Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce E-Blast
Message From the Director:

Our goal is to provide our business community with the knowledge and resources you need. We plan to send updates via e-blast and we encourage you to contact us if you have an issue you need assistance with.

The Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce has a gift certificate program where we sell gift certificates that can be used at participating Chamber Member Businesses. We are creating a gift certificate discount program to encourage local spending once the quarantine is lifted. If you are a Chamber Member and you are not currently signed up to accept gift certificates, please call or email the office so you can be added. There is no cost to participate, you accept the gift certificates like cash, turn them into the Chamber office and we reimburse you the full amount of the certificate.

I hope you are all staying safe and healthy and I look forward to seeing you soon!

Valerie Winterfield
Executive Director
LEARN FROM THE EXPERTS: Paid Leave Programs Under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act
Free Webinar!

Thursday, April 16, 2020 - 9:30 a.m. ET

Presenter : Sara Jodka, Attorney at Dickinson Wright

Ms. Jodka will inform employers about the two paid leave programs created by the recent Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Her insights and expertise will help all employers with less than 500 employees navigate their responsibilities under the Emergency Paid Sick Leave and Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion programs.

There will be a short time set aside for questions.

To join Thursday's meeting, click here!
Ottawa County COVID-19 Update
Friday April 17th, at 10am, Join Nancy Osborn, Health Commissioner, and the Ottawa County Health Department, who will provide information on COVID-19 testing, the new Ottawa County COVID-19 Dashboard, and general updates. During the webinar, all questions should be submitted via Zoom’s chat option. Q&A will be held at the end of the webinar. This webinar will be recorded.

Deferral of Employment Tax Deposits
As part of Coronavirus Tax Relief, employers can now defer the deposit and payment of the employer's share of social security taxes. Self-employed individuals can now too defer payment of certain self-employment taxes. The IRS has posted answers to FAQs on the deferral of employment tax deposits and payments through Dec. 31. Click here for details.
 
Marketing During the Pandemic: 7 Things You Need to Be Doing
Are you still marketing your business in the same way you were prior to the virus? I’m not asking about the content you post or what’s in your ads. What marketing channels are you using? If your business is still open, and you want it to remain so, you may need to change your marketing channels. Or at least reassess them.

The marketing channels that are most effective for you now might not have worked a few weeks ago and vice versa. It’s time to take a closer look as to whether your audience is still attuned to the same things they were in February. It’s likely their lives have changed drastically and that may have altered where they are and what they’re paying attention to.

Recovery Information
The Covid-19 Pandemic of March 2020, led to a response that was unforeseen, and for businesses, largely unplanned. The closing of non-essential businesses coupled with shelter in place orders for most citizens has created a crisis environment for our economic well-being. You must decide now how your business will be able to survive this crisis and remain in business. This is different than a simple business continuity plan as the factors that have caused this crisis were out of your control. In this way, the effect that this has had on our business community is very similar to communities coping with large scale natural disaster! Many businesses in those communities were able to bounce back and recover as a result of good self-evaluation and planning. Let’s examine some suggestions for planning your business recovery.

Click Here to download a plan that you can tailor to your business.
Temporary Permits for Food Trucks at Rest Stops
The governor recently announced a "Temporary Rest Area Food Truck Permit" program. Information is found on the Ohio Department of Transportation website and has specific terms and conditions, as well as an online link to apply for a permit.  

COVID-19 Information Update from Eastman & Smith
The attorneys at Eastman & Smith have created articles and recorded webinars to convey recent legal developments concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. This is great information for businesses. I encourage you to read the articles and watch the webinars. All of their insights are accessible on the webpage below.

Ottawa County Community Foundation Initiates Rapid
Response Effort
COVID-19 has turned our world upside down in countless ways in a matter of weeks. In response to these challenging times that we are experiencing, the Ottawa County Community Foundation (OCCF) has created a Rapid Response account. This effort is being initiated with a $2,000 donation from The Dr. Derrill A. Hablitzel Family Fund. Please join us in helping those in Ottawa County impacted by this crisis.
 
This OCCF Rapid Response effort will help support immediate needs of non-profits in Ottawa County as they strive to fill the basic needs of economically vulnerable populations caused by closure and cancellations related to COVID-19, the elderly and other high-risk populations who are experiencing a COVID-19 impact, residents who are food insecure, residents who have no medical insurance or who are underinsured.  We will do our best to help our non-profits face challenging times ahead. 
 
Donations to support the Rapid Response effort are greatly needed to meet the needs in our community. We encourage individual donors, companies, and other organizations to contribute to the OCCF Rapid Response effort via our online donation platform on our website www.ottawaccf.org, click on the Donate button. Checks may also be sent directly to the Ottawa County Community Foundation, P.O. Box 36, Port Clinton, OH 43452. Please indicate “Rapid Response” in the memo line. We welcome donations of any amount and all contributions qualify as charitable deductions.
 
We encourage all Ottawa County non-profit organizations incurring additional expenses during this crisis to apply for a Rapid Response grant. Please visit our website at www.ottawaccf.org and download our application.
 
Thank you for helping us in easing the burden for so many in our county. 
 
The Ottawa County Community Foundation is a public charitable organization created in 1999 to improve the quality of life for those who live and work in the Ottawa County area.
Ohio Offers Small Business Support
The Office of Small Business Relief (OSBR) is focused on identifying and providing direct support to the state's nearly 950,000 small businesses to help during the current public health crisis and to position them for a strong rebound.

Click Here to learn about all available programs