Businesses in the Riverina's smaller towns have become more agile than ever before after the coronavirus pandemic brought a new array of challenges to face.
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The Coffee Pedaler's owner Matthew Lucas has three stores across Tumut, Gundagai and the construction site of Snowy 2.0, which saw sales drop by 75 per cent at the start of the pandemic.
However, Mr Lucas said they managed to "counteract and survive" during the low points to now see a gradual return to normal trading levels - besides the occasional dip following the closure of the Victorian-NSW border.
It came down to making smart decisions and paring back the business's offerings when necessary, while tapping into an uncharted market that filled a gap in the community, he said.
"We had a strong coffee trade, which allowed us to survive in that period. However, kitchen sales were quite negligible compared to everything else we were doing," he said.
"We went to a range of frozen meals that we delivered that hit a real spot with the senior citizens market, which we don't get currently in the cafes."
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Mr Lucas said operating a small business in a rural community was not much different to those based in Wagga or Sydney, which are facing similar challenges.
He said the focus must stay on the needs of the community while continuing to move forward with systems that allow businesses to flourish and grow.
Riverina electrician Gavin Sullivan said the drought and now coronavirus has added an extra level of pressure for his business, which depends on the success of other enterprises in order to stay afloat.
"For our business, we need others to be going well and the drought for the past few years has ... put the farmers under a lot of strain," he said.
"And now COVID-19 has thrown another spanner in the works for a lot of businesses."
The electrician services the communities and businesses of Narrandera, Griffith, Leeton, Hay and Tumbarumba.
Mr Sullivan said its coverage area and broad range of clientele has allowed his staff to continue working through these tough times, despite the fact that jobs were down.
"We have been pricing a lot of work, but whether it eventuates is another thing, which is a concern," he said.
In the meantime, he said the best his electricians could do is be wary and do their part by upholding the COVID-19 safety procedures.
Coolamon's Little Rustic Pantry was closed for five weeks at the end of March after its owner Lesley Jarrett was unsure on the way forward when restrictions were enforced.
However, she said the pandemic has opened her eyes to the different ways her business could operate beyond the traditional shopfront cafe.
"While we hope there won't be another lockdown, we know to transfer straight over to takeaway because we know that it works," she said.
Mrs Jarrett said the local community played an enormous role in the success of its takeaway offering, which allowed them to operate at 70 per cent capacity once restrictions lifted.
"It is nice to know we have the support because without the local community we have nothing," she said.
But the next challenge is to ensure her staff and customers are dining in a safe environment, especially when cases are starting to flare up in other parts of the country.
"We are limited to how many people we can seat, which people don't seem to realise. They hear that businesses can seat 50 people, but we can't seat that many because of our size," she said.
A Lockhart business owner, who wished to remain anonymous, said during the height of restrictions her store was thriving because residents shopped locally as opposed to travelling to Wagga.
Before the pandemic, she said the store was "quiet and dead" forcing her husband to find a second job.
As restrictions eased, she feared that people were returning to old habits and called on the rural communities to continue to support local stores.