My small event company is going under. Corona is about to finish me off! I don't know how much longer I can hold on, because then it looms and I have to tell my husband that I have to go bankrupt. It was going so well. I equipped small and midsize events and my order book was always full weeks and months ahead.

My event portfolio:

  • Weddings
  • Company parties
  • Company anniversaries
  • Exhibitions
  • Grand openings
  • New product launches

I have run this company for 15 years and made a very good name for myself in the industry. It breaks my heart to think I might have to go bankrupt.

Help from the government?

Since I have eight full-time employees, two part-time employees and seven temps, I applied for emergency aid. I also applied for a KfW loan (a German state development bank loan). But when zero orders come in or are there to be carried out, this money doesn't last long. Companies are becoming more cautious. We are doing everything we can, but unfortunately we see no light at the end of the tunnel. The government gives no green light on how things should continue. I am desperate and responsible for my employees.

My husband surely suspects it, but he has enough stress himself. He owns three hair salons, and after the shutdown he was able to make up a lot of ground again, but he doesn't earn as much as he used to. In the shops everything had to be reorganized. I am afraid of coming to him and saying: "Honey, I'm thinking about whether I should go bankrupt!"

Is there still a solution?

The solution can only be for politicians to give businesses in hospitality and event management clear signals. We feel abandoned. Nobody hears or sees us. No matter what protests we might stage on the street in Berlin. It would be one day. A short report on the evening news and that would be it. The government's coffers are getting emptier every day. But not for us, and not for the many solo self-employed.

Together we are playing for time in business and thinking about what we can do. Is there something we can offer online? Should we become active in other German states that already allow larger gatherings? We are simply afraid that just before an event starts we will get word that the government is limiting it to 100 guests. These are the uncertainties that hold everyone back and ultimately paralyze everything we do.

We are hoping for this week and for good new ideas that are easy to implement. We don't want to go bankrupt. Going bankrupt is not the solution. We want to keep doing the job we love!