SPECIAL EDITION
FOCUSING ON THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 WITH TIPS TO MITIGATE ECONOMIC DAMAGE
#8 | THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2020
FRIDAY, MARCH 27 : DEADLINE FOR CITY OF WORCESTER'S $10,000 MICRO-GRANTS

DEADLINE TOMORROW FOR CITY FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Announced last week, the City of Worcester has allocated $500,000 in micro-grants to small business owners negatively impacted by the pandemic. The deadline for these grant applications is TOMORROW , Friday, March 27.

PDF grant applications are available on the city's COVID-19 website – worcesterma.gov/coronavirus. we encourage you to submit yours – the sooner the better. But first, be sure to check the eligibility requirements.
TEMPORARY NOTICE: DO NOT bring your reusable bags to the grocery store or pharmacy

To block the spread of COVID-19, Gov. Baker has put in place a temporary mandate blocking customers from bringing reusable bags to grocery stores and pharmacies in favor of plastic bags supplied by the stores. Lifting the ban on plastic bags, no charge will be levied for the bags you need to package your shopping. And, please adhere to social distancing guidelines as well as store hours for older shoppers.
COVID-19-RELATED BUSINESS WEBINARS
WEBINAR: Unemployment in Uncertain Times | UTCA Office Hours  

Do you have questions about how unemployment will impact your business during this state of emergency? Join Chamber member UTCA's virtual Office Hours tomorrow, Friday, March 27 from 1:30 to 2 PM.

The agenda will include p roperly messaging and executing your workforce reductions, communicating the UI process and expectations to your employees, and what to expect as emergency legislation looms on state and federal levels.
Running Your Business in Quarantine: A Survival Guide | InThink Webinar Series  

Join CEO, Kham Inthirath, as he discusses how your business can strategically position itself in the wake of COVID-19. Session 2 is tomorrow, Friday, March 27 from 2 to 3 PM.

For those of you who joined last week, this will be a deeper dive into some of the strategies and resources we previously shared. For those who are new, we’ll share examples and actionable takeaways to help your business during this uncertain time.

WE WANT YOUR INPUT
Let us know what webinars you are looking for and we'll do our best to provide them to you! EMAIL YOUR SUGGESTIONS
CALLING ALL 3D PRINTER OWNERS

At a time when N-95 masks are hard to come by, when worn with a surgical mask, plastic face shields are helpful and reusable personal protective equipment. However, these are also few and far between at hospitals, nursing homes, and long-term care facilities. We are enacting a CALL TO ACTION for anyone who owns a 3D printer to help increase the supply of face shields in Central Mass. Some of our health care members suggested this Prusa pattern and this Forbes article if you'd like to know more.

If you own a 3D printer, please consider taking time to produce face shields from this pattern. Once completed, please drop them at your closest long-term care facility and pat yourself on the back.
NOTE | To keep our members up-to-date on available resources and the Chamber response to COVID-19, for the foreseeable future the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce will issue daily emails at noon. These emails contain a variety of information from local, state, and federal loans to the offerings of local businesses and best practices during this uncertain time.

As always, we are here to help. Due to the Governor’s stay-at-home advisory for non-essential employees, the Chamber office will be closed through April 7. Staff members will be checking email and voicemail and will respond accordingly. We will continue to monitor the most up-to-date information to best serve our business community. If you need assistance at the office, please email the Chamber . If you need assistance with Certificate of Origin processing, please email Brenda Elmes , office manager.
We wish you all continued health and please reach out if the Chamber can be of assistance.