As a professional magician  Marco Seymour has always performed to a very varied audience, and on a daily basis would meet and perform to many people in a host of different social situations. When covid-19 hit - the bookings all postponed or cancelled.

Marco chats about how the pandemic has changed the way he works and recalls one particularly unfortunate show overseas when it wasn't just his suitcase that didn't arrive.

You can contact Marco through his websites:
 www.marcosmagic.co.uk for family and children's parties
and www.marcoseymour.co.uk  for adult /close up magic and cabaret 

Cassie Bouverie worked in the tech industry followed by 12 years running a B&B in central Edinburgh.  Now she runs a website privatehousestays.com which allows Scottish B&B owners to take bookings commission free. She's taking on the big boys like Air B&B and booking.com trying to make it fairer for the accommodation owners.

The pandemic has been dreadful for all B&B owners, and it's hit Cassie and her plans hard. She talks about her dream to go nationwide with her bespoke booking software, and to create more jobs in the staycation market.

You can contact Cassie through the website - www.privatehousestays.com
 

We all know that alongside hospitality, the events industry has been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic. Physical events have been replaced by virtual ones, with varying degrees of success, and now there's talk of hybrid events for the back end of 2021.

Beckie Towle is the Chief Amazement Officer and founder of The Events Raccoon - an event management agency in their fifth year of trading, producing events for the UK market and around the world. Just how difficult was it when all the physical events were cancelled, and how do you persuade people to "go digital"?

You can contact Beckie through the website - www.theeventsraccoon.co.uk

Some parts of the construction industry have been hit hard by problems with the supply chain on concrete and timber during the pandemic. How building companies have responded to those challenges will determine their long term success after covid.

Charlotte Hiskins from SH Carpentry & Construction in Oxfordshire explains what they had to do to get through the tough times, and thinks 2021 could be quite a positive year.

You can contact Charlotte through the website - www.sh-construction.co.uk

Covid compliance and mental health awareness have never been more prevalent, and whilst some companies are responding to the Health & Safety challenge well... some are not. After a 26 year military career, Harold Floyd now runs Elite Force Safety with the aim of 'Bringing Military Standards to Safety in the Workplace'... but as a business that only started at the beginning of 2020, it's not been without some obstacles along the way.

You can contact Harold through the website - www.eliteforcesafety.com

Do you know how much you spend on household bills - or what all your direct debit payments are for? Our next guest on Surviving Lockdown has some great financial tips for you.

Stephanie Richards set up Raynham Henderson Wealth Management in 2019. It's a family-led financial adviser practice assisting individuals, families and small companies with their financial needs. The pandemic has forced all of us to look at our finances, especially after a market blip in spring last year - but Stephanie remains positive about the outlook.

At a time when people are wondering about furlough, grants, SEISS, savings and fiscally protecting themselves - financial advice is paramount. 

You can contact Stephanie through the website - partnership.sjp.co.uk/partner/stephanierichards

Think of some of the most breathtaking photographs from high in the sky as well as action shots in sport - and you've described the Edinburgh based business Thomas Haywood Aerial Photography.
Thomas is a photographer with over ten years’ experience, a qualified drone pilot and CAA-approved aerial photographer. When the pandemic hit - the focus of his business had to change slightly, and he understood that helping others and networking were the keys to survival.

You can contact Thomas through the website - www.thomashaywood.com

Thomas produces a charity calendar each year, and you can get yours by ordering on the charity page:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/thaywoodphtocalendars20201

If you've ever wished you could access cash for your business in days not weeks, or always make sure you have cash in your business then you should listen to what Ian Roberts, owner of Cashflow Creators has to say.
With a proven track record of helping businesses to stay afloat, or close down and restart as a way of protecting employees - he helps companies unlock the secrets of commercial finance. With more firms than ever facing trouble times because of the pandemic, Ian saw huge growth in his business across 2020, and is confident for the future.

You can contact Ian via email at [email protected] or via Twitter @CreatorsCash

Capturing moments that can be treasured forever is the passion of Aina Gomez who runs Family Memento Photography.

With a focus on families, Covid-19 restrictions meant that most shoots had to be postponed or cancelled, forcing Aina to change the direction of her business. As well as moving into product photography, she also launched a theatre school at the height of the pandemic. Aina chats to Mark Ryes about her reasoning for doing it at one of the most challenging times in history.

You can contact Aina via familymemento.co.uk

and if you want to find out more about the theatre school contact oxford.razzamataz.co.uk

Running a business during the pandemic has been hard enough - but starting one from scratch is a monumental task - yet that's what Francesca Eckersley has done with Frananda Yoga.

Her journey to yoga began in 2014, when she walked into a Tai Chi class for the first time. Up and running since October 2020, her online yoga business is a testament to hard work, determination and true grit.

You can contact Francesca via www.franandayoga.com

Whether you're new to Yoga or a regular yogi, Frananda Yoga offers weekly classes and courses to suit you. To find out more, visit franandayoga.com and sign up to the monthly newsletter.