Financial relief promised for businesses damaged by the storms

We have had one of the wettest and windiest winters on record in the UK this year and of course this will have had a significant effect on all businesses. In terms of e-commerce businesses the area it will effect the most is the ability to get your products to the consumers and also possible damage to your stock in the floods.

eBay have said in a statement that: “Royal Mail has announced that some services have been affected by the extreme weather conditions in the UK. Due to high winds and heavy rainfall, there has been disruption to a number of air, rail and road services.

As a result of this buyers and sellers should be aware of potential delays in the delivery of mail. We advise eBay sellers to maintain open communication with buyers and advise buyers that there will probably be delays to their purchases arriving.”

The failure to get products to consumers on time may result in a lot of refunds for online sellers and the fact that buyers are conscious of the disruptions may deter them from making online purchases. Some online sellers property where they store their stock may also have been damaged by the floods which will take time and money to replenish.

Help is on hand for businesses that have suffered in this weather, as last week Prime Minister David Cameron announced that money was no object in dealing with the floods. This has been followed up with a specific announcement on financial relief for British businesses.

The gov.uk website says: “The scheme is worth up to £10 million to provide hardship funding for SME businesses in areas affected by the floods. Both businesses that have been flooded, and businesses that are in affected areas and have suffered significant loss of trade, will be able to apply for support. Eligible businesses will be able to claim for funding for things like immediate clean-up costs, materials, and exceptional costs to help them continue trading.”

This does seem like a positive move and I am sure a lot of you will be very grateful for this help. However it will interesting to see how the government judge who is worse off and who to help first in terms of businesses.

I hope that if you have been effected by the storms that you receive the necessary funds to help your business get back on its feet and lets hope spring is on its way soon!