Business Impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Survey questions: 18 May to 31 May 2020

These questions are for wave 6 of the Business Impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Survey for the period 18 May to 31 May 2020. Respondents are asked to respond to the questions between 1 June and 14 June 2020 based on their experiences between 18 May and 31 May 2020. These are the most up-to-date survey questions.

Which of the following statements best describes your business’s trading status?

• Currently trading and has been for more than the last two weeks
• Started trading within the last two weeks after a pause in trading
• Paused trading but intends to restart in the next two weeks
• Paused trading and does not intend to restart in the next two weeks
• Permanently ceased trading

When your business was still trading, where was most of its business activity carried out?

• UK
• Outside the UK
• Not sure

Where in the UK did your business carry out its business activity?

• England
• Northern Ireland
• Scotland
• Wales
• Not sure

Where in England did your business carry out its business activity?

• East of England
• East Midlands
• Greater London
• North East
• North West
• South East
• South West
• West Midlands
• Yorkshire and The Humber
• Not sure  

In the last two weeks, how has the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic affected your business’s turnover, compared with what is normally expected for this time of year?

• Turnover has increased by more than 50%
• Turnover has increased between 20% and 50%
• Turnover has increased by up to 20%
• Turnover has not been affected
• Turnover has decreased by up to 20%
• Turnover has decreased between 20% and 50%
• Turnover has decreased by more than 50%
• Not sure

Please explain in more detail how the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic affected your business’s turnover in the last two weeks.

What are your expectations about your business’s turnover in the next two weeks?

• Expect turnover to substantially increase
• Expect turnover to increase a little
• Expect turnover to stay the same
• Expect turnover to decrease a little
• Expect turnover to substantially decrease
• Not sure

Prior to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, did your business sell goods or services online?

• Yes
• No
• Not sure

Has your business started selling goods or services online during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic?

• Yes
• No
• Not sure

How have your business’s online sales of goods or services changed in the last two weeks?

• Online sales have increased
• Online sales have continued, but decreased
• Online sales have stayed the same
• The business stopped selling goods or services online
• Not sure

Has your business used any of the following online services to support business operations during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic?

• Increased or new use of online advertising
• Increased or new use of online services to help communication with customers
• Increased or new use of video conferencing for internal communications
• Increased or new use of social media platforms for internal communications
• Other
• None of the above

Has your business exported goods or services in the last 12 months?

• Yes
• No
• Not sure

Has your business exported goods or services during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic?

• Yes, the business has exported during the pandemic
• No, the business has not exported during the pandemic

Does your business expect to start exporting goods or services in the next two weeks?

• Yes, expects to start exporting
• No, do not expect to start exporting
• Not sure

How has your business’s exporting of goods or services been affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the last two weeks?

• The business has stopped exporting in the last two weeks
• Exporting has not been affected
• The business is exporting, but less than normal
• The business is exporting more than normal
• Not sure

Where does your business normally export to?

• EU
• Outside EU
• Not sure

Which countries in the EU does your business normally export to?

• France
• Germany
• Netherlands
• Other
• Not sure

Which countries outside of the EU does your business normally export to?

• China
• Hong Kong
• USA
• Other
• Not sure

Does your business normally export directly or through a distributor?

• Exports directly
• Exports through a distributor
• Not sure

Does your business expect to start exporting goods or services again in the next two weeks?

• Yes, the business expects to start exporting
• No, the business does not expect to start exporting
• Not sure

Has your business experienced any of the following challenges with exporting over the last two weeks?

• Coronavirus-related transport restrictions
• Increases in transportation costs
• Closure of infrastructure used to export goods or services
• Destination countries changing their border restrictions
• Other
• Did not experience any challenges with exporting

Which of the following support options would your business benefit from to help with exporting challenges?

• Financial support
• Support on understanding markets and demand issues
• Support on finding new markets
• Support on finding new overseas contacts or customers
• Support with transport and distribution
• Support with legal issues
• Support with customs and tariffs
• Support with export licences
• Other
• None of the above

Let us know anything else that you think may help us understand your business’s exporting in the last two weeks.

What are your expectations about your business’s exporting of goods or services in the next two weeks?

• It will get much harder
• It will get a little harder
• It will stay the same
• It will get a little easier
• It will get much easier
• Not sure
• Not applicable

Has your business imported goods or services in the last 12 months?

• Yes
• No
• Not sure

Has your business imported goods or services during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic?

• Yes, the business imported during the pandemic
• No, the business has not imported during the pandemic

Does your business expect to start importing goods or services in the next two weeks?

• Yes, the business expects to start importing
• No, the business does not expect to start importing
• Not sure

How has your business’s importing of goods or services been affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the last two weeks?

• The business has stopped importing in the last two weeks
• Importing has not been affected
• The business is importing, but less than normal
• The business is importing more than normal
• Not sure

Where does your business normally import from?

• EU
• Outside EU
• Not sure

Which countries in the EU does your business normally import from?

• France
• Germany
• Netherlands
• Other
• Not sure

Which countries outside the EU does your business normally import from?

• China
• Hong Kong
• USA
• Other
• Not sure

Does your business normally import directly or through a distributor?

• Imports directly
• Imports through a distributor
• Not sure

Does your business expect to start importing goods or services again in the next two weeks?

• Yes, the business expects to start importing
• No, the business does not expect to start importing
• Not sure

Has your business experienced any of the following challenges with importing over the last two weeks?

• Coronavirus-related transport restrictions
• Increases in transportation costs
• Closure of infrastructure used to import goods or services
• Source countries changing their border restrictions
• Other
• Did not experience any challenges with importing

Which of the following support options would your business benefit from to help with importing challenges?

• Support on understanding markets and demand issues
• Support on finding new alternative supply chains
• Support on finding new overseas contacts or customers
• Support with transport and distribution
• Support with legal issues
• Support with customs and tariffs
• Support with import licences
• Other
• None of the above

Let us know anything else that you think may help us understand your business’s importing in the last two weeks.

What are your expectations about your business’s importing of materials, goods or services in the next two weeks?

• It will get much harder
• It will get a little harder
• It will stay the same
• It will get a little easier
• It will get much easier
• Not sure
• Not applicable

Was your business able to get the materials, goods or services it needed from within the UK in the last two weeks?

• Yes, the business has been able to get what we needed
• Yes, but the business had to change suppliers or find alternative solutions
• No, the business has not been able to get the materials, goods or services we needed
• Not applicable

Please explain why your business was not able to get the materials, goods or services needed.

Where does your business carry out most of its business activity?

• UK
• Outside the UK
• Not sure

Where in the UK does your business carry out its business activity?

• England
• Northern Ireland
• Scotland
• Wales
• Not sure

Where in England does your business carry out its business activity?

• East of England
• East Midlands
• Greater London
• North East
• North West
• South East
• South West
• West Midlands
• Yorkshire and The Humber
• Not sure

How did the prices of materials, goods or services bought by your business change in the last two weeks, compared with normal price fluctuations?

• Prices increased more than normal
• Prices decreased more than normal
• Some prices increased, some prices decreased
• Prices did not change any more than normal
• Not sure
• Not applicable

Please give more details about the prices of materials, goods or services that changed.

What are your expectations about changes in prices of materials, goods or services that your business needs for the next two weeks?

• Expect prices to generally increase
• Expect prices to generally decrease
• Expect prices not to change
• Not sure
• Not applicable

How did the prices of goods or services sold by your business change in the last two weeks, compared with normal fluctuations?

• Prices increased more than normal
• Prices decreased more than normal
• Some prices increased, some prices decreased
• Prices did not change any more than normal
• Not sure
• Not applicable

Please give more details about how prices changed.

What are your expectations about prices of goods or services that your business will sell over the next two weeks?

• Prices will generally increase
• Prices will generally decrease
• Prices will stay the same
• Not sure
• Not applicable

Has your business applied for any of the following initiatives?

• Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS)
• Government-backed accredited loans or finance agreements
• Business grants funded by the UK and devolved governments
• Not applied for any of these schemes

Did your business apply for the Development Bank of Wales COVID-19 Business Loan Scheme?

• Yes
• No
• Not sure

Which government offered the business grants that you have applied for?

• Northern Ireland Executive
• Scottish Government
• UK Government (England Only)
• Welsh Government
• Not sure

Which of the following Welsh Government grants did your business apply for?

• COVID-19 grant for small businesses
• Economic Resilience Fund
• Sector-specific grants
• Not applied for any of these grants

Has your business received funds from any of the following Welsh Government grants?

• COVID-19 grant for small businesses
• Economic Resilience Fund
• Sector-specific grants
• Not received any funds from these grants

Which of the following Scottish Government grants did your business apply for?

• Small Business Support grant
• Pivotal Enterprise Resilience Fund
• Sector-specific grants
• Not applied for any of these grants

Has your business received funds from any of the following Scottish Government grants?

• Small Business Support grant
• Pivotal Enterprise Resilience Fund
• Sector-specific grants
• Not received any funds from these grants

Which of the following UK Government (England only) grants did your business apply for?

• Small Business Grant Fund (SBGF)
• Sector-specific grants
• Not applied for any of these grants

Has your business received funds from any of the following UK Government (England only) grants?

• Small Business Grant Fund (SBGF)
• Sector-specific grants
• Not received any funds from these grants

Which of the following Northern Ireland Executive grants did your business apply for?

• Small Business Grant Scheme
• Sector-specific grants
• Not applied for any of these grants

Has your business received funds from any of the following Northern Ireland Executive grants?

• Small Business Grant Scheme
• Sector-specific grants
• Not received any funds from these grants

Has your business received funds from any of the following schemes?

• Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS)
• Government-backed accredited loans or finance agreements
• Not received any funds from these schemes

Please describe your experience of applying for these schemes.

Does your business expect to use the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) again in the next two weeks?

• Yes
• No
• Not sure

Is your business intending to apply for any of the following initiatives?

• Government-backed accredited loans or finance agreements
• Business grants funded by the UK and devolved governments
• Not intending to apply for any of these schemes

Is your business using any of the following initiatives?

• Business rates holiday
• Deferring VAT payments
• HMRC Time To Pay scheme
• Not using any of these initiatives

Is your business intending to use any of the following initiatives?

• Business rates holiday
• Deferring VAT payments
• HMRC Time To Pay scheme
• Not intending to use any of these initiatives

Did the support received from these initiatives or schemes help your business continue trading?

• Yes, it helped us to continue trading
• No, it did not impact our ability to continue trading
• Not sure

Please describe any other support from government that you think could help your business.

Has your business received any other financial assistance from banks or building societies?

• Yes
• No
• Not sure

Did the financial assistance received from banks or building societies help your business continue trading?

• Yes, it helped us to continue trading
• No, it did not impact our ability to continue trading
• Not sure

How long do you think your business's cash reserves will last?

• No cash reserves
• Less than 1 month
• 1 to 3 months
• 4 to 6 months
• More than 6 months
• Not sure

In the last two weeks, approximately what percentage of your business's workforce were:

• On furlough leave
• On sick leave or in self-isolation due to coronavirus (COVID-19)
• Made permanently redundant
• Working at their normal place of work
• Working remotely instead of at their normal place of work
• Other

You said that [Other]% of your workforce were classified as "other". Please describe what this includes.

Is your business providing top-ups to any furloughed workers' pay, on top of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) payments?

• Yes, the business is providing a top-up
• No, the business is not providing a top-up
• Not sure

Of those workers on furlough leave, approximately what percentage have their pay topped up?

In the last two weeks, approximately what percentage of [Ru Name]'s workforce have:

• Returned from furlough leave
• Moved from remote working to the normal workplace

In the next two weeks, approximately what percentage of your business's workforce will:

• Return to the workplace from furlough
• Return to the workplace from remote working

How many external job vacancies is your business actively recruiting for?

Of the external job vacancies, how many were new in the last two weeks?

Is your business using, or intending to use, any of the following safety measures in the workplace?

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Temperature checks
• Routine COVID-19 testing
• Social distancing
• Shift working
• Working in fixed teams
• Staggered breaks
• Hygiene measures
• Other
• None of these
• Not sure

Let us know anything else that you think may help us understand your business’s current situation.