On a quiet back street of Coolangatta, there's a hum around either side of a central, orange traffic barricade.

The coastal towns of Coolangatta and Tweed Heads, which share the same roads but not the same governments, have been axed in two by a hard border.

Businesses at the coalface of the tough Queensland-New South Wales border rules have been floundering as staff and clients become locked down and locked out, unable to cross the border amid the pandemic.

But some businesses refuse to feel sorry for themselves and are finding creative solutions to keep spirits high and business kicking.

Border pressure forges partnership

Competitors-turned-colleagues Tegan Egas and Casey Small have "swapped staff" in a bid to keep cross-border hairdressing staff employed. 

Ms Egas owns a salon in Tweed Heads in NSW, just 850 metres from Ms Small's hairdressing studio that's across the border in Coolangatta.

Ms Egas and Ms Small each have almost 50 per cent of their staff and clients on opposite sides of the border.

In an effort to promote community over competition, the women are sharing their staff to help their businesses survive the border restrictions.

They also hand over supplies to each other at the border to be delivered to their clients on either side.

Ms Small says the collaboration means their staff who live in NSW will have a job to go to once the NSW lockdown is lifted — whenever that may be.

Ms Egas said she was worried when the border rules came into effect but reached out to Ms Small via Instagram to pitch her idea.

"It is stressful when you have staff and clients that live in Queensland," Ms Egas said.

"It's just really helpful for both of us to keep our staff employed and keep our clients happy.

"We've worked so hard to get our clients into our businesses."

Ms Small says creative solutions are the way forward for border businesses and urges other small business owners to collaborate with each other.

"You’ve got to adapt to what’s happening around you and think outside of the box," she said.

'Gotta do what you can do'

Burleigh-based waterproofer Steve Evans has been trading for 20-years but never imagined he'd be doing business deals in the middle of the street.

"[You've] gotta do what you can to keep business going, otherwise you might as well shut up shop and go home," he said.

Mr Evans meets his staff on Bay Street, between Coolangatta and Tweed Heads, to hand over supplies "to keep the guys on the other side going".

"Before the COVID, I don't think you'd think about the borders being closed," he said.

"You just go from one state to the other state without thinking about it.

Tools, food, boxes, clothes and medical supplies are exchanged daily. 

So too are the odd smile and hug by families split by blockades.

Town 'in trouble' but spirits high

A street over, the usually bustling Coolangatta Surf Club has closed its doors twice a week as its staff struggle to cope with the border changes.

General manager Steve Edgar says there has been a 70 per cent spike in employees reaching out for employee assistance counselling.

"It's backs-to-the-wall stuff," he said.

"Coolangatta is almost like a ghost town at the moment.

Mr Edgar said a glimmer of hope existed among the "hopeless and helpless": Community spirit.

"We're focusing heavily on not whinging and moaning on the pandemic and stuff," he said.

"There's a real community spirit in Cooly … we have to get together and fight for our own existence."

Solutions reign as communities unite

Emma Ceolin owns a Coolangatta-based yoga studio and is offering "COVID well-being programs" to the community.

"We're trying to keep connected and brainstorm ways that we can help each other through this time," she said.

Ms Ceolin has lost more than 60 per cent of her clients due to the border rules and admits she's "not exempt" from the emotional toll.

"It's like that for a lot of businesses in the area," she said.

"If you go for a walk on Griffith Street, what you'll see is many signs on the window for businesses that are closed.