Beauty stylists were Friday encouraged to register their businesses soon in order to qualify for Government compensation while they remain barred from working during the COVID-19 crisis.
Barbados Beauty Professionals Association spokeswoman Ta-shasher Mayers told Barbados TODAY that Government has kept its promise to help the industry with the cash payout during the month-long “national pause” which is set to end on Sunday.
But while hairdressers, cosmetologists and manicurists are not included in the phased reopening, starting on Monday, some professionals do not stand to benefit from any Government assistance because their businesses have not been registered, she noted.
Mayers said: “We urge beauty professionals to take advantage of the compensation. If you want to have your business registered, we advise you to go on the consumer affairs website, fill out the forms, and send [them] in. The sooner you get that in, the faster you can get your compensation. It is not a salary; it is just to hold you through these tough times.”
The four-week lockdown has deeply affected beauty professionals, many of whom are only paid when they work, Mayers said.
The BBPA spokeswoman said: “This is not an easy situation to be in. As an entrepreneur, as a business owner, you have bills to pay, you have family, we all have commitments that we have to attend to. But the Government has been able to reach out to the beauty association to compensate us for the first pause that we found ourselves home.
“Then, as we went into the second pause for the extra 11 days, Minister of Small Business Kerrie Symmonds would have said that that compensation would be extended to the second pause and then for the press conference yesterday, the Prime Minister did say she understands that beauty professionals and entrepreneurs would not be able to go out to work and that the compensation will be extended.”
But Mayers said the BBPA hopes that the COVID-19 crisis would be fully under control soon to allow the lockdown to be lifted. She said that while she understands that the beauty industry calls for workers to be in close contact with clients, her members expect that they would have to follow heightened protocols to contain the spread of the virus.
“I do expect that there will be extra protocols for us to follow,” said Mayers. “I would expect that as we did last year, we would have to go by appointments. You cannot afford to have people lingering in your establishment. Clients can’t bring anybody with them and we are still under the curfew of 7 p.m, and if that continues it means then that your working hours would have to be shifted, it would be staggered, it would call for you having to explain to your clients.”
Mayers also encouraged beauty professionals who were yet to become a member of the BBPA but may be in need of guidance or advice to contact the association.
On Friday, BBPA held the first of a series of information sessions streamed live on its Instagram page to introduce the public to the executive.
(anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb)
