Survey: The impact of the coronavirus on Brussels companies
The Brussels Region designated hub.brussels to coordinate a large monitoring programme, starting 12 March, on the impact of confinement on Brussels companies. A report is presented every Thursday to the regional Task Force, which consists of members of the Brussels government, public bodies, federations and unions.
The main objectives of the survey include enabling the rapid and effective adoption of measures to support companies during this difficult time and planning ahead in order to reopen the economy in a concerted and responsive way in the future.
To refine the data, hub.brussels began distributing a survey to its users on 23 March. The survey is intended for all Brussels companies, regardless of their business sector. It has been expanded with a section aimed specifically at retail shops and the hospitality sector.
You can participate in the survey anonymously. However, if you wish to benefit from hub.brussels’ advice and support, you can provide your details to be contacted by one of our specialists.
Multiple sources of local data
To improve the results of this large survey, hub.brussels is collecting data from a range of internal and external sources: questions asked by entrepreneurs to the hub.info service and the various hub.brussels clusters, the Economic Risk Management Group, information provided by the federations and municipalities and by the Guichets d’Économie Locale and the Centres d’Entreprise in Brussels.
In addition, the Agency also benefits from the participation of a number of regional partners:
- hub.info provides data based on the requests of entrepreneurs seeking potential solutions to the effects of confinement on their businesses;
- IBSA provides a statistical report based on a couple of dozen macroeconomic indicators to follow the economic impact of confinement;
- Visit.brussels updates quantitative and qualitative data on the impact of confinement on the tourism sector;
- MAD.brussels analyses the impacts on fashion and design entrepreneurs;
- View.brussels, the Brussels Observatory for Employment and Training led by Actiris, updates data on employment and temporary unemployment;
- Finance&Invest.brussels and Brussels Economy and Employment are monitoring regional support measures and their implementation on a regular basis.
A comparison of measures taken internationally
Internationally, hub.brussels is taking advantage of its extensive network of Economic and Commercial Attachés (ECA) to monitor the best practices implemented abroad to counter COVID-19.
In order to structure this large influx of international information, the eight questions most frequently asked by Brussels entrepreneurs were used as a reference point.
The answers collected provide an overview of the public initiatives taken abroad which could serve as examples for the Brussels government. The areas covered include: allowance systems implemented, financial aid offered to retailers and companies, support for the self-employed, conditions for receiving unemployment benefits, rent payment measures, etc.
The target countries include:
- France
- Spain
- Italy
- Germany
- The United Kingdom
- Sweden
- The USA
- Canada
- China
- Japan
- Etc.
The evolution of the global business climate
hub.brussels has produced a map to support Brussels companies that wish to export or which are already active internationally.
Updated every Tuesday in partnership with FIT and AWEX, the map shows the evolution of the global business environment by estimating the degree of disruption caused by COVID-19 on a scale from 1 to 5. It also forecasts its evolution for the following four weeks.
Potentially: Specific assistance to support companies
Has your Brussels-based company had to suspend its business activities due to the measures taken to fight the coronavirus? Are you facing financial difficulties? Are you involved in any legal disputes? Are you preparing to restart your business? Our team of experts will help you manage this crisis and steer you towards the right partners.
