In the midst of Victoria's fifth lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses across the Wimmera are coming to terms with closing its doors for the third time in seven months.
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Looking to the future, one of the most pressing concerns for businesses and business groups is a lack of certainty.
Matt Latus, the owner of Latus Jewellers on Firebrace Street, said that the three lockdowns so far in 2021 have been worse than those the previous year.
"It's pretty devastating. It costs a lot of money to run a small business, and I don't think the government understands," he said.
"It's all easy for them to sit down there and say 'we're going to lock you down' but they've got an income coming in every week. We need a certain amount per week to keep ourselves above water, and at this stage it's not happening."
Business Horsham's Stacey Taig remains pragmatic about the situation.
"It's a tough time... I think it's natural progression at this point in time. We're going to lose some businesses, we're going to see some businesses flourish and we're going to see some businesses completely change direction," she said.
"It's the nature of the situation that we're in, unfortunately. This situation has forced change upon us."
Mr Latus said he was able to keep trading to a degree in 2020 due to the Federal government's Jobkeeper scheme.
While the scheme has not been continued, the Victorian government recently announced $484.4 million in support for businesses affected by the 12 days of the current lockdown, as well as support for Victoria's struggling event sector.
But for too many business owners like Mr Latus, it's not enough.
"(Lockdowns are) mentally draining. The first couple of times, we were happy to have a week off; it's good to come home and be with the kids, but five times in the space of sixteen months? It's not right.
"You can't keep locking businesses down, it's as simple as that... we'll get through this one most definitely, there's always a light at the end of the tunnel."
However, Ms Taig believes that businesses should use the lockdown as a period of reflection.
"Most of us wouldn't have ordinarily taken the time to look at our business and say, is this really working?" she said.
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The lockdowns have provided the impetus for many businesses to adapt to an evolving market, Ms Taig said.
"Retail was already flagging before COVID to a certain degree, and it's really prompted various industry sectors to step back and look at what they need to do... the customer we have now isn't the customer that we had ten years ago."
But lockdowns aren't equal; some businesses are better off than others.
"Look at our travel agents, you just think 'oh my god, their whole world has changed' and we don't know when their world is going back or if it is going to go back anytime soon."
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While Ms Taig acknowledged it could be frustrating for business owners to be told what to do, she believed that lockdowns could best be spent planning.
"Lockdowns are inevitable and that's something that we need to start building into our planning process for our businesses."
"We need to really start planning for future lockdowns."
"Winston Churchill said, never let a good crisis go to waste... if we look a the current climate and what everyone is going through, let's take this opportunity and see it for what it is."
"There's so much negativity with everything that's happening, understandably so, but we're about encouraging people to look at the opportunities.
Ms Taig also emphasised that business owners should reach out for support if necessary, either with Business Horsham or with Business Victoria's wellbeing hotline, which is available seven days a week.
BUSINESS VICTORIA WELLBEING HOTLINE: 1300 375 330
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