CORONAVIRUS UPDATE 8th April 2020

The Prince's Trust and NatWest Enterprise Relief Fund

The Prince's Trust and NatWest have launched a £5million fund to help young entrepreneurs across the UK to keep their businesses afloat during the coronavirus crisis.
The fund is available to entrepreneurs aged 18-30, who can apply for grants and tailored support to maintain core business operations during the crisis, as well as meet any existing financial commitments, such as paying for essential equipment or settling invoices from suppliers.
To be eligible, businesses must have started up in the last four years and be run by someone aged 18 to 30. To apply for funding and support from The Prince's Trust and NatWest Enterprise Relief Fund, click here

Protective Screens

We have had contact from members who would like to install protective screens on their serve over counters to protect staff and customers.
We have contacted Stockline Plastics who have assured us that they have plenty clear plastic screening available.
There is, however, a shortage of trades people to cut to size and fit.

If you would like to get in touch to see if you can arrange fitting the contact details are here: –
Sheena O'Brien
Stockline Plastics Limited
Tel no :0141 332 9077
or 07836700067

Payment by Card Guide from Ruth at Paymentsense

Firstly, I want to take this opportunity to thank all the fantastic butchers within the Scottish Craft Butchers (SCB) Federation who are working tirelessly to ensure that our communities continue to have the very best your industry has to offer at this difficult time. I can only imagine what the personal demands have been of you, your staff and your families with longer hours and the stress that that can cause. Be assured, it doesn't go unnoticed.

As the preferred payment partner for SCB I just wanted to reach out to offer some advice and information on a few payment processing areas that you may find useful, but I'll add my apologies if you are already well aware.

Card Terminal Cleanliness

To keep germs at bay and eliminate contamination it is vital that the card terminal is kept clean. Like anything else we carry around and use daily credit cards can store germs and present a high risk of infection. Familiarity with card use means that your customers may fail to consider this simple fact.

How Do I Clean My Terminal ?

• When cleaning the terminal WEAR GLOVES.
• NEVER DIRECTLY SPRAY cleaning solution onto the terminal, this may cause excess moisture
• Either, SPRAY ONTO A CLEAN CLOTH or use an ANTISEPTIC WIPE
• Pay particular attention to the NUMBER PADS and CONTACTLESS area
• Remember the REAR of the machine is forgotten and the CHARGING BASE
• Consider REGULAR CLEANING for a high volume of transactions – customers will appreciate seeing this.

Contactless is Key

As I am sure you already know, customers prefer using CONTACTLESS and, importantly, From 1st April the contactless limit is increased to £45. Also, remember that customers using their SMART PHONES can pay more than the normal terminal limit. Your provider should be in touch if anything needs to be done (e.g. terminal update) so watch out for new emails (Paymentsense have sent the following to customers already).

—How to Update your card machine settings

How is my Terminal Connected ?

Most business terminals are connected through the WiFi or Hard-wired to the Router, as the terminal works much faster this way. If you are still using your terminal through the phone line, this maybe the time to consider upgrading to WiFi, and making life easier for you, your staff and customers with faster transaction times. On average a terminal connected to the phone line is 4 times slower than WiFi. Also, a single phone line may cause a transaction to be aborted if the phone is being used at the same time.

Payments Over the Phone

Now, more than ever, you will have seen a massive rise in 'over the phone' payments. We are here to help. First of all “¦ it's important to know that if you take over 10% of your sales by phone you should seriously consider switching to a more economical way of doing it “¦ through an 'add-on' MOTO ACCOUNT.

TO EXPLAIN “¦ taking payments over the phone and inputting card details into the card terminal is 'CNP' (card not present) which generates an additional bank charge for all types of businesses using this method.

THE SOLUTION “¦ A MOTO ACCOUNT is a virtual terminal using a link to your iPad or laptop to input the card details. It's easy to set up and there is NO contract. Please email me or call me for more information on this unique product which you can cancel at any time if it is no longer of use. 'STAY SAFE – USE MOTO'.

Lastly, the growing increase in card payments means now may be a good time to book your free analysis of recent card statements to see what extra savings could be made for your business. Indeed, over the last few months we have made significant savings to many butchers within the federation. Either myself (Ruth) or my PA (Kay) would be happy to assist you with this and answer any questions you may have on card payments.

I hope some of the above may have been helpful to some of you and is just a small gesture in recognition of the support we have enjoyed from the Federation and its members as well as your hard work at this time.
Steaks and Roasts Promotions

During out regular discussions with other stakeholders in the meat industry it has become clear that customers have prioritised the purchase of mince and stew and cuts from the forequarter. Wholesalers are reporting that they have higher than normal levels of prime cuts from the hindquarter. This is something we have agreed to help promote the purchase of steaks and roasts through social media. We will always try to provide tips, advice and cooking tips with each post, these are all available on the members website for you to print off and issue to your customers.
If you are offering promoting steaks or roasts please highlight the availability of the guides.

Food Standards Scotland Guidance

COVID-19 – GUIDANCE FOR FOOD BUSINESS OPERATORS AND THEIR EMPLOYEES

In these challenging times, it is essential for the food sector to prioritise the safety of their staff as a critical resource and to ensure all of their employees are following government guidance on infection prevention and control measures against COVID-19. Whilst there is currently no evidence that food is a source of the virus, it is more important than ever for food businesses to implement effective Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS), including the application of frequent and thorough hygiene practice. The full guide can be found on the pdf attached.

The Scottish Craft Butchers office in Perth is now closed following government guidelines.
We will be available to our members to answer any queries via email or by mobile phone and will be available out of office hours for any members wanting to contact us.
Our contact details are below
Gordon King: – [email protected] 07917524313
Bruce McCall: [email protected] 07834490922

Attachments:

• COVID-19_-_FSS_Guidelines_for_Food_Business_Operators_and_their_Employees_Updates_8_March.pdf

Attachments:

• COVID-19_-_FSS_Guidelines_for_Food_Business_Operators_and_their_Employees_Updates_8_April.pdf