A marquee and event hire company which derives its income from weddings and corporate events like the Wairarapa Harvest Festival, Upper Hutt business Happy Hire has been operating for about six years and has three full time staff.

With no public gatherings allowed under Level 4 or 3, in episode 14 of Business Connect we ask part owner and local manager Shaun Rolston how he sees its prospects

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Pania Tucker is a talented local designer who makes both clothing and homeware. She employs both part timers and casual staff and manufactures at her home, selling through local stores as well as her own website.

With overheads low, and easily able to be reduced when locked down, the business is perhaps better able than most to weather a period of being unable to operate. But when restrictions are eased, it’s unlikely that designer-made clothes – even those made locally – will be very high. In episode 13 of business connection, we ask Pania how she sees the long term future, and what she's doing now.

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Manage My Rental looks after just under 350 properties around the region. The Uppper Hutt-based business was set up by Fraser Wilkinson about 19 years ago, so it’s survived the global financial crisis. But under lockdown, a property manager can’t visit a rental, show people an empty rental, or in fact deal with tenants face-to-face in any way at all. Meanwhile, landlords can’t get rid of tenants, even if they’re vandalising the property, and tenants are increasingly unable to pay their rent.

In episode 12 of Business Connect, we find out how Fraser's coping.

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Although vital to winter safety, avoiding chimney fires by having them swept is not listed as an essential service. Even under Level 3, entering a home to clean a chimney would be forbidden.

In episode 11 of Business Connect, we find that owners of chimney sweeping businesses like Chimney Magic’s Alan Campbell have been given no guidance as to whether they’re allowed to operate, leaving them in legal limbo.

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Occupying the area formerly known as Kaitoke Country Gardens Aston Norwood, is a wedding and function venue on 14 acres of beautiful gardens in Upper Hutt.

But with groups no longer allowed to gather – and that likely being the case for quite some time – how will this business survive? For episode 10 of Business Connect, we spoke to manager Belinda Devlin.

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Restaurant and cafe owners are badly affected by lockdown, with no way to generate any revenue but bills still needing to be paid. And little relief offered even if the alert level goes down to 3, as they still won't be able to open their doors.

We spoke to Buzz cafe owner Michael Gray to see how the High Street business is faring, and how long he thinks it can last under these conditions.

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In episode 8 of Business Connect, we explore how an activity as reliant on physical contact as personal training is surviving the lockdown and how it might evolve in the new environment that follows it. Rex Widerstrom spoke to Daniel Hardie, a personal trainer who has his own business, Cerebellum.

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Wholesalers face unique challenges during a lockdown. Always dependent on cashflow, what happens when clients can't sell the product the wholesaler has already supplied? Will they be able to pay?

del Mundo is a wholesaler of imported wines, dependent on restaurants for much of its sales. As part of our Business Connect series, in episode 7 we speak with owner and founder Lucas Monge.

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Hutt Radio's Business Connect this morning not only looks at local naturopathy studio nourishe, and how it's coping in the restricted environment, but also asks owner Deborah Wright for tips on staying healthy during lockdown.

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With pubs and clubs closed, and the airport barely operating, Hutt-based Dial a Driver has been particularly hard hit by the lockdown.

In episode 5 of Business Connect, owner Aaron Cohen tells Rex Widerstrom that he fears it may not survive much longer, and that some businesses in the transport industry are considering a class action over lost profits and jobs.

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