With the current economic crisis, local businesses are struggling more than ever to stay afloat in this troubling time. Many much-loved businesses in Glasgow’s West End have faced or come close to closure within the past couple of months, and it is vital that small and local businesses get the support needed to survive. According to Masters Logistical, a company that supplies businesses with warehousing and distribution, the cost-of-living crisis is causing numerous problems and three quarters of business owners are worried and struggling. The main concerns are; cost of fuel, energy, cashflow, employee retention and transportation issues. With these problems building up, it can only make it more difficult to maintain a business, especially if it is small.
Martha Wardrop, a current Green party councillor in Hillhead, Glasgow, shared some insight into what the council have done/are doing to help the many small and local businesses in the West End. One of the many ways that the council is helping, is the Green Business Support programme. She said: “The support programme will allow Glasgow’s local companies to transition to Net-zero, this will reduce energy costs as well as becoming more resilient to climate change.”
This green support programme involves two main factors; Green Business Grants, and advice and support for businesses. The importance of this programme is monumental in terms of helping Glasgow’s businesses and climate change. It will support a minimum of small and medium sized enterprises, targeting energy efficiency, active travels, renewables and waste management. It will also provide advice and support for businesses as they transition to net-zero, tackling climate change. The Green Support scheme is partly funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, tailored to help businesses, increase access to funding and innovate in the areas which aren’t supported enough.
Grants will be made available to businesses who are struggling with a value up to £10,000, which can be used to help make progress towards net-zero carbon emissions as well as addressing the cost-of-living crisis that the country is entangled in. This includes energy efficiency, replacement doors and windows, heat pumps and many more. This grant is open for applications for the small and medium sized businesses in Glasgow.
The council are working tirelessly to help Glasgow in many ways, one of these being to improve transportation. Councillor Wardrop said: “We are working on reliable bus services and routes, this will make coming in and out of the West End much easier for people to visit.” A reliable method of transportation will be beneficial for helping Glasgow’s West End businesses in terms of increasing the flow of people and revenue.
Another way that the council is helping to support local shops through the cost-of-living crisis is by distributing the Scotland Loves Local gift card. Wardrop said: “The support cards for businesses allows disadvantaged households to go out and spend locally this season.” These gift cards, worth £105, are eligible for up to 85,000 households in Glasgow, aiming to support both residents who are struggling with the current economic crisis and the businesses that are still recovering from the coronavirus pandemic. The funding for this came from a £9.45m Covid Economic Recovery Funding package which was awarded to Glasgow City Council from the Scottish Government. The Scotland Loves Local campaign is a way for people to think locally before going to the other big brands/chains that are seen throughout the city, which is more beneficial for the local economy in the long run.
There are a lot of high street and mainstream brands appearing more often. A lot of independent shops are closing, and there seems to be a lot of shops selling the same thing, going for the target sales. For example, there are a lot of coffee shops and not so much diversity in terms of products being sold.
Not only that, but the road closures on the slip-roads of the M8 exacerbates the congestion, it puts people off driving to the west end. The subway in Glasgow is great for people to easily access, however, a main issue that puts people off, is the fact that they close so early, especially on Sundays. It is important for transportation to be easy for people to visit the west end, which in turn, will make businesses gain more customers and revenue. The closures of unique small businesses have also been an issue, such as the iconic record shop, Fopp, on Byres Road which was a huge draw for people. It is hugely important to support small businesses as they are the heart and essence of the West End, no unique shop should be replaced by yet another clothing brand or coffee shop.
Niche businesses are always contriving to stay afloat, not just in difficult times like the current cost-of-living crisis. Frankenfreaks, an independent art shop, based in Scotland, is a team of two artists (Frankenstuffed and Abstract Odd Fruits). The two artists work with mainly sculpture, illustration, paint, and fabric. They mainly sell their work online, but are often seen selling at markets/events, exhibitions, and some stores in Glasgow. Frankenstuffed is an artist from Glasgow, she studied Fashion and Manufacturing, and Art and Design, where she was able to put her skills to use by creating little creature sculptures.
The rising prices during the cost-of-living crisis has made it difficult for Frankenstuffed over the past couple of months, she said: “My pieces are not essential items, so dealing with the cost of living rising, and selling my work, is hard because I have to make money. But I also want people to own my work, so I lower the prices to make it more affordable, however, with doing this, I then make a loss with profits.”
Being mainly an online presence also makes it difficult for these small businesses to survive. At the start of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, more people were online shopping which was a bonus for online businesses. Frankenstuffed said: “I started my business during the 2020 lockdown, because at that time, I found that people were more willing to purchase non-essential items and now, people are more likely to purchase from the big brands like Amazon or Shein. This is because it is a lot cheaper compared to the prices of hand-crafted art pieces. People who are not artists themselves may not understand why the price of a handmade item can be expensive.”
Sidebar
Frankenstuffed is a Scottish artist from Glasgow who created a business from just her passion alone. Growing up, she created artistic creatures purely for self-enjoyment, until she realised that a lot of people would purchase her creations if they were up for sale. Frankenstuffed went on to learn about the Sculptural Toy Art scene, the toys created weren’t like your average plush toy, but instead had a mix of soft parts and heavy parts. She said: “I have forever been inspired by the weird and ugly things in life such as the creatures you would find in a cheesy 80s movie. I make these toys with the hope that someone will see them and want to adopt one so that they can have a weird little friend forever.”
It is more difficult for small businesses that consist mainly online, to get support like government grants. She said: “The main support I have been given is from the people who like my work and style. Whether it be someone who lives on the other side of the world, or someone who comes and sees me at every local market/event I do. That support really helps me and keeps me going.”
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