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COVID-19 Business Resources
Sunday, March 15, 2020Over the past weeks, the Montebello Chamber of Commerce has been following closely the developments around COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus) and has stayed plugged in to official government agency updates via teleconference, press conferences and written communications from the L.A. County Public Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as our state and city governments.
Much has transpired in the last week with the directives issued by Governor Gavin Newsom, the state-of-emergency declarations issued by the President Trump and the Montebello City Council. The Montebello Chamber remains cautiously optimistic that increased public awareness of hygienic protocols and the mandated social distancing and postponement of large community events in coming weeks will help to minimize the spread of COVID-19 and that our community will be able to return to normal activities soon.
Nevertheless, we have decided to postpone all of our gatherings through the end of April including our Moonlight Mingle at AMF Beverly Lanes on April 8th, our Community Expo which was scheduled for April and all scheduled ribbon cutting ceremonies in March and April. We will keep you posted when rescheduled event dates have been determined. All other services will remain active and unchanged so Chamber members should take full advantage of our website, e-blasts and Spotlight on Montebello newspaper to keep their announcements in the public eye. In the meantime, please check out our social media channels for information about the City's declaration and stay tuned for future updates.
We realize that, unfortunately, the statewide (and worldwide) mandates and public anxiety regarding COVID-19 can have a real economic impact on our business community so we have compiled a list below of resources and suggestions to help you combat and cope during this time.
The Montebello Chamber of Commerce is committed to supporting our businesses and local community through this crisis. If there’s anything you need help with, please do not hesitate to contact us. We have access to many resources and will do everything we can to get you the help you need.
Use Resources for Businesses/Employers:- CalChamber has published articles and a podcast about economic relief available to employers and employees HERE.
- The Small Business Association has published a list of resources for businesses including disaster relief assistance issued specifically for businesses hit by COVID-19 HERE.
- The LA County Economic Development Corporation has a great list of 17 things you can do to protect your business productivity and employees HERE.
- The LA Small Business Development Center has made available a downloadable COVID-19 Response Guide for businesses and employers, a local phone number to talk to advisers about preparedness, economic hardships and recovery, and lists of strategies for coping before/during/after a disaster HERE.
- Webinar: Preparing for COVID-19 – What Small Business Should Do - On Thursday, March 19th, there will be a free webinar about COVID-19 especially for small businesses which you can register for HERE.
- If you anticipate having challenges with payroll, or if your organization is considering layoffs, please contact LAEDC immediately and their team will help avoid the need for layoffs. Email LAEDC: Covid19response@laedc.org
- USA.gov - For updated information from the federal government and to speak to representatives who can answer questions, click HERE.
Build Consumer/Client Confidence: Make sure your clients can see you cleaning and following tightened hygiene protocols, keep the hand sanitizer visible/handy, keep COVID-19 signage visible to visitors/clients,and spread the word to your clients through email and social media to let them know that you are taking extra care to protect them in your place of business.
Postpone/Cancel Large Events & Consider Virtual Meetings: Many companies are already issuing directives to employees barring them from traveling, attending large conferences or holding in-person meetings. For the next few weeks, postpone any large events, refrain from attending large events, and consider teleconferencing (and if necessary telecommuting) to protect the health of employees.
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