The Chamber is Here

​Businesses are re-opening, economic activity is picking up, people are out and about. Yet life is still not the same by any means. We've become accustomed to wearing masks, we carry hand sanitizer everywhere and I have my temperature taken almost every day (it typically runs low at 97.7). Many businesses are still having their employees work from home and others are operating at mandated reduced capacity.
 
As we continue to move through Phase 3 of the Commonwealth's 4 phase re-opening plan, I thought I would look back at the past 4 months of activity here at the Chamber. For the past 125 years, the Chamber has been here to serve the local business community. Our tagline is "Connections at Work". And while we haven't had any in-person meetings since March, we have continued to provide "Connections at Work".
 
Here's a quick runddown:
 

• Hosted 10 virtual events for networking or sharing experiences related to the pandemic.
• Hosted 10 webinars related to information on SBA loan programs, unemployment insurance and tips for re-opening.
• Provided information and links to dozens of webinars offered by our resource partners related to the pandemic and your business.
• Sent 45 COVID-19 related emails with curated information and resources gleaned from our resource partners.
• Created a COVID-19 resource page on our website.
• Created a "Take Out Today" page on our website to encourage support of local restaurants.
• Participated in 16 weekly briefings with the Baker Administration and SBA, along with other chambers statewide.
• Provided members access to a host of pandemic related toolkits and resources from the U. S. Chamber of Commerce.
• Worked with local officials on establishing streamlined, yet responsible, outdoor seating regulations for restaurants.

 
We can tell by the "open rates" and "click throughs" on our emails and the activity on our COVID-19 webpage that our members have accessed and utilized this information. By creating these new "Connections at Work", we hope that we have helped your businesses better manage this crisis and bring your business back to where it once was.
 
We know that many are still struggling and we will continue to provide you the latest and best information as we have it.
 
We are here for you. But please know that we need your support now more than ever. Membership dues are our lifeblood and we look forward to your continued support.
 
Tom O'Rourke, CCE
President and CEO