Although we're over the moon to have reopened, the effects of being closed for almost four months (during what would have been our busiest time of the year) is putting a real strain on the future of our stores.
London Grace is an independent female-owned business, founded in 2015 by Putney local, Kirsten Hazell. We've spent 5 years growing London Grace into a high street brand, expanding to a team of more than 100 people, many of whom have been with us from the very start and progressed with the company along the way. So it was heartbreaking for us to face the possibility that all of those years of hard work were on the brink of being wiped out, within just a few months.
Like so many in the retail and hospitality industries, we could never have foreseen the effects that a national lockdown would have on our small business and we are sadly not out of the woods yet. Despite losing more than a quarter of our annual income, we had to spend thousands on PPE and protection screens to be able to reopen our stores and ensure that we could welcome back our teams and clients safely. Without the walk-in trade that we relied on previously, there is a need for us to invest in smarter online booking technology, to guarantee that we are capturing every appointment possible. But unfortunately we cannot achieve this without financial support.
Pay It Forward London enables businesses to raise vital funds and stay afloat, rebuild and recover from the impacts of Covid-19 through crowdfunding. The Mayor of London's Back to Business Fund will match every pound you donate (each business can receive up to a maximum of £5,000 - or 50% of their campaign target). As well as supporting cash flow, the Mayor wants to help small businesses to invest in their future, so the funding is being made available conditional upon recipients spending a portion of the funding to support digital transformation and measures to enable safe re-opening and socially-distant trading.
Every single pound counts for the recovery and long-term future of London Grace, so if you are able to help us by 'paying it forward' for one of our at-home or in-store treats, then the Government will be able to match your donation. Your support would mean so much to the entire London Grace team!
Thank you for reading, we hope you stay safe and healthy,
Kirsten & The LG Team x