Lately to stay in my local area and avoid all unnecessary trips has seen me find my local traders all over again. What has drawn me back to my high street?

Grassroots Rugby. The local clubs that we play in, feel loyal to, and support. We are ,or were proud to wear the first team shirt as a player, and even more proud to see our kids do the same. I played for my local team for years and was lucky enough to be First IV Captain for a while. The friends I made and played with have been an integral part of my life ever since. Sadly, all grassroots rugby was cancelled at the beginning of the lock-down and has not yet seen any viable prospect for returning to the sport as yet. As a contact sport, social distancing would see a very different game!!

Only you know where your talents lie and right now you need to shout about them. Think about what you are good at and look hard at them. Ask your customers what they liked about your services, what they felt was good and what they felt you might have improved upon. Never assume that they are totally happy with the work or service you provide, as customer loyalty is earned and not given.

Star Wars Day or May the 4th to the uninitiated, is a celebration of everything Star Wars in our house and for many across the world. A day to celebrate all the many films, facts, and fandoms that have entertained a legion of fans since the late ‘70’s.

I’m delighted to announce that Travel Counsellors has won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise!

It can seem as if the walls are closing in on you and days blur into one. This week we are embracing the great resources that we have found online to give some much-needed relief to our lockdown lessons. Read on to see how you can too.

Undoubtedly you have seen or heard details in relation to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme that is available to UK business to support employers. Under this scheme all UK employers will be able to access support from the Government to continue paying part of their employees salary for those employees that would otherwise have been laid off or made redundant during this crisis. Once opened this scheme will be backdated to commence on 1 March and will initially run for 3 months.

If you or a vulnerable family member or neighbour are in, or are about to begin self-isolation, please contact us if you need any of the following services:

Start as you mean to go on! The next few days as we all settle in to a workable routine will set the pattern for the next several weeks. Kids are used to the school routine, use that to your advantage and follow my top tips to stay sane.

We're here to help...in extraordinary times we need to look for extraordinary solutions. We are all going through uncharted territory with understanding the potential impact of the Coronavirus. It goes without saying that the health of the nation, our friends and family is of utmost importance but so are our businesses and the economy. We all know that we need to look after each other and, as a Business Community, we can all help each other too.