Business Impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Survey questions: 4 May to 17 May 2020

These questions are for wave 5 of the Business Impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Survey for the period 4 May to 17 May 2020. Respondents are asked to respond to the questions between 18 May to 31 May 2020 based on their experiences from 4 May to 17 May 2020. These are the most up-to-date survey questions.

Is your business currently trading?

• Yes, the business is currently trading
• No, the business has temporarily closed or paused trading
• No, the business has permanently ceased trading

Did your business restart trading in the last two weeks after a temporary closure or pause in trading?

• Yes, the business started trading again in the last two weeks
• No, the business had not temporarily closed or paused trading in the last two weeks

Did your business's temporary closure or pause in trading start in the last two weeks?

• Yes, the closure or pause started in the last two weeks
• No, the closure or pause started more than two weeks ago

At the time of temporary closure or pause in trade, roughly what percentage of your business's workforce were furloughed or made redundant?

• Put on furlough leave
• Made redundant
• Other

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

Is your business intending to start trading again in the next two weeks?

• Yes, we intend to start trading the next two weeks
• No, we do not intend to start trading in the next two weeks
• Not sure

Is your business intending to implement any of the following safety measures in the workplace?

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Social distancing
• Shift working
• Staggered breaks
• Working in fixed teams
• Other
• None
• Not sure

Roughly what percentage of your business's workforce will return to their normal workplace in the next two weeks from the following situations?

• Returning from furlough
• Returning from remote working

When does your business intend to start trading again?

• In the next 2 to 4 weeks
• In more than 4 weeks time
• Not sure

Which of the following safety measures does your business intend to put in place when trading again?

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Social distancing
• Shift working
• Staggered breaks
• Working in fixed teams
• Other
• None
• Not sure

Was the financial performance of your business within normal expectations in the last two weeks?

• Yes, it was within normal expectations
• No, it was outside of normal expectations

Was your business’s turnover within its normal range in the last two weeks?

• Yes, turnover was within its normal range
• No, turnover was outside its normal range
• Not sure

In what way was your business’s turnover different in the last two weeks?

• Increased by more than 50%
• Increased between 20% and 50%
• Increased by up to 20%
• Decreased by up to 20%
• Decreased between 20% and 50%
• Decreased by more than 50%
• Not sure

What do you think were the main causes for your business’s turnover being outside its normal range in the last two weeks?

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
• Other

Please explain in more detail why this affected your business's turnover

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

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

Has your business's online sales of goods or services changed in the last two weeks?

• The business does not have online sales
• Yes, the business started selling goods or services online
• Yes, online sales have increased
• Yes, online sales have decreased
• No, online sales have stayed the same
• We have 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 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

Does your business expect to start exporting goods or services 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 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

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, but 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

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

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

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

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 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 of 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

Has your business applied for any of the following initiatives?

• 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

Which government offered your business the accredited loans and finance agreements that you have applied for?

• Northern Ireland Executive
• Scottish Government
• Welsh Government
• UK Government
• Not sure

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 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 as normal
• Yes, it has helped us to continue trading, but at a lower capacity than normal
• No, it was not sufficient to enable us 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 as normal
• Yes, it has helped us to continue trading, but at a lower capacity than normal
• No, it was not sufficient to enable us 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

Was your business’s workforce able to meet the demands of the business in the last two weeks?

• Yes, the workforce could meet the business's demands
• No, the workforce could not meet the business's demands
• Not sure

Which of the following measures has your business taken to cope with the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) on its workforce?

• Increased working hours
• Decreased working hours
• Laying off staff in the short term
• Recruiting staff for the short term
• Other
• No measures have been taken

In the last two weeks, roughly what proportion of your business’s workforce was working in the following ways?

• Working at their normal place of work
• Working remotely instead of at their normal place of work
• Other

In the last two weeks, roughly what proportion of your business’s workforce were in the following situations?

• Working as normal
• On furlough leave
• Off sick or in self-isolation due to coronavirus (COVID-19) with statutory or company pay
• Made redundant
• Other

Do you expect your business's workforce size to change over the next two weeks due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic?

• Expect workforce size to increase
• Expect workforce size to decrease
• Expect workforce size to stay the same
• Not sure

Were there any other unexpected changes to financial or operational activities for your business in the last two weeks?

• Yes, there were other unexpected changes
• No, there were no other unexpected changes

Please give more details about any other unexpected changes to financial or operational activities

Are you expecting any other financial and/or operational activities at your business to be affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic over the next two weeks?

• Yes, the business expects other financial and/or operational activities to be affected
• No, the business does not expect any other financial and/or operational activities to be affected

Please give more details about which other financial and/or operational activities at your business you think will be affected in the next two weeks

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