Like hundreds of other businesses across the Hunter, her Beaumont Street store will be closed for a week as a result of the NSW government's week-long lockdown.

Its impact on business, especially for those like The Neighbourhood Salon which employ only a few people, will be significant.

"It's a little bit scary," Ms Bramwell said.

"It's definitely going to have an impact. Any savings are obviously going to have to go towards paying the staff and bills. I'm going to have to look up and see whether there's any incentives that can get us through."

Hunter business leaders say the lockdown will be a bruising blow, particularly for businesses which can not trade in any capacity.

The beauty, hospitality and retail industries will likely be the hardest hit.

Only businesses deemed essential under the state's public health orders, like supermarkets, chemists, liquor outlets and some retails stores, are allowed to open.

Business Hunter CEO Bob Hawes said many traders were already on a "knife's edge" due to the Sydney lockdown's impact and a week's worth of lost or reduced trade would be "difficult".

"These new restrictions are a disappointing development for our businesses and community members who have been doing so well at staying safe and healthy for the past year," Mr Hawes said.

"It's been such a disruptive time for businesses, both big and small, and this lock-down will no doubt be a huge blow right across the region.

"Businesses everywhere are fatigued by the ongoing adaptations and pivoting to public health orders.

"This is going to be tough."

The restrictions for pubs and clubs will leave tens of thousands either out of work or with far fewer hours.

While these businesses can open as takeaway-only, those that do will still likely have significantly reduced income.

Rolly de With, the Hunter branch president of the Australian Hotels Association, said the lockdown would be "devastating" for pub owners and the 15,000 staff who work in hotels across the Hunter, but he took optimism out of the one-week lockdown in the Central West last month.

"While obviously this is not news any of us wanted to hear, the last thing we want to see in the Hunter is an extended lockdown like the Greater Sydney area is going through right now," he said.

"We recently saw a similar snap lockdown in Orange with businesses re-opened after seven days and hopefully that will be the case here."

The Burwood Inn at Merewether will close for the weekend with publican Tony Dart saying staff would "regroup on Monday" to plan to become takeaway-only.

"It is what it is but I find it very hard to believe it will only be a week," he said.

About 20 staff members will lose shifts across the week, Mr Dart said, with only a skeleton-team needed if the business opens for takeaways. The pub will freeze as much food as it can but will lose "a couple of thousand dollars" worth of fresh produce.

Mr Dart said he had already been running "tight to the wire" in recent weeks as trade had been slow.

"Business has been OK, but the conversation I've been having with people is that it's been getting a tiring coming out of a night time; there's no music, you've got to wear masks to the bar and so on," he said.

There is government support for those impacted.

Businesses with an annual turnover above $75,000 that can prove a revenue decline of more than 30 per cent can apply for Job Saver payments through Service NSW. It is a tax-free payment of 40 per cent of pre-COVID weekly payroll, ranging from $1500 to $10,000 per week or $1000 for non-employing business.

Similarly, businesses with a turnover of between $30,000 and $75,000 can apply for a micro-business grant of $1500 per fortnight.

Businesses may also be eligible for other assistance.

Mr Hawes said feedback indicated Service NSW was experiencing overburden but businesses should be persevere to ensure any support available can be processed as quickly as possible.

"When businesses do get through, we're hearing that people are being treated well," he said.

Workers in NSW who lose hours as a result of lockdowns can apply for a COVID-19 Disaster Payment through Services Australia.

The federal government payment ranges from $375 to $600 depending on the amount of work lost, but will increase to between $450 and $750 in coming weeks.

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