Businesses all around the Lithgow region have been affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and one family business that has had to close its doors is Samsara Thai Massage.
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Business owner Phil Fisher said it was going to be a tough few months.
"Most of our customers are there because they want a health outcome from the massage, they might have muscular or skeletal problems, stress related problems and they want the benefit a Thai massage can offer," he said.
"We can't provide our service due to government restrictions and I am concerned about the most important thing which is my customers welfare and the health benefits they are missing."
The business provides a service to the Lithgow, Bathurst and Blue Mountains district and Sydney visitors on weekends.
"We need to have these restrictions to stop the spread but it is just hard," he said.
Mr Fisher said it first became clear that COVID-19 was going to become a problem in February 2020.
"This business can be quite unpredictable, you have busy days and weeks and then it goes quiet, it is just the ebb and flow of things, of course the bushfires put a dint in the business but then we became very busy in January, then it slowed down in February and then in late February when the virus was on the radar there was a slight decline," he said.
Mr Fisher said in the two weeks before his shut down on Wednesday, March 25 his clientele had declined by 75 percent.
"It just got to the point where I had to change staffing arrangements," he said.
Over a year ago when Mr Fisher took over the business from previous owners, he switched to a family business model.
"There were Thai therapists here but they had other things they wanted to do and would drift off or go back to Thailand so we got members of my partners family to come out on student visa, and provided intense Thai massage training," he said.
"My wife was a nurse in Thailand and had her Masters degree but knew she would make more money out here doing this to help put her kids through university, so we started up the family business."
While all the staff are family, they are employed as contractors, with Mr Fisher not telling them how to do their job with customers.
"We have a meeting with every client to discuss their needs and what they want from the massage and then the masseuse gets to work, I don't tell them how to do their job," he said.
"I spoke to them all about reducing shifts and they said they were happy to continue supporting the business, so we tried to stay open as long as possible to provide a service but when people who needed our support weren't coming in we knew we had to make the decision to close ourselves.
"But that night the government made the announcement and we were forced to close anyway."
To stay financially viable, unless quite a few legally obligated payments such as rent, liability insurance, licensing fees for appointment software, website managing, accounting, electricity, telephone and gas bills can be stopped, it will be a tricky few months, according to Mr Fisher.
"Lithgow City Council are our landlords and they have been very understanding and supportive saying they want us to be in business and to continue," he said.
"I also want to show my good will and have committed to signing on to extend our current lease."
Having been a tax agent for over 30 years, Mr Fisher is now relying on his superannuation pension, and has his employees staying with him seven days a week to keep them afloat.
"We intend to re-open eventually and won't look for other jobs in the meantime, we will just self isolate and try and stay healthy," he said.
As long as this doesn't go on for two years we will be able to re-open.
- Phil Fisher
Mr Fisher said they would have to put in a marketing plan for when they re-open so the regular customers would know they are back open.
"I haven't looked at packages that I can get from the government, but for most you have to be a registered group employer, and for our Thai massage given the nature of their employment as contractors, the tax package is not available to me," he said.
"But I will continue to look at the new packages they are delivering.
"I am very confident though and have a strong desire to continue the business, it has been very rewarding and we will get through this tough period."
Mr Fisher said the biggest indicator that the business was doing well, was the constant increase of regular customers and new customers coming more frequently.
"We have helped customers with multiple sclerosis and have seen a big improvement in their lives," he said.
"Being able to help people is such a joy and is so rewarding."
Whether Lithgow businesses in general will be able to get through this tough time, Mr Fisher said he believed they could.
"The Lithgow community is very fond of their town, we have had no problems dealing with anyone in Lithgow, and most of our customers care about their town," he said.
"I get a feeling people will do the right thing here and once the businesses come back the residents will support them, I have confidence in that.
"I wish everyone in Lithgow and our customers in particular good luck during this time and stay well."
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