Small business owner Narelle Redman had hoped to semi-retire in June to help run a sideline catering outfit with husband Gary.
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Her main enterprise, Silveradoh, which sells promotional material to companies, has pivoted successfully to trading in hand sanitiser and face masks since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
"Conferences and people doing events stopped. A few have started coming back, but not very much," she said.
The 50-year-old outdoor event catering company is dormant and receiving cancellations well into next year.
"That was going to be our income, but that has completely gone since February," Ms Redman said.
The Hunter Business Chamber director had expected the catering firm to be back trading by Christmas.
The couple had planned to pass on the branding business to their daughter but have had to keep going to receive JobKeeper.
"We've had Silveradoh for 16 years," Ms Redman said.
"We've really got to get out there and chase it now."
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Michael Parris
Michael Parris reports on politics for the Newcastle Herald. He started at the Herald in 1994 after working in the ABC Newcastle newsroom. Michael spent much of his career as a sub-editor before moving into political reporting in 2017. He was a finalist in the Sports Australia national media awards for his stories about a male-only tennis club in Newcastle. He has covered NSW and federal elections, state and federal budgets and local politics. He has also written extensively about the COVID-19 pandemic with a special focus on data analysis and the effects of lockdowns on the Hunter community.
Michael Parris reports on politics for the Newcastle Herald. He started at the Herald in 1994 after working in the ABC Newcastle newsroom. Michael spent much of his career as a sub-editor before moving into political reporting in 2017. He was a finalist in the Sports Australia national media awards for his stories about a male-only tennis club in Newcastle. He has covered NSW and federal elections, state and federal budgets and local politics. He has also written extensively about the COVID-19 pandemic with a special focus on data analysis and the effects of lockdowns on the Hunter community.
