My company, like many local technology companies, is heavily invested in providing goods and services either directly or indirectly to the DOD. As such, we have been deemed "Critical Infrastructure" and have so far been insulated from the mandatory shutdowns plaguing the vacation industries. The stability the technology industries are providing local economies cannot be overstated during these trying times. So we are open but not without challenges to maintain "normal operations" as we have been requested.

     Almost none of the companies I have spoken with were "prepared" for the level of actions required to deal with the virus. Early on companies had to answer questions like:

• How can we protect our employees? What if employees have no child care due to school shutdowns? How can we work together but maintain "social distancing"? How do we protect our vendors? How do we help employees that are dealing with associated anxiety? How can we maintain our current quotas and deliveries? What if an employee gets sick with a normal "run of the mill" cold? If an employee is diagnosed with COVID-19 how do we sanitize the workspace? If an employee is diagnosed with COVID-19 are we required to notify customers? What cleaning protocols do we enact? Where can we find the required personal protection equipment needed? If employees do contract COVID-19 how do we deal with the quarantine? What if an employee wants to self-quarantine? If the employee runs out of PTO, will they receive paid time off, or unpaid leave? Can employees work from home? What about the security of data as related to working from home? Etc. etc. etc.

Predictably, most of the proposed answers to the above questions lead to even more questions, resulting in sweeping fundamental changes in the daily business that many companies were not prepared to tackle. Turns out that more often than not in these situations, there is no right answer, you can turn left, you can turn right, and you still end up dealing with new problems born of the decisions made. So, what have companies done, mine included? We have done the best we can with the information we have been handed and rolled with the punches. Ultimately though, one valuable lesson has shone through. The companies that have been the most successful so far have given most the credit to their employees due to the spirit of teamwork, caring for each other and understanding toward management they have shown.   So what is my prescription for business to survive this unpredictable and unprecedented challenge? To understand the utter importance of teamwork, compassion, and a desire to press through all adversity until we come out the other side of this storm.

"Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success." 

--Henry Ford

As we face the uncertainty of the future, the EDC is supporting our industries in every way possible. You can visit our COVID-19 Business Resources page at https://www.florida-edc.org/special-pages/covid-19-business-resource-guide for the most up-to-date information available. 

http://floridasbdc.org/disaster/

Home Builders Institute in partnership with Northwest Florida State College, the Economic Development Council of Okaloosa County and the Building Industry Association of Okaloosa & Walton Counties, Inc. hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house celebrating the newest skilled trades program launch at the NWFSC-based HBI Career Center on January 31. This new HBI program offers veteran service members dedicated, hands-on training in carpentry to pursue civilian careers in the skilled trades..