At the start of the economic shut-down, t
he Chamber's Great Western Catskills promotion team
quickly pivoted from marketing toward visitors to promoting the businesses that were able to serve people as essential businesses. We continued to do that through Phase 2 of the reopening.
We created a companion website-- SisBoomYum.com--within days of the stay at home order that allowed us to easily inform residents which restaurants, bottle shops, farm stores/stands and general supply shops remained open.
Our campaign netted 95,557 impressions, reaching 13,901 people in Delaware County, and resulting in 2,717 clicks through to the website providing information on Delaware County businesses.
We have shifted our focus now to BRINGING OUR VISITORS BACK.
The message is very simple: Delaware County is open and ready to welcome guests. We have fresh air, wide open spaces, incredible natural resources to offer. We are ready to welcome family and friends back to enjoy the Great Western Catskills.
Our next steps include:
- Focus on promoting the various businesses open during the current phase of economic reopening.
- Leverage all press opportunities through I Love New York that match well with Delaware County assets.
- Continue to update various sections of the GreatWesternCatskills.com site. Add new seasonal content.
- We have requested all businesses to provide their cleaning and special COVID protocols for us to add to the website. web
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Poster Welcomes Customers to Your Business
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Use this poster to welcome customers back and inform them about the measures you are taking to ensure everyone's health. It also outlines the expectations of those entering your business.
Designed as an 8.5" x 11" poster, it can easily be posted in your window, on your door, at your point of purchase, and other prominent locations.
The Chamber will soon produce a video promoting the "We Can Do It" campaign, featuring Chamber members replicating the iconic image from the Second World War.
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Women-Owned Small Business Federal & NY State Certification Webinar
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Did you know the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contracting certification process is changing, and the new certification will be REQUIRED as of October 15, 2020? It's important to note that applications can be submitted using the new process starting in July.
Becoming certified for the WOSB program means your business is eligible to compete for WOSB Federal Contracting Program set-aside contracts.
About the Webinar
The U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) Syracuse District, and SCORE present an update webinar on SBA's Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) and New York State's Women-Owned Enterprise (WBE) certification programs.
Topics Include:
- Program Overview
- Getting the Most Out of the WOSB Program
- Is the WOSB Certification Appropriate for You?
- WOSB Contracts
- Proactive Self-Marketing
- Upcoming Certification Changes
- Certification Changes 2020 Timeline
- Third-Party Certifiers (TPC)
- Other Program Changes
- Certification Changes Resources
Join Us for this valuable online Webinar featuring:
- Stephen Barr - Business Opportunity Specialist, SBA Syracuse District Office
- Kayla Perry - Program Manger, North Country Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC)
- SCORE Syracuse / Utica Chapter
Thursday August 6, 2020 10:00 AM to Noon
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New Rules for Alcohol Service
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Executive Order 202.52:
- “Purchase of a food item which is consistent with the food availability requirement of the license under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law” shall mean that for each patron in a seated party, an item of food must be purchased at the same time as the purchase of the initial alcoholic beverage(s).
- However, one or more shareable food item(s) may be purchased, so long as it/they would sufficiently serve the number of people in the party and each item would individually meet the food standard below.
- “A food item which is consistent with the food availability requirement of the license under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law” shall mean:
- For manufacturers with on premises service privileges: sandwiches, soups or other such foods, whether fresh, processed, pre-cooked or frozen; and/or food items intended to compliment the tasting of alcoholic beverages, which shall mean a diversified selection of food that is ordinarily consumed without the use of tableware and can be conveniently consumed, including but not limited to: cheese, fruits, vegetables, chocolates, breads, mustards and crackers
- For on premises retailers with a food availability requirement, including restaurants and taverns: sandwiches, soups or other foods, whether fresh, processed, precooked or frozen.
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Are You Thinking About Exporting?
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Are you a NYS small business looking to expand your presence in the global marketplace?
Empire State Development’s Global NY Division will be hosting a no-cost, six-part webinar series throughout the month of August. You may join one or register for all markets. Each presentation will feature one of our foreign office representatives - from Canada, China, Europe, Israel, Mexico, and South Africa - who will share in-depth research on market trends and doing business in their respective countries.
SOUTH AFRICA
Presented by Richard Zurba
Tuesday, August 11, 10:00–11:30 a.m. ET
EUROPE
Presented by Barbara Grunewald
Thursday, August 13, 10:00– 11:30 a.m. ET
CANADA
Presented by Benjamin Kalman
Tuesday, August 18, 10:00–11:30 a.m. ET
MEXICO
Presented by Efren Flores Rangel
Thursday, August 20, 10:00–11:30 a.m. ET
CHINA
Presented by Ying Wang
Tuesday, August 25, 10:00–11:30 a.m. ET
ISRAEL
Presented by Gerry Stoch
Thursday, August 27, 10:00–11:30 a.m. ET
If you have additional questions, please call 212-803-2300 or email globalny@esd.ny.gov.
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New PPP EZ Forgiveness Application Released
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- Are self-employed and have no employees; OR
- Did not reduce the salaries or wages of their employees by more than 25%, and did not reduce the number or hours of their employees; OR
- Experienced reductions in business activity as a result of health directives related to COVID-19 and did not reduce the salaries or wages of their employees by more than 25%
Details regarding the applicability of these provisions are available in the instructions to the new EZ application form. Both applications give borrowers the option of using the original 8-week covered period (if their loan was made before June 5, 2020) or an extended 24-week covered period. These changes will result in a more efficient process and make it easier for businesses to realize full forgiveness of their PPP loan.
Click
here
to view the EZ Forgiveness Application
Click
here
to view the Full Forgiveness Application
New Guidance
(as of June 24)
SBA and Treasury have released new policy updates to the PPP program. In particular, this rule updates and clarifies the forgiveness procedures from the PPP Flexibility Act and the new forgiveness forms. Please encourage borrower to READ this rule and the new forgiveness applications, and if you have questions, feel free to direct them to our office.
Highlights from the Rule:
- Businesses may apply for forgiveness at any time during the Covered Period once they meet the requirement for forgiveness. They do not have to wait until the end of the 24 weeks.
- Clarifies the amount that Owners may pay themselves under the new Rule.
- FTE safe harbor for businesses that can document in good faith an inability to return to the same level of business activity as the borrower was operating at before February 15, 2020, due to compliance with requirements established or guidance issued between March 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020 related to the maintenance of standards for sanitation, social distancing, or any other worker or customer safety requirement related to COVID-19 (COVID Requirements or Guidance).
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SBA Now Accepting New Applications for Economic Injury Disaster Loans and Advance
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In response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, small business owners in all U.S. states, Washington D.C., and territories are able to apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan advance of up to $10,000. This advance is designed to provide economic relief to businesses that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue. This loan advance will not have to be repaid. Recipients do not have to be approved for a loan in order to receive the advance, but the amount of the loan advance will be deducted from total loan eligibility.
SBA will begin accepting new Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and EIDL Advance applications on June 15 to qualified small businesses and U.S. agricultural businesses.
The new eligibility for U.S. agricultural businesses is made possible as a result of the latest round of funds appropriated by Congress in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Applicants who have already submitted their applications will continue to be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. For agricultural businesses that submitted an EIDL application through the streamlined application portal prior to the legislative change, SBA will process these applications without the need for re-applying.
Eligible small businesses and agricultural businesses may apply for the Loan Advance
here.
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We're Still in Phase Four
Guidance Released
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Phase 4 guidance now available at:
Higher Education
Low-Risk Outdoor Arts & Entertainment
Low-Risk Indoor Arts & Entertainment
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Reminder: Phase Three Guidelines
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The guidelines below apply to non-essential businesses in regions that are permitted to reopen, essential businesses throughout the state that were previously permitted to remain open, and commercial and recreational activities that have been permitted to operate statewide with restrictions. If guidance has not yet been published for your specific industry, but you are permitted to reopen, please refer to the
NY Forward Safety Plan template
.
For help determining whether or not your business is eligible to reopen, use the reopen lookup tool. You can also scroll down to find the guidance for each phase.
Guidance for Phase Three includes:
FOOD SERVICES
PERSONAL CARE
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Reminder: Phase Two Guidelines
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The Phase 2 guidelines apply to non-essential businesses in regions that are permitted to reopen, essential businesses throughout the state that were previously permitted to remain open, and commercial and recreational activities that have been permitted to operate statewide with restrictions. If guidance has not yet been published for your specific industry, but you are permitted to reopen, please refer to the
NY Forward Safety Plan template
For help determining whether or not your business is eligible to reopen, use the reopen lookup tool
HERE
Guidance for Phase 2 Include:
Business Owners must read the detailed guidelines and provide their digital signature affirming that they have read and understand the document.
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The Arc of Delaware County Seeks Members
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Become a member today!
An annual membership at just $5, or a Lifetime membership for $100 gives us clout on the state and national level. Your three tier membership to The Arc of Delaware County, The Arc NY and The Arc National helps us with important advocacy efforts.
Now more than ever we need our Delaware county friends to support us through membership.
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Regional COVID Business Impact Survey
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SUNY Oneonta’s Places Institute has joined forces with SUNY Cobleskill’s Institute for Rural Vitality, Utica College and other regional research entities to form the Inter-mountain COVID-19 Impact Consortium, a research initiative aimed at better understanding the broad economic and community impacts of the COVID pandemic across a nine-county region in NY State.
The Consortium is seeking feedback from the region’s business community and invite businesses of all types to complete the survey. Ultimately, conclusions drawn from this research effort will be used to develop policy and management strategies for mitigating future crises.
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Get Latest Reopening Information from New York State
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Prepare for the phased reopening of our economy.
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Listen to Crisis Management and Recovery Workshop Recording
GrowthWheel for Crisis Management is a tool designed to help you make good and helpful decisions during a crisis. These tools encourage you to identify personal challenges, look for financial warning signals, and establish a solution plan. It includes decision sheets specifically designed to improve the operational aspect of the crisis.
Chamber member GrowthWheel is a worldwide recognized visual tool to help entrepreneurs make decisions and take action.
All webinar participants will receive 20 one-page worksheets at no cost for your use. Additionally, we have created a team of trained volunteers who have offered to guide you through the worksheets to find the ones that are most useful to your business.
This workshop is for business owners and managers, and will help guide participants through how make the best decisions in business during these stressful times.
Register to receive a copy of the recording
here.
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Feeling Stressed?
The Chamber has partnered with Maia Wilde of
Maia Wilde Consulting
in Treadwell to provide stress relief tips and techniques for use in a business setting or at home.
This three part video takes you through a variety of poses, exercises and planning tips created to release tension from the body and the mind and help us navigate the uncertainties we are facing due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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The New York State Office of Mental Health Emotional Support Helpline provides free and confidential support, helping callers experiencing increased anxiety due to the coronavirus emergency. The Helpline is staffed by volunteers, including mental health professionals, who have received training in crisis counseling. Call
1-844-863-9314.
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The Chamber has partnered with New Haven Consulting Group, Inc. to provide our members with an online
“Preventing Sexual Harassment"
workshop that meets the requirements of the new law.
This program is available at a Chamber-member reduced price of $20 per participant.
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FREE WORKSHOPS
Our partners at New Haven Consulting Group are also offering two FREE online workshops:
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FREE (Virtual) One-on-One Business Counseling Sessions
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The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is offering FREE comprehensive programming to provide management and technical assistance to small businesses in Delaware County!
Specializing in direct one-to-one counseling, the SBDC offers assistance in the following business areas:
- Start-up assistance
- Business Plan Development
- Accounting and Financial Projections
- Sources of Financing
- Marketing
- Business Expansion
- Relocation and Agribusiness
There is no cost for the counseling services of the SBDC.
Reservations are required for the one hour appointments. To make your reservation for
Tuesday, August 25 (10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. or 2:30 p.m.) email us at info@delawarecounty.org.
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The Delaware County Chamber is a private, non-governmental, not-for-profit membership organization. We believe that healthy communities begin with healthy businesses. By focusing on key areas–community and economic development, advocacy, tourism promotion, and business engagement–we partner with municipal leaders, community organizations, and local companies to present a unified voice of business for the improvement of our communities.
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5 1/2 Main Street
Delhi, New York 13753
Give Us A Call: 607.746.2281
DelawareCounty.org
GreatWesternCatskills.com
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