CHAMBER FEATURE
Henry County Chamber of Commerce
COVID-19 BUSINESS PREPAREDNESS SUPPORTING YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS THROUGH COVID-19 In mid-March, Henry County government and many of the cities issued orders mandating its citizens and businesses to shelter-in-place. By mid-April, the COVID-19 coronavirus had claimed three lives in Henry County and Georgia was ranked as one of the highest in cases of coronavirus per state. Governor Kemp mandated a statewide shelter-in-place and soon ordered the closing of schools for the remainder of the year. Throughout the state, most employers and their employees, including government and commercial locations, except for essential businesses, complied with state orders by sheltering-in-place. The shuttering of businesses across the state fueled the greatest and mounting unemployment levels since The Great Depression. Classified as essential support for Henry County business, the Henry County Chamber of Commerce shifted its focus and daily operations to actively make a difference in supporting the specific needs of Henry County chamber members and the business community at large.
What does your business need to help in navigating through the COVID-19 & Coronavirus outbreak? 100% 80% 60% 40%
56.52% 26
52.17% 24
20%
23.91% 11
26.09% 12
0% Provide access to resources & information.
Promote your company on social media.
Encourage purchase of gift cards/gift certificates.
Encourage use of credit/ debit cards to avoid associates handling cash.
36.96% 17 21.74% 10 Provide ideas on how to more effectively work from home
Promote carry-out/delivery options available to our customers.
32.61% 15
Host conference calls/video meetings to encourage interaction.
The Chamber released a survey in March that helped prioritize its business supporting efforts during the COVID-19 economy shutdown.
Message from the President
The Survey
On March 17, Chamber President and CEO Joseph Henning released a Message from the President to assure members and local businesses that the Chamber would be closed to the public, however it would remain open for business. Henning defined the Chamber’s focus during COVID-19 on supporting local employers as its number one, mission-critical goal.
In mid-March, the Henry County business owners and employees were facing a new reality – the days ahead were going to be anything but business as usual. With the brakes slammed on the economy, businesses were forced to explore new revenue streams, and find them quickly, if they were going to weather COVID-19.
12 | HENRY COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE www.henrycounty.com
