Business Impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Survey questions: 5 October 2020 to 18 October 2020

These questions are for wave 15 of the fortnightly Business Impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Survey dispatched on 5 October 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

Where in the UK are your business's sites located?

• Northern Ireland

• Scotland

• Wales

• East of England

• East Midlands

• Greater London

• North East of England

• North West of England

• South East of England

• South West of England

• West Midlands

• Yorkshire and The Humber

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Where in the UK are your business's sites currently paused or ceased trading?

• Northern Ireland

• Scotland

• Wales

• East of England

• East Midlands

• Greater London

• North East of England

• North West of England

• South East of England

• South West of England

• West Midlands

• Yorkshire and The Humber

• Not sure

• None of our sites are currently paused or ceased trading

In the last two weeks, how has the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic affected your business's turnover, compared with normal expectations 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

In the last two weeks, how did your business's turnover compare to its operating costs?

• Turnover exceeded operating costs by more than 50%

• Turnover exceeded operating costs between 20% and 50%

• Turnover exceeded operating costs by up to 20%

• Turnover was equal to operating costs

• Operating costs exceeded turnover by up to 20%

• Operating costs exceeded turnover between 20% and 50%

• Operating costs exceeded turnover by more than 50%

• Not sure

In the last two weeks, how has the coronavirus (COVD-19) pandemic affected customer interest in your business's goods or services, compared with normal expectations for this time of year?

• Interest has increased

• Interest has stayed the same

• Interest has decreased

• Not sure

• Not applicable

In the last two weeks, how has the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic affected your business's footfall, compared with normal expectations for this time of year?

• Footfall has increased

• Footfall has stayed the same

• Footfall has decreased

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Has your business experienced any of the following challenges with selling goods or services online since the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic?

• Challenges sharing data across different platforms or marketplaces

• Challenges with the system for ranking and reviewing goods or services by online platforms or marketplaces

• High prices charged by online platforms, marketplaces or sellers

• High prices for online advertising

• Lack of IT capacity, skills or technology within the business

• Restrictions on using more than one platform or marketplace

• Other (Please describe)

• Not sure

• Did not experience any difficulties selling goods or services online

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

• Yes

• No

• 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?

• Exporting more than normal

• Exporting has not been affected

• Exporting, but less than normal

• Not been able to export in the last two weeks

• Not sure

Let us know anything else that will help us understand your business's exporting in the last two weeks

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

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

• 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?

• Importing more than normal

• Importing has not been affected

• Importing, but less than normal

• Not been able to import in the last two weeks

• Not sure

Let us know anything else that will help us understand your business's importing in the last two weeks

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 it 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 needed

• Not applicable

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

In the last two weeks, did your business use logistics services to distribute goods or services produced, within the UK?

• Yes

• No, because we could not obtain the UK logistics services we needed

• No, because we did not need UK logistics services

• Not sure

Did the logistics services used in the last two weeks meet your business's UK distribution demands?

• All distribution demands were met

• Some distribution demands were met

• Not sure

To what extent do you expect that your business's UK distribution demands will be met by logistics services in the next two weeks?

• All UK distribution demands will be met

• Some UK distribution demands will be met

• None of the UK distribution demands will be met

• The business will not need any UK distribution

• Not sure

Has the overall of choice of suppliers for sourcing your business's materials, goods or services changed since the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic?

• Choice of suppliers has increased

• Choice of suppliers has not changed

• Choice of suppliers has decreased

• Not sure

Has the number of businesses selling similar goods or services as your business changed since the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic?

• Number has increased

• Number has not changed

• Number has decreased

• 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 did not change any more than normal

• Prices decreased more than normal

• Some prices increased, some prices decreased

• 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 not to change

• Expect prices to generally decrease

• Not sure

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 did not change any more than normal

• Prices decreased more than normal

• Some prices increased, some prices decreased

• 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 stay the same

• Prices will generally decrease

• Not sure

Has your business had an increase in demand for goods or services sold in the last two weeks?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Which goods or services have had an increase in demand?

How has the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic affected your business's stock levels in the last two weeks?

• Stock levels are higher than normal

• Stock levels have not changed

• Stock levels are lower than normal

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Please explain in more detail how the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has affected your business's stock levels in the last two weeks

Is your business stockpiling any materials or goods?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

Which materials or goods are you stockpiling?

• Comments

Where are stockpiled materials or goods being stored?

• Within the UK

• Outside the UK

• Not sure

Which storage solutions are you using for stockpiling these materials or goods?

• Building new storage

• Renting new storage

• Using more of our current storage

• Other (Please describe)

• Not sure

How has the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic affected your business's capital expenditure?

• Capital expenditure is higher than normal

• Capital expenditure has not been affected

• Capital expenditure is lower than normal

• Capital expenditure has stopped

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Please explain in more detail how the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has affected your business's capital expenditure

Has your business applied for any of the following schemes?

• Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

• 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

• 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 schemes?

• Government-backed accredited loans or finance agreements

• Business grants funded by the UK and devolved governments

• Job Retention Bonus

• Kickstart Job Scheme for young people

• Not intending to apply for any of these schemes

Is your business using any of the following initiatives?

• Business rates holiday

• Eat Out to Help Out Scheme

• 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

  What is your business's risk of insolvency?

• Severe risk

• Moderate risk

• Low risk

• No risk

• The business is insolvent

• Not sure

How has the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic affected your business's risk of insolvency?

• Risk has increased

• Risk has stayed the same

• Risk has decreased

• Not sure

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

• On partial or full furlough leave

• Working at their normal place of work

• Working remotely instead of at their normal place of work

• On sick leave or in self-isolation due to coronavirus (COVID-19)

• Made permanently redundant

• 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 on furlough leave, approximately what percentage of workers have had their pay topped up?

• Percentage of furloughed workers with top-up pay

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

• Returned from furlough leave, either fully or partially

• Moved from remote working to the normal workplace

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

• Return to work, either full or part-time, from furlough

• Return to the workplace from remote working

• Be made permanently redundant

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

• Number of external job vacancies

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

• Number of new external job vacancies

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 (Please describe)

• None of these

• Not sure

How has the implementation of these safety measures affected your business's operating costs?

• Operating costs have substantially increased

• Operating costs have increased a little

• Operating costs have stayed the same

• Operating costs have decreased a little

• Operating costs have substantially decreased

• Not sure

• Not applicable

How do you expect the implementation of these safety measures to affect your business's operating costs?

• Operating costs will substantially increase

• Operating costs will increase a little

• Operating costs will stay the same

• Operating costs will decrease a little

• Operating costs will substantially decrease

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Was your business planning to expand its business before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

How has the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic affected your business's plans for expanding the business?

• Plans are more ambitious

• No change in plans

• Plans are less ambitious

• Plans have been postponed or cancelled

• Not sure

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