Dear Member, 

Welcome back to the SFA e-zine. Following the disruptions caused by COVID-19, we hope to be back to our normal schedule of fortnightly SFA Newsletter updates. 

Our colleagues in the Ibec Research Unit will have sent you an invitation to take part in a survey that will help us with our ongoing lobby efforts and engagement with government agencies. I would be really grateful if you could spend 10 minutes of your time and take this survey.

In this edition we provide practical steps, supports and guidance to help businesses impacted by COVID-19. We have compiled FAQs on employee annual leave and public holidays in line with COVID-19. For updated information on COVID-19 HR and business issues, check our Advice page. 

We hear how Visa are working with partners to offer new solutions to manage invoicing and payments and update retailers and small merchants on the contactless limit increase. 

SFA and Skillnet Ireland have launched a new initiative called MentorsWork aimed at guiding Irish small businesses through their current business challenges. We also have shared a few Good News Stories from our members showing how they have been able to adapt to change and how they have launched new products and services.

We also provide recent press coverage.

As always, we’d love to hear from you about any queries you may have, issues you wish to have raised with Government or other stakeholders and your ideas on how we can improve the business environment for us all. Please contact me on tel: 01 605 1602 or e-mail: sven@sfa.ie or tweet: @SFA_Irl or visit our website.

Kind regards, 

Sven Spollen-Behrens

SFA Director