A 5-Star Accredited Chamber of Commerce
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The following is our latest on coronavirus response and news:
- GNVCARES OPEN FOR BUSINESS RELIEF UNTIL WEDNESDAY: GNVCares for Small Business applications are open until Wednesday! Eligible businesses impacted by COVID-19 may qualify for a $5,000 working capital grant to cover rent, payroll and utilities. Click here to view an eligibility checklist and here for even more information. You also may dial 2-1-1 to check eligibility, ask questions or make an appointment for application assistance.
- SCHOOL REGISTRATION OPEN: With the understanding that when and how Florida schools will open are still unknown, Alachua County Public Schools is beginning registration for school and for the district’s after school Extended Day Enrichment Program (EDEP) this week.
- SUPPORT GNV: Get to see what local supermarket chain Hitchcock's did for the Greater Gainesville community. Our latest Support GNV article outlines why they chose to donate thousands of meals.
For a more exhaustive list of
updates, visit the Chamber's
COVID-19
page.
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The Chamber's Together page is a landing page for anything you may want to know for how the community is addressing the COVID-19 crisis. Below are some examples of information you can find using our Together page.
New resources on our Together page:
For more information on resources for small business, enacted regulations, and information on how to help, visit the Chamber's
Together page.
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Below are our COVID-19-related business updates from the past week. To submit an announcement or update, visit our
eJournal page
and scroll down. Please limit your message to 50 words, and include useful links if possible.
- First Federal Bank has donated $10,000 to the United Way of North Central Florida for their Home Sweet Home initiative.
- Bread of the Mighty Food Bank has now handed out 5 million pounds of food locally since March 1.
- Avison Young has created a guide to assist businesses with going back to work and ensuring a safe workplace.
- On Wednesday, the Alachua County Public Schools‘ Food and Nutrition Services team surpassed 1 million meals given out during the pandemic, now totaling in 1,019,122.
- Bass Pro Shop of Celebration Pointe donated 6,000 masks to UF Health to support frontline workers.
- Gainesville Sonny’s BBQ locations teamed up to feed over 400 nurses and hospital staff at Shands this week.
- Chaya Veda Integrative Healing Arts is hosting a Facebook Live Event Monday, May 18 from 5 – 5:45 p.m. – a free 45 minute breathing and relaxation program for a respite, rejuvenation and total well-being.
- Graduating seniors from Buchholz High School have been invited to attend a special ‘farewell’ event on the campus Saturday, May 16 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Students will line up in their cars and drive through the parking area to the cheers of teachers and staff, and signs will also be set up featuring individual students.
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WORKFORCE UPDATE
"Now Hiring" Video Series
We have released the first video in our
Now Hiring Video Series
. This first video features Tacachale and the positions they are hiring to help care for Florida’s most vulnerable population. If you would like to participate in this series to get the word out about your job openings, contact
Andrea Mender
.
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REMINDER
Are you hiring amid the coronavirus outbreak?
To ensure you find the best candidates, please contact Andrea Mender at
[email protected].
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REMINDER
Hot Jobs through CareerSource NCFL
Each week, CareerSource North Central Florida staff members identify current
Hot Jobs that employers are eager to fill.
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To apply for jobs listed:
- log on to www.employflorida.com
- Click on “Job Search” under “Quick Menu” on the left side of the page
- Select “Job Number Search” from the menu across the top of the page
- Enter the job number from the list above in the “job number” box
- Click on “search”
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MEMBER NEWS
The Learning Cafe - Free Online Courses
The University of Florida’s Office of Professional and Workforce Development (OPWD) has partnered with Coursera, a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) company, to offer free access to over 3,500 digital courses.
The UF COVID-19 Access Free Education (CAFE), or Learning Café website,
https://engage.aa.ufl.edu/
, provides information about the partnership and the six banner programs, as well as a way to register for banner access.
Practicing social distancing is critical to slowing the spread of the virus but it should not interfere with our ability to access and learn new skills. The partnership with Coursera will assist those who want to learn, by providing courses and certificate programs free of charge.
High school students, teachers, University of Florida students, members of the Gainesville Police Department's Brave Overt Leaders of Distinction (B.O.L.D.) and those participating in Gainesville Housing Authority programs, are eligible to register for free access to the Coursera courses through July 31, 2020.
For anyone with general workforce needs the entire Coursera catalog is open to you. The courses offered through this program may help upskill or reskill you for a new beginning during and post COVID19. You can register for classes through the end of September and have access to complete them through the end of December 2020.
The Office of Professional and Workforce Development supports the Office of Teaching and Technology and the University of Florida in offering career and workforce education for adult learners across multiple modalities including online, face-to-face, and conferences.
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MEMBER CONTRIBUTION
Business Continuity Planning
When the next emergency event strikes, how will you ensure that your organization continues to operate safely and generate revenue? Whether caused by a natural disaster, global pandemic, or a cyberattack, sudden disturbances are unpredictable and can unfold in many unexpected ways. Your leadership team is unlikely to get advanced notice about tomorrow’s upcoming disaster. That’s why it is so important to have a proven business continuity strategy today.
Simply explained, business continuity planning (BCP) is the process of preparing to maintain ongoing business functions or resuming them quickly in the event of a disaster. While certain industries have strict oversight on how they design and implement their plan, like banks and credit unions, many businesses don’t have the luxury of a government examiner to guide them down a specific path. For the rest of us, the following strategy outlines organizational instructions and procedures for dealing with potential threats. It also details emergency management procedures and determines what associates can do to ensure continuous business operation.
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MEMBERSHIP NEWS
Leadership Book Club
I’m sure you have had the term “Leaders are Readers”. Successful people believe that ongoing professional development is key to improving your skillset while staying abreast of the latest ideas and trends. The concept we are thinking of is creating a group of fellow Chamber members who would read the same book each month, then meet for approximately one hour either virtually or in-person to discuss the highlights and main takeaways of said book. The format of the book club will be determined based on the level of interest in participation we receive.
We are asking for your feedback.
If you like the concept of participating in a book club forum and would be interested in learning more, email Steve Cannon at
[email protected]
and express your interest.
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MEMBERSHIP NEWS
Avera & Smith Free Insurance Policy Reviews
A growing number of businesses impacted by COVID-19 are seeking benefits from their business interruption policies, yet insurance companies are largely denying claims, arguing that pandemics don’t qualify. However, only a fraction of insurance policies explicitly state that pandemics aren’t covered. As a result, business disputes and class-action lawsuits have spiked across the country.
Avera & Smith is dedicated to advocating for business owners and entrepreneurs and is here to help by offering free policy reviews to companies affected by the pandemic. A longtime member of the Chamber of Commerce, the firm’s business litigation attorneys have represented the Gainesville community for more than 65 years. They have extensive experience against big insurance companies and understand the nuances involved in business disputes.
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MEMBERSHIP NEWS
Let Customers Know You Are Open for Business
As we navigate through the restart phases of our economy, guidelines will change. It is important to communicate with your customers the most current guidelines as established by our elected leaders. To assist you in this effort, we have created a
simple template
you may use to post at your business entrance to let your customers know the occupancy capacity of your business. As guidelines change, simply print a new sheet and fill in your new occupancy capacity. We hope this makes it easy for you to communicate with your customers. Your Chamber is committed to supporting your local businesses. Thank you for choosing to operate your business in our community. #SHOPGNV
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MEMBER NEWS
American Stroke Month: How can you prevent one?
The month of May marks American Stroke Month and with the current risk of COVID-19 for those with pre-existing conditions, it is more important than ever to prevent a stroke from happening for the first time or again for stroke survivors.
1 in 4 people worldwide will have a stroke in their lifetime – and many of those will have more than one stroke. Yet, 80% of strokes may be prevented.
Through the month of May and moving forward, we are asking you to make a commitment to prevent stroke by making small lifestyle changes daily.
For more information, please view the infographics below:
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