COVID-19 Business Update – 5 March 2021

Corona covid

 

Welcome back to our Weekly Digest.  Read on for the latest updates and some ideas to help us all move forward.

Auckland on Second Lockdown

After a three-day lockdown in mid-February, PM Jacinda Ardern announced a new seven-day lockdown in the city of Auckland last Saturday, in a bid to contain a cluster of the more contagious UK variant of COVID-19.

Lockdown

This comes after a report of a person who had been infectious for a week, but not in isolation.  The Level 3 lockdown in Auckland only allows people to go out for essential shopping and work, and public venues will stay closed. Elsewhere in NZ, rules are to be tightened to Alert Level 2, setting limits on public gatherings.

For those that are impacted by the move to Level 2 or Level 3 there are some resources you can look at below.

Wage Subsidy

Information about the new Wage Subsidy for employers and self-employed people in NZ has been released.  You can find details here.  Applications opened from 1pm on Thursday 4 March 2021, and payments will start from Monday 8 March 2021.

Resurgence Support Payment

The Resurgence Support Payment (RSP) is for businesses or organisations with reduced revenue due to a COVID alert level increase to level 2 or higher.  Learn more about eligibility and which businesses can apply for this support here.

The last day to apply is 22 March for the alert level increase on 14 February.  Applications will open at 8am on 8 March for the alert level increase of 28 February.

Short-term Absence Payment

This is available for businesses, including self-employed people, to help pay employees who cannot work from home while they wait at home for a COVID-19 test result.  This is a one-off payment of $350.  You can find the details here.

Leave Support Scheme

The Leave Support Scheme is available for businesses, including self-employed people, to help pay their workers who can’t work from home and meet certain health criteria, eg they have COVID-19 or are a ‘close contact’ who has been told to self-isolate for 14 days.

The Leave Support Scheme is paid as a 2-week lump sum per eligible employee.

The Leave Support Scheme is paid at a flat rate of:

  • $585.80 a week for full-time workers who were working 20 hours or more a week
  • $350 a week for part-time workers who were working less than 20 hours a week.

Find out more about the Leave Support Scheme here.

Digital Payment Options Worth Considering

Digital, PaymentDigital payment methods are increasingly becoming relevant amid the COVID-19 pandemic.  Aside from the safety of contactless transactions, digital payments are undoubtedly more convenient.

Below are some payment methods that you can adopt for your small business:

  • PayPal– One of the most popular platforms for online payment, PayPal supports sending and receiving invoices and recurring transactions.  It also offers a PayPal Here credit card reader that you can install in your physical store.
  • Payoneer– A digital wallet that supports over 150 currencies, Payoneer is ideal for global transactions because of its low transaction fees and competitive conversion rates.
  • Google Pay– Google Pay is a platform that supports peer-to-peer transactions through mobile and offers an easy checkout process for online shopping.  It is available in both iOS and Android, and can also be used via Gmail.
  • Shopify– It covers everything from ecommerce to secure mobile payments and POS systems.  Shopify supports Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Apple Pay, Android Pay, and other popular payment methods.
  • Square– Square is an affordable option perfect for small businesses and startups.  You can use it to set up an online store free of charge and sell from there. You can also use it as a store window and redirect customers to your own site.  Aside from allowing payments through its mobile app, Square also offers credit card readers for in-person payments.

Get in touch

Contact us if you have any questions or want to discuss the next steps for your business.