Independent Hull: Let’s support our brilliant small businesses
Whether you are going for a hair-cut today, looking forward to that long-awaited pint, or going to the shops, we hope you will join us in supporting our city’s fantastic independent businesses.
The lifting of lockdown restrictions is a moment we have all been waiting for, and as well as the restoration of some personal freedoms, it is also a chance for our battered economy to begin its recovery from the pandemic.
Hull’s brilliant array of small businesses are vital to that, and they have felt the enforced closures and restrictions most keenly.
They are also one of the city’s greatest assets and help make it unique.
To get behind them, The Hull Story launched its Independent Hull initiative last month to celebrate the diverse range of talented retailers, traders and artisans the city has, and to provide them with a dedicated platform.
Members who have joined us so far include Bob Greens, Nova Studios, Elliegantly Made, East Yorkshire Insurance Brokers, Liquid Jade, Wheatleys of Yorkshire, 360 Chartered Accountants, Scribes Digital Print Ltd, Niu Hull, Rapture party band, PlayPro Golf Simulator Hire, The Chocolate Factory, and The Richmond Coven.
We hope our readers will support them too.
360 Chartered Accountants is among those looking forward to welcoming staff and visitors back to its city centre headquarters in Albion Square.
Managing Director Andy Steele said: “The offices have been eerily quiet these last few months after a brief return to semi-normality late last year.
“We’ve missed the face to face interaction with colleagues and clients, and whilst video conferencing for team socials and accounts meetings have worked just fine, you cannot beat a ‘real’ meeting.
“Most client meetings will remain online for the time being but it will be nice to grab a (safe) coffee with one or two them over the course of the next few weeks.”
Asked what the biggest challenges have been during lockdown, he said: “The most important thing was keeping the team safe and I’m delighted we’ve been able to do that.
“The next biggest challenge was keeping our clients updated on the various government support initiatives that were available to them and we’ve done this by creating a specialist Covid support team, producing daily updates, watching every single Press Briefing and reporting back on the relevant points, keeping LiveChat open until late each evening and on weekends, and creating two WhatsApp support groups which have proved extremely useful to the members.
“The team really stepped up to the plate during our clients’ hour of need, and our commitment from the outset to keep the team intact and unfurloughed gave our clients the reassurance we had their backs and would keep them informed of everything they needed to know.
“We also made a commitment to help local businesses from outside of our client base as many of them were struggling to get help and information which was a challenge but, again, hugely appreciated.”
To find out more about our Independent Hull initiative, and to join, email advertising@thehullstory.co.uk