The Director of the Small Firms Association says the Government has to strike the right balance between saving lives and protecting livelihoods.
Sven Spollen-Berhens says Level 5 restrictions will be difficult for everyone, particularly small business owners.
He encouraged small business to check the essential statuses and retail list on gov.ie to see if they can trade throughout the restrictions.
He said it's also important that small firms ensure they are availing of all the additional supports which have been brought in.
Sven told Shannonside Northern Sound that small businesses can't cope with a "stop and go" strategy to dealing with the virus: