Back in 2018, when Sheree Inglis began the path to owning her own business, COVID-19 wasn't even a worry, and its effect on their lives couldn't have been imagined.

Ms Inglis, who grew up in Stawell, had worked as a regional credit manager in a local accounting firm for 17 years before she founded Grampians Wellbeing Yoga and Reiki.

Health and wellbeing are two of her greatest passions and she wanted to change her lifestyle by chasing that passion.

Grampians Wellbeing Yoga and Reiki was building steadily in 2019 and in the early parts of 2020 before COVID-19 and subsequent lockdowns changed everything.

"I really had some momentum going and I fortunately just started looking at online yoga, and so I had a foot down in that track before everything was forced to go online," Ms Inglis said.

"Everything went out the window.

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"I lost students, people that didn't understand live-streaming or were not interested and so that limped along until we could get back into in-person classes."

Since March 2020, it's hard to imagine more difficult circumstances to run a business, regardless of the industry.

For Ms Inglis, she said the lockdowns have had a strong effect because they stifle any momentum she built.

"By the time we build it back up again, we go into another lockdown and the whole process starts again," she said.

"When that small income we were getting was really jeopardized that was really scary for us.

"Behind the scenes, it has been really difficult. It is just the cumulative effect of all of the lockdowns really hit me and it was just really awful."

Conditions and timing in the hospitality industry have also been just as devastating with Ararat restaurant Desi Swag feeling the effects.

Desi Swag owners Sania Sarin and husband Gurvir Singh Gill opened the business in late 2019, with a summer of bushfires followed by the COVID-19 pandemic making life tough.

"We are merely surviving to be honest," Ms Sarin said.

"Whatever we earn it all goes to the expenses.

"There is nothing at this stage that we are putting into our pockets.

"Even with the government grants they are not much of a help in terms of expenses.

"In a restaurant there is so much machinery and in a cool room it is not going to know if we are having one customer or one hundred it will still cost the same to run."

To try and battle the challenges Desi Swag has removed their lunch service and are just open in the evenings as a sixth statewide lockdown shuts down table service once again.

To help deal with the challenges, Grampians Wellbeing Yoga and Reiki's Ms Inglis said she has needed some mental health support as well as dealing with different levels of government financial assistance.

"Initially we were fortunate enough to get JobKeeper so that helped us keep everything going while we are trying to find our feet in this new world," she said.

"For the last three lockdowns, we haven't received any financial assistance because we are not registered for GST.

"I have gone back to a part-time job now, so I have to fit in my business in three less days a week, so now I am feeling that pressure."

Despite all of the challenges out of her control, Ms Inglis is determined to make her business work and she has encouraged residents to support small businesses when they can.

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"I acknowledge that everyone is having a really hard time and where you are able to, it has never been more important to support small local business," she said.

"It is really important to support small businesses so that we can survive and continue providing our services to the community otherwise we will have to close.

"Those big corporations don't put the money back into this community.

"We are so grateful for the support we do have, but it is more crucial than ever to support your locals."

More information about Grampians Wellbeing Yoga can be found online.

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