1. Introduction

These questions are from wave 1 of the Business Impact of COVID-19 Survey for the period 9 March to 22 March 2020. Respondents were asked to respond to the questions between 23 March and 5 April 2020 based on their experiences from 9 March to 22 March 2020.

These questions relate to the analysis and data presented in the Coronavirus, the UK economy and society, faster indicators: 9 April 2020 release. These are not the most up-to-date questions.

If you are a survey user and want to see the most up-to-date questions, see the Latest questions for the Business Impact of COVID-19 Survey page.

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2. Section 1: Financial performance of your business

Was the business’s financial performance outside of normal expectations in the last two weeks?

  • Yes

  • No

Was the business’s turnover within its normal range in the last two weeks?

  • Yes, it was within the normal range

  • No, it was outside the normal range

In what way was your business’s turnover outside its normal range in the last two weeks?

  • Turnover was higher than normal

  • Turnover was lower than normal

What do you think were the main causes for the business’s turnover being outside its normal range in the last two weeks?

  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

  • Other, please describe

Please explain in more detail why the business’s turnover was affected.

What are your expectations about the business’s turnover in the next two weeks?

  • Expect turnover to increase

  • Expect turnover to decrease

  • Expect turnover to stay the same

  • Not sure

Has the business’s exporting of goods or services been affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in the last two weeks?

  • Yes

  • No

  • Not applicable

Please explain in more detail how the business's exporting has been affected.

What are your expectations about the business’s exporting of goods or services in the next two weeks?

  • It will get harder

  • It will get easier

  • It will stay the same

  • Not sure

  • Not applicable

Was the business’s importing of materials, goods or services affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in the last two weeks?

  • Yes

  • No

  • Not applicable

Please explain in more detail how the business's importing has been affected.

What are your expectations about the business’s importing of materials, goods or services in the next two weeks?

  • It will get harder

  • It will get easier

  • It will stay the same

  • Not sure

  • Not applicable

Was the business able to get the materials, goods or services it needed from within the UK in the last two weeks?

  • Yes, we have been able to get what we needed

  • Yes, but we have had to change suppliers or find alternative solutions

  • No, we have not been able to get the materials, goods or services we needed

  • Not applicable

Please explain why the business was not able to get the materials, goods or services needed.

How did the prices of materials, goods or services needed by the business change in the last two weeks, compared with normal price fluctuations?

  • Prices generally increased

  • Prices generally decreased

  • Some prices increased

  • Some prices decreased

  • Prices generally stayed the same

  • Not applicable

Please give more details about the prices of materials, goods or services that changed.

What are your expectations about changes in prices of materials, goods or services that the business needs for the next two weeks?

  • Expect prices to generally increase

  • Expect prices to generally decrease

  • Expect prices not to change

  • Not sure

  • Not applicable

Did the business have to change the prices of your goods or services that were sold in the last two weeks?

  • Yes, we generally had to increase our prices

  • Yes, we generally had to decrease our prices

  • No, we did not have to change our prices

  • Not sure

  • Not applicable

Please give more details about how prices changed.

What are your expectations about prices of goods or services that the business will sell over the next two weeks?

  • Prices will generally increase

  • Prices will generally decrease

  • Prices will stay the same

  • Not sure

  • Not applicable

Has the business’s ability to access financial resources changed in the last two weeks?

  • Yes, access to finance has increased

  • Yes, access to finance has decreased

  • No, access to finance has stayed the same

  • Not sure

How confident are you that the business has the financial resources to continue operating throughout the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak?

  • Confident

  • Not confident

  • Don't know yet

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3. Section 2: Operational performance of your business

Was the business's workforce able to meet the demands of the business in the last two weeks?

  • Yes, the workforce could meet the business's demands

  • No, the workforce could not meet the business's demands

What measures has the business taken to cope with the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) on your workforce?

  • Increased working hours

  • Decreased working hours

  • Staff are encouraged to work from home

  • Staff have to work from home

  • Laying off staff in the short term

  • Recruiting staff for the short term

  • Other (please describe)

  • No measures have been taken

In the last two weeks, roughly what proportion of the business’s workforce was doing each of the following?

  • Working at their normal place of work (Include those are normally remote workers)

  • Working remotely instead of at their normal place of work (Exclude those who are normally remote workers)

  • Off sick with pay

  • Off sick without pay

  • Other unpaid leave

  • Other

Do you expect the business workforce size to change over the next two weeks due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak?

  • Expect workforce size to increase

  • Expect workforce size to decrease

  • Expect workforce size to stay the same

  • Not sure

  • Not applicable

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4. Section 3: Other financial or operational changes

Were there any other changes to financial or operational activities for the business that were unexpected in the last two weeks?

  • Yes

  • No

Please give more details about any other unexpected changes to financial or operational activities.

Are you expecting any other financial and/or operational activities at business to be affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak over the next two weeks?

  • Yes, I expect other financial and/or operational activities to be affected

  • No, I don't expect any other financial and/or operational activities to be affected

Please give more details about what other financial and/or operational activities at [RU Name] you think will be affected in the next two weeks.

Why do you think the business will not have any issues due to coronavirus (COVID-19) over the next two weeks?

Let us know anything else that you think may help us understand the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) on the business.

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Contact details for this Article

Rob Kent-Smith
faster.indicators@ons.gov.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)1633 651 618