‘Harder than we imagined’: The highs and lows of opening a business in Christchurch in 2021

They say the first year is the toughest for any new business, and there have been few more challenging years than 2021 – the lockdown, the lack of overseas tourists and increased import costs have made for a difficult 12 months for start-ups.

Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce chief executive Leeann Watson said 2021 had been “another year that brought with it a number of challenges for business”.

“New businesses often find it difficult to access finance. Adding a global pandemic to the mix, and we have seen many small businesses exhaust any cash reserves to get them through another lockdown this year in August.”

The loss of international tourists and Aucklanders had been a “double whammy”, as 50 per cent of visitor spend in Canterbury came from Auckland, she said.

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