At the Chamber our COVID-19 response is focused in six broad categories.
- Getting customers to your business. To flatten the trajectory of the spread of COVID-19, public officials have imposed various restrictions on business. In response, we created “Open for Business” on our website to post information about your hours and services. Submit your information by emailing [email protected]. We are promoting the site through social media and other communication platforms.
- Business assistance and relief. We have been monitoring developments relative to the SBA loan program and the bill currently working its way through Congress. We strongly recommend you go online to apply for an SBA loan. If you decide later you don’t want or need it, you can decline. You can apply here. At the bottom of each page click save. The application system is busy but be persistent. We have also conferred with lenders and landlords to better understand the situation with them. We are hearing a lot of forbearance to work with borrowers and tenants.
- Public policy relief. We are communicating with government officials ways they can help by removing obstacles and keeping money in your pockets longer.
- Member communications. We are all getting buried with information right now. The Chamber may be adding to all of that, but the goal is to keep you informed of relevant developments. In that regard, the Chamber will hold its first ever all-member call at 10:00 a.m. March 25. Speakers include Kevin Unger, UC Health; Joyce McConnell, CSU; Darin Atteberry, City of Fort Collins; and Tom Gonzales, Larimer County Public Health Director. There is no charge. The call-in number is 970-236-7768.
- Staying informed. Chamber executive staff are on several briefing calls every day with groups like the U.S. Chamber, the state chamber of commerce executives, area economic developers, the American Association of Chamber Executives, etc. All are about sharing information on the latest developments.
- Chamber operations. This is boiler room stuff, but we have focused on how we continue to operate. The office is still open, though all in-person meetings and events have been cancelled or have gone virtual. All of the staff are equipped and trained to work remotely, and at this point half are doing so.
In closing, have you noticed that asking someone ‘How are you?’ actually means something now? The mindless reflexive query of a couple weeks ago is gone. Now it’s a genuine check in. Such are the times we live in. Here’s hoping you and your loved ones are hale and hearty. We appreciate all of you more than ever before. As a pick-me-upper, you might find this article interesting. It’s titled Why this Nobel laureate predicts a quicker coronavirus recovery: ‘We’re going to be fine‘