New business supports launched to prepare businesses to re-open
June 8, 2020As tourism businesses across the country start their preparations to re-open in the coming weeks and months, Fáilte Ireland has launched a suite of business supports to help businesses to plan out the key elements of their recovery. These have been developed with industry experts to support businesses to re-open and relaunch their business effectively and will complement the operational guidelines that will be published by Fáilte Ireland and the sectoral bodies shortly.
The first three suites of business supports address some of the most critical areas of business recovery:
- Financial recovery
- Operational performance: Capacity & Commercial Impacts Calculator and how to optimise your operations based on reduced capacity
- HR for re-opening
Financial recovery
Fáilte Ireland, along with industry experts, has prepared a number of guides to provide you with the right tools as you make the best financial decisions for your business. With expert advice and insights, we hope to help tourism businesses to get on the road towards re-opening and financial recovery.
Each of the guides, checklists and financial templates will help you take your business from its current ‘closed’ position back to active trading. They will advise you on what you need to review; how you manage your costs; what levels of working capital you’ll need; forecasting your cash flow, and seeking financial support from banks or other institutions.
The supports are developed to be suitable for all levels of businesses and are sector specific for:
- Hotels, guesthouses and hostels
- B&Bs, caravan and camping, self catering
- Restaurants, cafes and bars
- Attractions
- Activity providers
Access financial recovery supports for your business
Operational performance
Capacity & Commercial Impacts Calculator and how to optimise your operations based on reduced capacity
Fáilte Ireland has also created a ‘Capacity & Commercial Impacts Calculator’ to help businesses to assess which parts of their operation can function profitably, how to utilise any available space to help overcome capacity reductions and where to drive efficiencies.
As each business is a different size, fit-out and shape, they must determine their new capacity and input this into the calculator. This can be adjusted as physical distancing restrictions ease. The calculator will help the business to determine:
- The effect of reduced capacity within the business
- Commercial impact of cost management and revenue generation opportunities
- The feasibility of new service options
Fáilte Ireland has also developed a series of ‘Optimise Your Operations’ guides to assist owners and managers to think creatively about how they can use their existing assets. These documents outline a series of considerations (for example, on operational planning, potential new business models, addressing physical distancing on-site, innovative usage of space, etc.), with suggestions and guidance from sectoral experts to help navigate the reopening process and to optimise both the guest experience and the sustainability of the business.
Please note: additional calculators relevant to sectors will be added shortly
HR for re-opening
Given the significant changes to how businesses and their staff will operate when they return to the workplace, tourism businesses have been asking for guidance and expert advice on a range of HR issues.
Fáilte Ireland’s HR for re-opening supports will guide businesses in the key areas of HR risk associated with providing a safe place to work, the new requirements in regard to National Return to Work Safely Protocols, managing and planning changes to contracts and hours (including potential redundancies), and managing employment supports and payments. These supports have all been developed in line with equality and employment legislation.
Access the HR for re-opening supports
In the coming weeks, Fáilte Ireland will launch further business supports to prepare businesses to re-open and recover. This will include supports in the areas of up-skilling staff while they work remotely, in preparation for a return to the workplace, as well as guidance on consumer demand creation to drive sales and marketing.