Lockdown was Hard, but will Reopening be Harder? Benalla Businesses Look Ahead After Difficult Times

Lockdowns have been difficult on the beauty industry, but reopening might be too. Photograph by Georgia Dunne

Regional hairdressers and beauty salons will have the opportunity to reopen as Victoria follows the State Government’s roadmap towards a new Covid normal.

Among the excitement, however, Benalla shop owners have vocalised the struggles of keeping their businesses afloat during Covid-related lockdowns. Owner of KJ Beauty, Keeli Johnson, described the hardships she experienced as a business owner in the beauty industry during lockdowns.

“The lockdowns have affected [the] beauty [industry] immensely,” she said. “After the second lockdown last year we had to have masks remain on clients, meaning we couldn’t do any makeup services, skin services, lip or chin waxing, which usually bring in good money for my business. As a sole trader, I received no business grants, and I could only get JobKeeper payments. At times it was incredibly sad and scary because it felt like the business I’d been building for three and a half years was crumbling at my feet!”

Johnson explained her anxieties surrounding reopening in a revised Covid reality, one that depends on vaccinated customers and employers.

“My clients have stuck by me and helped me keep going with all their support, but as of October 26th we can only have in five vaccinated clients until the roadmap finishes, and it’s quite nerve- racking as a business owner to know how to approach turning clients away.”

Madison Cameron, owner of Madison Jane Hair in Benalla, has experienced similar difficulties with maintaining a local establishment without financial support.

“Having to close up the salon meant I fell behind with all of my bookings and had a lot of stress opening back up having to squeeze everyone in on top of customers that already had appointments. I also lost money as not only was I not getting paid, I was also having to pay insurance and rent.”

Similarly to Johnson, Cameron worried about what Victoria’s envisioned Covid normal would look like in reality, and wondered how only serving vaccinated clients would affect her business.

“The concern I have coming up is I’m not allowed to have non-vaccinated people in my shop, which makes it very awkward for me as I have to ask everyone if they are vaccinated or not. I feel like it’s not my business and I don’t want to be asking people and turning away clients if they aren’t.”