Whats it like in your Country / Part of the World?

[Hagar_uk]

Hi, just curious what it is like around the world at these horrible times.
While I don't work in printing directly, but supply/service of equipment side it feels like everything is on pause, Installs cancelled, no call outs etc We have been lucky in the governemnt has been good with an 80% of wage furlough package, but it does feel everything is just on hold. People are just mothballing until the restrictions / furlough stop. While some companiese especially in packgaing and medical are business as usual.

Should have said I am based in the UK.

 

[gordo]

My understanding is that here in Canada printing is considered an "essential" service - so the shops are open. However, they are running at reduced capacity and making greater use of remote communication tools like online press proofing, zoom, etc.

 

[tngcas]

US here and a small shop to boot.
We aren't shut down because we didn't offer walk-in services to begin with and we were able to implement the required social distancing measure internally (work remotely and only one printer at a time at the shop). Unfortunately, most of our customers are shut down so we have an 80% reduction in sales. Spoke few different suppliers the other day and they've already heard of some print shops in our area that aren't coming back after this.

Whether or not we make it will depend on:

1. When things open back up (race between time and when the $$ dries up)
2. How many of our customers are still in business at the end of this and ordering
3. How creative we can be in finding other business if we can

We got "lucky" with our employee situation because we were in the middle of a transition already when things shut down (2 employees had just gotten jobs in fields they actually wanted to be in and one moved out of state). We just put the training of 'new' employees on hold & paid the old employees out the door in sick/leave pay. Owners will fill-in until things open back up and we can train replacements.

 

[BigSi]

Here in New Zealand we have been in lock down for the last 3 & 1/2 weeks, They call it Level 4, Expecting to go to level "3" later this afternoon but not a done deal.
My ( small ) shop has been forced to shut. The only printing allowed has been for essential services. Have done 2 jobs over the last month. A Money transfer company (like western union) and a power company.
The general feeling is we have hit covid19 on the head ( we have complete sealed our boarders, relatively easy when you are an island ) but the worry is at what price to the economy. The Government has dished out the dollars (wages subsides to be paid to staff) but a huge number of small to medium business are expected to fall over. FYI the whole NZ economy is built on small business. Time will tell, Hate to sound ruthless but there will be some good deals on machinery out there if there are any customers left.

 

[Puch]

Hate to sound ruthless but there will be some good deals on machinery out there if there are any customers left.

They're already listed at Machineseeker etc. Complete printing houses' equipment on sale. Sad to see that 2 months can kill 25 years of diligent work.

Here in Hungary the situation is mixed. You can move freely (if you have a "good enough" reason, meaning you go after your business), yet people in the cities are generally scared, the older the more; so they're hiding. At the countryside most things are like before, the agriculture is mostly churning. After work, everybody get home quickly, though. There is an eerie feeling moving around, like in a post-apocaliptic movie. Nobody on the streets, you can drive 50 miles without seeing any other vehicle.

The services economy is in freefall. Groceries and delivery are booming, all other businesses are on the ropes. Restaurants, travel agencies, small boutiques, car dealerships, printshops will be closed by the thousand. As an oddity, the construction sector is going strong.

 

[tngcas]

Sad to see that 2 months can kill 25 years of diligent work.

Even if you had savings who could predict a 75% to 100% drop in sales overnight that insurance won't cover.

 

[mulo_g]

India- complete lockdown, compulsory. Staying at home. Factories shutdown. Hardly any support to businesses from government, except 3 month moratorium on bank EMI payment ( it will not be interest free. Interest will continue during 3 months).

 

[BigSi]

India does not sound good!. A lot of people knock our government but I have had over 20k in government money and I'm only a little business, ( myself/wife and x 2 part timers). Having said that it's not really my money as I have to pay it out as a wage subsidy's to staff but you get the idea. (not a loan)
Here's hoping things get back to retaliative normality ASAP. The big worry here is they are talking about unemployment hitting 8%. I know of lot of you guys are already rapidly approaching this figure if not already over it. I lock down is ending Tuesday. Well not really ending but I can go back to work.

 

[gordo]

It appears that some good has come of the virus in India - cleaner air:

 

[Joe]

Los Angeles also.

 

[kev_24]

Here, we have no such compensation from governement

 

[whaleone]

Russia. We’re working but many of clients are in lockdown. -75% (((