Business Impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Survey questions: 15 June to 28 June 2020

These questions are for wave 8 of the Business Impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Survey for the period 15 June to 28 June 2020. Respondents are asked to respond to the questions between 29 June to 12 July 2020 based on their experiences from 15 June to 28 June 2020.

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

In the last two weeks, how has the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic affected your business's turnover, compared to 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 stayed the same
• Online sales have continued, but decreased
• 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, expect 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 is exporting more than normal
• Exporting has not been affected
• The business is exporting, but less than normal
• The business has stopped exporting in the last two weeks
• 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

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, expect to start importing
• No, do 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 is importing more than normal
• Importing has not been affected
• The business is importing, but less than normal
• The business has stopped importing in the last two weeks
• 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

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

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

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

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

How has your business's level of innovation been affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic?

• There has been more innovation
• Innovation has not been affected
• There has been less innovation
• Not sure
• Not applicable

During the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which of the following did your business innovate:

• Goods and/or materials
• Services
• Methods of manufacturing goods, materials or services
• Methods of logistics, delivery or distribution
• Supporting activities for your processes
• Not sure
• None of the above

In the next 12 months, does your business expect to use any of the following forms of intellectual property to protect its innovations?

• Copyright
• Patent
• Registered design
• Trade mark
• Other (Please describe)
• Not sure
• None of the above

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

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
• 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:

• Working remotely or at their normal place of work
• On furlough leave
• 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

Of those who were working remotely or at their normal place of work, approximately what percentage were working in the following ways:

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

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 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
• 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
• 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
• 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

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