VICTORIA -- Small businesses are being hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis, and the BC Chamber of Commerce says now is the time to take a hard look at tax relief and other ways to get companies access to cash.

The chamber is one of the organizations behind a new survey that asked small and medium-sized businesses what effects they were feeling from the coronavirus pandemic.

Conducted from March 13 - 18, the survey received 8,000 responses, a total chamber CEO Val Litwin described as "unprecedented."

“I think it’s a reflection of the absolutely incredible circumstances businesses find themselves in,” he told CTV News Vancouver via Skype.

The survey suggested:

  • Nine in 10 businesses say they’re affected by the pandemic
  • About three-quarters expect revenues to drop by 50 per cent or more
  • And roughly two-thirds expect to reduce staff by more than half

“This is a very statistically representative data set,” Litwin added. “So, a quarter of businesses say, 'We think our revenue is going to be completely wiped out.'”

At Ruth and Dean cafe in Victoria, the chairs are up, yet the door is open, but only for take out.

“We've taken all of our most popular menu items and we're packaging them up to go,” said Susannah Bryan. She is a co-owner of the business.

Bryan added that for weeks, the owners had considered what the potential impacts could be. When they hit, they hit hard.

“Last week, there was a dramatic drop in business," she said. "It was like I may as well have not been open.”

The owners made a tough choice, deciding to lay off staff. Bryan said some could make better money than by working reduced hours with virtually no sales.

She would like to see business taxes deferred or even forgiven if possible.

That’s one of the suggestions the survey found.

“There's a window here to stop the spread of the virus. There is also a window here to save business and they need a life ring,” said Litwin.

The chamber says owners of small and medium businesses would like to delay payments on taxes like the employer health tax. They would also like access to low or no interest loans. The province says something is coming early next week.

Litwin said he’d like for government to even hint at what might be coming, to put business owners minds at ease.

At Ruth and Dean, just two customers are allowed inside at any time. Chairs outside are arranged a safe social distance apart. Bryan said if she could ask for one thing, it would be “support.”

“We are the landscape of the communities, and we are the backbone of a lot of cities and towns,” she said.