How is Creswick coping during the coronavirus pandemic?

But it appears people in towns like Creswick have endeavoured to maintain community connection, care for others and a sense of pride in local businesses.

For some businesses, the timing of lockdown restrictions has been unfortuntate and dramatically halted business growth.

Popular bakery Le Peche Gourmand had moved into a larger shop in January and beauty and hair salon Beauty in a Box Co had opened in a new expanded shop only six days before closing.

Creswick Wolllen Mills was riding on the momentum of upgrades to its tourism facilities completed late last year and new bar Odessa at Leaver's Hotel had gained traction with tourists from Melbourne and beyond after celebrating nine months in business.

The common sentiment The Courier has heard from Creswick business owners is feelings of appreciation and gratitude for the support of residents and the sense of community members caring for each other during a difficult time.

French patisserie Le Peche Gourmand moved to a larger shop next door to their former bakery in January where customers and staff were enjoying more table space and a larger kitchen, until COVID-19 hit.

Since restrictions were imposed to restrict the spread of the virus, co-owner Marie Williams said the patisserie had lost about 80 per cent of business.

In regular times, about 50 per cent of their business is to tourists.

Ms Williams said the business was 'lucky' it could continue to offer takeaway and launched a new delivery service to Daylesford, Creswick and Clunes and an ordering app in an attempt to boost business.

"It was quite a depressing time, to think it was the wrong time for us to have moved, but unfortunately that is the way it is and there is nothing we can do about it.

"We got over that initial big blow and thought we have got to do something to keep working and find other ways to keep going and manage one way or another.

"If we didn't do delivery I think we would be closed completely."

Ms Williams said some Creswick customers had ordered more often for delivery than when they would usually come into the shop and many had said they wanted to continue purchasing to make sure the business could remain open.

"We feel lucky we are one of the businesses that has been able to stay open... It is hard for everybody and we are all trying our best in the situation."

Creswick clothing and homeware store The Farmer's Wife shut its doors on March 23 in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Owner Bec Mason said she made the decision to close to keep staff and customers safe and then spent the next two weeks working to create an online store.

"Online hasn't been a way that we normally interact with our customers. We had a website but it wasn't well developed," she said.

"We have worked really hard on that and have definitely seen an uptake in people now ordering online.

"It is absolutely no where near our normal trade, but we just feel like we have got to stay in touch with our customers and still try to keep giving them service and get the things they need to them.

"The upside of the whole thing is I have learnt heaps about how to run a website."

Ms Mason said she was eagerly waiting for the announcement from Victorian premier Daniel Andrews on Monday to hear whether restrictions will be eased in Victoria.

In the meantime, she has begun opening the store to customers by appointment with hygiene practices in place.

Ms Mason said not running the store in its usual capacity during the health crisis had reinforced her love for traditional retail.

"Although I will continue to pursue online since I have developed so much and learnt a lot of things, it is absolutely never going to replace my core business model," she said.

"We give personalised service, we fit you, we get to know about our customers, they come in and we dress them for a wedding and for a holiday, you get to know about their grandchildren or children that are born.

"I would never replace it and I can't wait to get back to normal, even though I don't know what that is going to be like for a while."

Creswick beauty and hair salon Beauty In A Box Co. moved into a newly leased and fitted out shop and opened for six days in the new space before coronavirus restrictions were brought in.

The salon has now been shut since late March, meaning owner Carla Preston and her sister who runs the hairdressing side of the business have not had an income for more than six weeks.

Ms Preston said she felt people in Creswick had united together to get through the tough time and the period of closure had helped her step back and make some changes to her business.

She said she expected to be busy when restrictions are and she can reopen again.

"Our customers are so excited to come back in," Mr Preston said.

"I have been trying to keep them in the loop on social media. I am really close with all of my clients, it is a really intimate little business.

"They are all really excited for us to open back up definitely and we can't wait to have them back in.

"Little communities always come together in times like this. Everyone is supporting each other.

"I feel like it has really brought the town together which has been really beautiful to see."

Creswick Woollen Mills has suffered financially from coronavirus since the cessation of Chinese tourism earlier this year.

The tough financial situation was exacerbated when it closed retail stores following the implementation of lockdown restrictions.

Director Boaz Herszfeld said Creswick Woollen Mills opened its Creswick retail store last week after a period of closure in preparation for the anticipated relaxation of restrictions in coming weeks.

He said while the closure was tough for the company, the 'great team' of staff continued to support the operation of the online store.

"The most important thing now really is in May, June and July to reconnect with our lovely consumers and our Creswick community and make everyone understand that buy local is just so important for a business like us," Mr Herszfeld said.

"We are traditionally a winter business and anyone who can support us this winter with purchasing your winter essentials, you will make a big difference to our business."

Creswick bar Odessa at Leaver's Hotel had been open for nine months and was gaining momentum with efforts to attract tourists before it was forced to shut its doors in March.

Owner Chantel Leaver said while she was happy to close the business to prevent the spread of coronavirus, she felt sad for the local suppliers and musicians who had also lost their income.

"I know the small suppliers like brewers and winemakers are hit hard because they have already made their product and they can't sell it," she said.

"The other thing I think about is the musicians, we had to cancel all the gigs. We were booked six months in advance and now their whole industry has just stopped. It is more the knock on effect that has been hard."

Ms Leaver said she would consider how she could run the business with possible limits on visitor numbers if and when restrictions were eased.

"I am definitely very supportive of the way the government has handled it," she said.

"We have so much to be grateful for, when you look around the world at what is going on. We really really are so fortunate. It is a little bit of an inconvenience we are in."

Ms Leaver said she was confident local people from Creswick, Ballarat, Daylesford and surrounding regions would continue to support the business when it re-opened, but she expected re-building the momentum with visitors from Melbourne and beyond would take some time.

"We were just going out into magazines and had just been nominated for awards. I think it will take seven months to a year again to get back to the stage we were at," she said.

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