Decent pay for workers has got to be a priority to stop the 'brain drain' from the South West.
Clodagh Murphy, Chairman of Exeter Chamber of Commerce said that business owners have got to have an honest debate about paying fair salaries to keep staff and attract new talent in the rise of the 'work-anywhere' post-pandemic workforce.
The IT boss was speaking about how Exeter - - can come out of the Covid-19 pandemic.
And if it is going to capitalise on the future of remote working with an exodus from the cities, it has to not only provide attractive jobs in a beautiful part of the country but pay properly as well.
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She said: "The challenge for the business community is that there is a view that we don't have to pay as much down here in the South West. There is an assumption that people will stay or move here for the quality of life and we therefore don't need to pay them as much. Personally, I don't like that idea.
"We have got to be really honest with ourselves as a business community. If we want really good talent, we have got to be prepared to pay for it.
"We talk about being the place to live and work but why would I accept £20 in Exeter, say, when I can get £100 for the same service in London?"
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Clodagh Murphy became chairman of the Exeter Chamber of Commerce in November - just as the nation was pulled into the second lockdown.
Founder of online cookery school Larks Live, she has a Masters from the University of Exeter Business School and a long career in IT, leading a team of 140 at Eclipse Internet and specialising in business growth.
And she said it has been her skills in crisis management that has helped her navigate the massive impact that the pandemic has had on the Exeter business community.
Named one of the four strongest economies in the 海角视频 , Exeter has nevertheless taken a knock, like every other town and city in the 海角视频.
And the fight is fast draining out of the business leaders that have faced repeated lockdowns. stop-starts and uncertainty.
Clodagh explained: "This third lockdown has been particularly hard. We have just got our Chamber of Commerce Business survey results back and it shows that people are exhausted.
"They have adapted to working from home but home schooling has added extra pressure. Small businesses are having to do everything themselves to weather the storm and people are completely shattered."
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The survey found that 57 per cent of respondents are facing a severe impact from the current restrictions, more than those surveyed in November.
Decreased bookings, sales and demand for services (74%), event cancellation (47%), cashflow issues (41.9%) and travel restrictions to visit customers or suppliers (38%) were the main causes of impact.
And worryingly, 39% indicated that their business can continue to operate for no more than six months, with 19% indicating they only have between 6-12 months as a result of the impact of lockdown.
Clodagh said: "Retail and hospitality has been hard hit and while there have been grants and funding it has just not been enough. There is hope with the vaccine but these businesses do not know when they can get running again to the extent that they can attract the same footfall as they did before. They will be operating in a significantly contracted economic environment but this time carrying more debt than they did before.
"Coupled with the uncertainty that they are facing, people are dealing with the emotional effects of all of this. The economy in Exeter is quite resilient but for retail and hospitality, the question is when it will come back? If we lose Easter then that will be a huge hit."
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Figures presented to Exeter City Council’s Strategic Scrutiny Committee on January 21 reveal the results of repeated lockdowns and tier restrictions on the city over the past year.
Victoria Hatfield, Growth & Commercialisation Manager at Exeter City Council , in her report, outlined that online sales now account for 31.4% of sales compared to 20.1% back in February, and online sales are 75% higher than they were last year.
Her report revealed that car park ticket sales are down by around 27% comparing 2020 to 2019, which is having a dramatic effect on income levels for the city council.
Businesses are looking at reducing the amount of space they have in the city centre and this will have a knock on effect for the shops and cafes that benefit from the lunch-time spend.
The report states: “The lunchtime market is very important to the city centre, this market supports a wide range of businesses and jobs, but if the trend of working from home (permanently or flexible) is permanent, city centres will need to adjust accordingly.
“The latest Business Impact of Coronavirus survey undertaken by the ONS, reveals that around more than one-third (36%) of employees are working remotely instead of their normal place of work. This figure is much higher in Exeter, at 65%.”
There have been 45 shop closures in the city since March 2020, mainly national chains closing - and 15 shops had opened.
The report also reveals that the number of Universal Credit claimants within Exeter rose dramatically when national restrictions took effect, and even though figures in Exeter are the highest they have been since August 1996, the percentage claiming Universal Credit is lower than the regional and national average, with Exeter at 4%, Devon 4.3%, South West 5%, and Great Britain 6.3%.
And while residents’ and business are struggling with the effect of the pandemic, data shows Exeter is in the top 10 cities for footfall recovery, which bodes well for the recovery of the city.
Clodagh explained that the focus of the chamber has been on getting businesses through the crisis with the Chamber switching from its monthly meetings to weekly Monday morning phone calls.
It has set up the website - a one stop shop to help signpost support, options and advice for those facing redundancy during the pandemic.
And while the long term vision for- creating a healthy sustainable city that puts people first - remains in place, discussions over the last 7-8months have been all about recovery.
Clodagh said she fears for more big name high street names but it is the independents that bring so much vibrancy to the city that she is worried about the most.
She said: "This lockdown has been particularly difficult, particularly for those pubs and bars that have been unable to sell alcohol this time because that was keeping them going. The Government support will be helping but there are still costs associated with furlough, like NI contributions.
"The independents are such an important part of the culture in Exeter. The Exeter giftcard has helped keep the money local but if we start to lose independents now then we have got something wrong in the way we have supported them. If they have lasted until now then we need to be doing everything we can to get them over the line."
And the truth is that Exeter will never look quite the same again. There is unlikely to be a return to office-based working to the same extent as before and with the loss of big name brands, including Princesshay's and , the space once dominated by retail will have to evolve.
Clodagh said there is a housing challenge in the city and we may see vacated space used for multi-purpose accommodation alongside the rise of student housing.
She said: "Housing like this will bring a vibrancy back mid-week and support those businesses that are there."
And while the city has undoubtedly taken a knock there is confidence still. The former brand, has been sold to South West Lifestyle Brands Limited, a company indirectly-owned by ex-Plymouth Argyle chairman James Brent and his wife and t, set to open in the former Jack Wills store on the High Street.
Clodagh said: "There is a lot of private investment going on and we know that success breeds success.
"We have got to be forward facing. My hope is that by September, all adults will be vaccinated and we will have a really good Christmas next year."
Has the shape of our cities changed forever - how can the High Street thrive in the future? Be part of the conversation in the comments section below.