Message from the Chair

ADJUSTING YOUR MASK AND SETTING A COURSE FOR THE FUTURE

Due to a surge of coronavirus cases in July, the Henry County School system has adjusted its plans for returning to the classroom. Ultimately, for schools to open their campuses and return children to the classrooms, we must all work together to control the virus in our community.

Christy Chewning- Member Engagement Coordinator, Central Georgia EMC 2020 Chair, Henry County Board of Directors

Controlling the virus will help us get our children back to classrooms, but it will also help our businesses to remain open. By following the basic CDC Guidelines, wearing a mask, washing our hands frequently, and keeping a minimum 6 ft. distance between us, we can each do our part to drive the virus down to non-threatening levels of spread. In our current reality, a need for remote learning will continue until our actions have a positive impact on stopping the spread of the coronavirus in our community.

During this prolonged battle with COVID-19, businesses can use this time of recovery to begin looking at their plans and adjusting for the next year. As you start planning, is there something you need to make your business more successful? Do you know of a source to go to for that information? The Henry County Chamber of Commerce is actively advocating for resources to support our local businesses. Our partners at the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Clayton State University are offering online training classes for small businesses through 2020 at no cost. A wealth of courses such as Business Plan Essentials, QuickBooks, or Shifting to E-Commerce are available with advance registration at https://www.georgiasbdc.org/ training/. We have also partnered with SCORE Atlanta where you can be matched up with a Business Mentor. Our friends from SCORE Atlanta are taking online referrals during the pandemic supporting Henry County businesses by appointment. You can take advantage of their online resources and webinars here: https://atlanta.score.org/

I know you are reading this and saying that sounds great but I just don’t have the time. You may think that you can’t afford to take a moment away from your business. But working on your business is ultimately more important than working in your business. Take the time to improve your know-how and skills. It will make your business even stronger. The Henry County Chamber of Commerce wants to be your partner in making your business better!