Greetings, everyone. We are all experiencing a very challenging time in our lives as we navigate the coronavirus, also known as COVID 19. The uncertainty and stress that a crisis such as this creates is very difficult; however, it is not insurmountable.
We are all having to make difficult decisions about our businesses, especially those that regularly depend on large numbers of people gathering or shopping at their establishments. The Chamber is ready and willing to help businesses in any way that we can. In fact, your responses to the Business Impact Survey will help guide our efforts.
The Chamber continues to closely monitor and comply with the guidance provided by government agencies at the local, state and federal levels, and make ongoing decisions about our business. As a result, we have recently made operational changes effective through April 3.
- We have closed our office and staff are working remotely.
- We are canceling Chamber meetings and events that convene 30 people or more, and
- Business trainings are being postponed or offered online, where possible
Although our staff is working remotely, we are poised to communicate with our members through conference calls or Skype and other technological communications.
We are looking forward to hearing about some of the creative approaches that our local small businesses come up with to satisfy their customers’ and employees’ needs. Once we learn of the tweaks to your business models, our team can help with promotion and potentially provide support programs.
In the meantime, we have created a COVID 19 webpage, a centralized site that offers: news and information to help you stay informed; social distancing strategies for businesses and employers; and guidance from the Center for Disease Control.
Like other crises, we will get through this together; and when we do, I for one, will be very excited to get back to seeing everyone, hosting you at events, working to develop emerging leaders, and just having a cup of coffee with lots of people around me.
Until then, as we make our way through the daily challenges that we encounter, please remember to be kind, be compassionate and open to doing things in new ways.
Tim