News
Newsom Orders Closure of Indoor Activities as Coronavirus Cases Increase
Governor Newsom announced, during a press briefing at noon today, that all bars across the state must close and that restaurants, wineries, tasting rooms, family entertainment centers, zoos, museums and card rooms must suspend indoor activities.

The governor also announced that all gyms, places of worship, malls, personal care services, barbershops, salons, and non-critical offices in counties on the state’s “monitoring list” had to shut down under the new order. The order affects more than 30 counties, of which Los Angeles is one.
Torrance Chamber Voices Opposition to Job Killer that Overwhelms Small Biz
A job killer bill that will overwhelmingly impact small employers and will impose higher costs and additional administrative burdens passed a key legislative hurdle last week and has progressed to the Assembly.

SB 1383 (Jackson; D-Santa Barbara)  significantly burdens small employers by requiring employers with only five employees to provide eligible employees with 12 weeks of mandatory family leave, which can be taken in increments of one to two hours, and threatens these small employers with costly litigation if they make any mistake in implementing this leave. Read more here.
Podcast & Article: What Should I Do When My Employee Tests Positive?
In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Executive Vice President and General Counsel Erika Frank and employment law expert Jennifer Shaw discuss what employers should do if an employee tests positive with COVID-19. Shaw tells Frank that while there is a lot of guidance available, there are only a few steps employers need to take should an employee test positive for COVID-19... Click here to read or listen.
Torrance Chamber Signs-On To Coalition Opposed to AB 1436
AB 1436, a bill by Asm. Chiu, attempts to shift the entire financial calamity associated with COVID-19 on to the backs of landlords by forcing them to forgo collecting rent for the entire duration of the state of emergency (now amended after pushback to either the end of the state of emergency or April 21, 2021, whichever comes first), plus an additional 12 months (prior to that it was 15 months). The amount of months landlords would not be able to collect rent is unreasonable, and there is no financial help from the state either. This impacts all landlords of any size, whether they are mom and pop or large scale. 
Torrance Chamber Partners in Regional Effort to Assist Small Business
The Torrance Chamber has supported small businesses during this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, as we have all had to adapt and become flexible. So many small businesses are being hit hard by the enormous impacts of COVID-19 on their operations, cash flow, revenues and ultimate survival.
 
The Torrance Chamber is celebrating the outsized impact of small businesses and calling on all Californians to support them now - especially as they invest in implementing industry guidance and digital strategies to meet our needs and keep us safe and healthy. Read more here.
Senator Allen & Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara to Host Tele-Town Hall
Join Senator Ben Allen and CA Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on Fri., July 17th, 1:00pm, for a tele-town hall on insurance issues and available resources for small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic emergency & periods of civil unrest. Please RSVP and submit your questions to crb@insurance.ca.gov with Senator Ben Allen in the subject line. Dial in using the following toll free number 844-721-7241 and use access code: 3440582. Click here for more.
Small Businesses Repurpose Lessons From the 2008 Recession
“Small businesses simply have far fewer cash resources and liquid assets on hand compared to large corporations,” says Michael Chow, lead data analyst and economist at the National Federation of Independent Business Research Center. “While every recession is di fferent, as in 2008, small businesses today must focus on adaptability and prepare for timid consumers.”

As Mr. Chow suggests, flexibility — both in product lines and operational structure — will help vulnerable businesses survive. The key, owners and analysts say, is listening to customers and anticipating their needs, both today and after the pandemic. Read More Here.
Have you found any 'best practices' in this ever-changing landscape? What about tips or experiences you wish to share? Or even things to avoid doing?

We want to give Chamber member businesses the opportunity to voice their stories to the Torrance area business community. If you have any tried-and-true knowledge of the topics below, let us know!
  • Training new employees
  • Fostering customer loyalty
  • Business assisting other businesses
  • Transparency to clients
  • Setting reasonable expectations
  • Getting old customers to return
  • Adaptability as a business owner
  • Customer’s current needs
  • Managing your cash flow
  • Diversifying your staff
  • Continuing to invest in your business
  • Enforcing rules while retaining customers
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