid happened, none of the barbers have been working. We're getting Furlough here and there but some people are working part time so they are getting less Furlough," said Tayfun of his experience. He also cited people's reluctance to go to barber shops because "they're scared of people using the same machines" as a reason for business being stagnant. Therefore, Veli's Grooming are adhering to stringent Covid safety regulations such as cleaning their tools after every customer and wearing masks at all times to assuage their clients' fears. However, not only is the public's anxiety an obstacle, DIY haircuts have also become increasingly popular meaning that frequent trips to the hairdresser have become redundant for those who have mastered the art of wielding hair shears.
In conclusion, while it is definitely frugal to break out your own hair clippers, we should also be mindful of the people behind these small businesses that are in desperate need of patronage. Besides, everyone enjoys treating themselves to a self-care day every once in a while. In fact, Veli's Grooming offers a "VIP service" to its customers that includes a hot towel and even steam machines on top of hair trimming. Who could resist that?
