BY CHRISTINE GRAF
Local chambers of commerce are scrambling to provide support to their members during this unprecedented time of financial uncertainly. They have become information clearinghouses and are disseminating updated information related to COVID-19 as quickly as possible.
According to Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Gina Mintzer, she is receiving as many as 150 emails a day on the subject.
“The information is coming in so fast. I get information from the county, state, federal government, and governor’s office,” she said. “We are trying to keep abreast of all of that information that’s being thrown out there by government agencies to benefit those who need it the most. We are distilling that information and getting it out there through e-blasts and our social media platform.”
Michael Bittell, president of the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce, is doing the same for his 778 members.
“We are being very aggressive in working with our elected officials at every level— county, state, and federal—and making sure that our businesses are heard. In turn, we are also getting information out several times a day on state mandates and executive orders as well as federal programs,” he said. “We’re very stringent on what we send out. We research it. We verify it, and then we send it out. There’s just so much information.”
Much of this information concerns the payroll protection program (PPP). The $349 billion PPP is part of the governments $2.2 trillion stimulus relief package. Bittell and Mintzer have done their best to break down the 883-page bill into what Mintzer described as “everyman language.”
“To understand the nuances and how that would benefit our business partners was arduous,” she said. “You have to look at all of the sources of information to see who explains it the best.”
The PPP makes loans available to small businesses through Small Business Administration-approved lenders. Borrowers are eligible for loan forgiveness of qualifying expenses such as payroll costs and rent during the first eight-weeks after loans are received.
Bittell has received many questions from his members about the program. In addition to answering these questions by phone and email, he also conducts teleconferences that include time for question and answer. For example, he recently conducted a live teleconference with the Town of Johnsburg. Both town supervisors as well as 16 business owners participated. Bittell addressed issues related to PPP and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Emergency Advance (EIDL). EIDL’s, economic relief loans of up to $10,000, are being provided by the Small Business Administration (SBA) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Qualifying business owners will not be required to repay advances on those loans.
PPP loans can only be obtained through banks that have been designated as certified lenders by the SBA. Bittell has asked his members to be patient with the local banks that are participating in the program. They are overwhelmed by the unprecedented demand for these loans, and the SBA’s E-Tran loan application system crashed just days after the program was implemented.
In addition to disseminating information on government programs, Mintzer and her team have been working to assess the needs of the chamber’s 450 members. They are asking business owners to fill out an economic impact survey that can be found on their website www.lakegeorgechamber.com. The website also provides updated COVID-19 information and lists the names and operating hours of businesses that remain open.
Mintzer is also utilizing webinars and video teleconferencing to connect with members. For example, she recently conducted a “Women in Business” Zoom conference.
“I wanted to get a finger on the pulse of women business owners in order to find out how can we help them,” she said.
Some of the women who participated on the call run nonprofits, and they are facing the same challenges as business owners. For example, Mintzer said the Lake George Arts Project had three major fundraisers planned between now and the middle of June. As a result, they are facing a severe deficit in funding that may result in the cancellation of programming.
“Everybody is in same boat,” said Mintzer. “The Open Door Mission went from serving 90 meals a week to 90 meals a day. And, people who have never used a food pantry before are using a food pantry. This is affecting people who a month ago thought their jobs were completely secure.”
Mintzer and her team have created a social media campaign to encourage people to order takeout from local restaurants. As part of their “takeout social media photo contest,” people have a chance to win prizes by submitting photos of their takeout meals.
The Lake George Chamber is also running social media and print campaigns to encourage tourism. They recently produced a Lake George travel guide, and the landing page on their website reads, “Better Times Are Up Ahead. Request Your Travel Guide Now.”
Mintzer said they are also reaching out to groups that were forced to cancel conferences that were scheduled to take place at local hotels. Hotels typically book many events and conferences between late February and early April.
“We want to help them reschedule versus completely canceling these events,” she said.
Both Mintzer and Bittell have been told by some members that the economic impact of the pandemic is likely to result in the closure of their businesses. Their chambers are prepared to do whatever it takes to support these businesses and help keep them viable.
“We are all in this together,” said Bittell.
For more information, visit www. lakegeorgechamber.com or www. adirondackchamber.org.