In this issue...
  • Updates from your Chamber/ Advocacy
  • Updates and Resources re: Covid-19
  • Webinars
  • Ways to share your business status and how you are adapting your services
UPDATES FROM YOUR CHAMBER
ADVOCACY
We know it can be overwhelming to keep up with all the new information coming out by the minute! We have created a page on our website to assist our Members looking for current information and resources for businesses, individuals and travelers. Our newsletters/COVID-19 Updates will be sent out more frequently as we gather current information. If there is anything we can do for you and your business, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Our Facebook Page will feature businesses who are adapting to online platforms or delivery services. To keep us informed, create a detailed post about your adapted services and be sure to tag us @ladysmithcofc before sharing the post to your Business Page. (If you have not already Liked and Followed our Page, you may need to do so in order to tag us.)
BC's Business Voice During COVID-19
PULSE-CHECK SURVEY SHOWS MANY B.C. BUSINESSES IN NEED OF LIFE SUPPORT
News release: @vlitwin says: "There’s no doubt governments want to find the right solution for businesses, but entrepreneurs are sending a clear message to Ottawa and Victoria: time is running out,"

The COVID-19 crisis is significantly hurting British Columbia businesses and their employees. In the past two weeks alone, approximately half of the 1,900 businesses surveyed have experienced revenue decreases of 75% or more, while two-thirds have seen revenues drop by 50% or more.
This is according to a survey of the members of the BC Chamber of Commerce and its regional chamber network, the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, and the Business Council of British Columbia, with the assistance of the Mustel Group. This is the first in a series of bi-weekly pulse checks using the BCMindReader.com platform.
The data paints an ominous picture of what businesses and workers are experiencing now and what they expect to face in the future:
UPDATES & RESOURCES REGARDING THE COVID-19
Canada Emergency Response Benefit
Applications to the Canada Emergency Response Benefit are now open. To make sure we can help you quickly, we’re asking you to apply on different weekdays depending on birth month.
Today is Monday - calling all those born in January, February, or March!
Find out more at  http://ow.ly/wJaB50z5IP5
Canadian Chamber of Commerce
Pandemic Preparedness Guide for Business

To help businesses prepare for and manage through a potential COVID-19 escalation in Canada, the Canadian Chamber has developed a brief guide source from a number of best practice documents and designed to assist business planning and continuity efforts.
Want to stay up-to-date on COVID-19?

Join our COVID-19 mailing list for key announcements, updates on the latest information and available resources and programs to support you and your business. This includes updates on the development of a comprehensive microsite that will serve as a central hub for information, tools, and engagement.
EMERGENCY SUPPORT ON ITS WAY FOR REGIONAL BUSINESSES
Urgent support for the region’s businesses affected by COVID-19 will soon be available through direct, one-on-one service delivery programs developed in collaboration with Island Coastal Economic Trust (ICET),  Tourism Vancouver Island (TVI) and  Innovation Island Technology Association (IITA).
With funding from ICET, two response programs have been set up with regional partners to help the tourism sector and other enterprises with rapid recovery in the face of economic and operational challenges.
Clarification on the 75% Wage Subsidy Program
The Canadian Government recently clarified a few points on the 75% wage subsidy. Here are some of the main points:
*    The purpose is to prevent future job losses and encourage employers to re-hire workers previously laid off
*    Eligible employers are proprietorships, corporations, partnerships, non-profits and registered charities
*    You need to have a decrease in revenue of at least 30% from the previous year's same month for the following periods:
Introducing the COVID-19 Relief Fund for small businesses

A message from Chris O'Riley, President & CEO of BC Hydro
The last month has been challenging. COVID-19 has meant many changes for us as individuals, and for our communities.
At BC Hydro, we recognize many of our small business customers are struggling, with some forced to close. We want to help.
This week, we introduced a COVID-19 Relief Fund to help our customers who have had to close their small business as a result of COVID-19.
The Relief Fund delivers support to you now, when you need it most
If your small business needed to close, the Relief Fund waives your electricity use charges.
·     Charges will be waived for up to three months.
·     You will not have to pay this back.
·     The application window opens soon, and you can apply until June 30, 2020.
All businesses are also eligible to defer payments or arrange a flexible payment plan to help pay their BC Hydro bills.
Destination BC & COVID-19: Response, Recovery & Resilience
Here are the highlights of some of the material on the Destination BC corporate website  that has been added and updated over the past week. They are continually adding a broad range of COVID-19 information and resources.  If you are only able to digest a few items this week, here are a few that you may want to include:
COVID-19: 7 steps to sustain your business through the disruption
You can follow these steps to rapidly forecast your cash flow

The COVID-19 pandemic is having widespread effects on businesses across the country. By mid-March, 73% of companies were already feeling the negative effect of the crisis, according to a BDC survey of over 600 Canadian entrepreneurs.
In times of crisis, cash becomes even more important than it usually is for a company.
Creating a detailed  continuity plan  and cash flow forecast will help you sustain ongoing operations, albeit at a lower capacity, and facilitate recovery once the crisis is over.
We have all been forced to adapt to what is going on, and we must work through this. We hope the following steps will give you the clarity you need to anticipate and respond on a day-to-day basis, allow you to control your cash flow, and establish operational resilience.
WEBINARS
Small Business BC 
Free COVID-19 Webinars from
Small Business BC
Time: 11:00am – 11:45am
Moderator: Tom Conway, CEO, Small Business BC
Every Monday we plan to host a digital meetup that will be a platform to hear from you – content covered will include:
  1. Introduction from Tom Conway, and any updates from Small Business BC
  2. We will then open the floor to participants on a first come first served basis, to talk through their experiences with COVID-19 and what their learning process has been.
You can attend the session via Webinar link or phone, which will be sent to you after registration.
Time: 11am

In this digital meetup we speak to Dana Gordon about the current difficulties businesses are having with Commercial lease and Contractual law. She outlines the approach businesses should have with these issues – content covered include:
  1. Common questions regarding Commercial Leases due to Covid-19
  2. Questions & answers for Dana
  3. Opportunity for other small businesses to share ways that they are finding creative solutions during these challenging times.
You can attend the session via Webinar link or phone, which will be sent to you after registration.
Time: 11am

In this digital meetup we speak to Iain Rogers, Founder of Entreflow, on how to pivot your business plan and manage your cash flow during this challenging time. Contents covered include:
  1. Common questions regarding Cash Flow and how to adapt your business due to Covid-19
  2. Questions & answers for Iain
  3. Opportunity for other small businesses to share ways that they are finding creative solutions during these challenging times.
You can attend the session via Webinar link or phone, which will be sent to you after registration.
Finding a New Normal: Leading Your Business Through Times of Uncertainty
If your business is now facing more uncertainty than ever, learn how to find a new normal and make sure you can make the transition well.
Finding a New Normal: Leading Your Business Through Times of Uncertainty Webinar:
Thursday, April 9, 2020
9:00 AM – 10:30 AM PDT

About this Event
With a pandemic at our door, navigating business in this amount of uncertainty requires an approach that includes a reset of your business plan. This session will help you find your new normal and make sure you can make the transition well.
This webinar will cover the critical steps required to respond to coronavirus and the recession.
Topics and discussion will include:
  • Cash flow and emergency response plans
  • Mapping your new normal
  • Developing your new plan
  • How to include your team
  • Getting help
THIS IS A VIRTUAL SESSION
An event link will be emailed to you 24 hours prior to the event.
Leading During a Crisis and Switching to Remote Work | Webinar
For many, the state of the workplace has changed dramatically due to the Covid-19 virus. And now more than ever, there is no responsibility more important in an organization than leading its people. Leaders will set the tone for how successfully teams are able to navigate this crisis. In these sessions, we will share best practices for leading through a crisis and managing a newly remote team.

On Tuesday, April 7 at 11 am CDT, join our webinar, Leading During a Crisis and Switching to Remote Work, hosted by our friends at Acuity HR Solutions. The webinar is open to everyone.
SHARE YOUR BUSINESS STATUS AND HOW YOU ARE ADAPTING YOUR SERVICES
Google My Business and TripAdvisor

Did you know that you can update your Google my Business listing to let your customers know about changes to your hours of operation? Check it out here.  https://support.google.com/business/answer/7342169#covidpost
Inform your Chamber of your business updates
Our Facebook Page will feature businesses who are adapting to online platforms or delivery services. To keep us informed, create a detailed post about your adapted services and be sure to tag us @ladysmithcofc before sharing the post to your Business Page. (If you have not already Liked and Followed our Page, you may need to do so in order to tag us.)
Ladysmith - Chemainus COVID-19 Forum
This group is for all residents and businesses of the #Ladysmith-#Chemainus area, to share questions and information linked to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Do you need help, or know of someone in our community that does? Are you feeling isolated and wish to connect and interact with your neighbors and local friends? Do you wish to extend your help and services to others in the Ladysmith-Chemainus area? Do you have useful information, or news related to your local business to share?

Please feel free to post here, and invite your friends to join the group. Let's be strong, support each other, and keep our community as safe and healthy as we possibly can!
Business Not As Usual Cowichan: New Facebook Group in Support of Local Business
Businesses across the Cowichan Valley Regional District are adapting their services in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, so the Duncan Chamber is hosting a new Facebook group to support local.

All businesses (Chamber Members and Non-Chamber Members) as well as residents of the Cowichan Valley, from the Malahat to Ladysmith (and communities in between) are welcome to join. (if you do not have a facebook account, please email us and we will post on your behalf)

NO COVID-19 NEWS: This group is not a platform for general information, updates, resources or dialogue pertaining to COVID-19. For this, they ask that you please refer to your Chamber's main Facebook page, or visit our COVID-19 Business Resource Directory page on our website
CHAMBER PARTNERSHIPS
The Ladysmith Chamber of Commerce is proud to work closely with the BC Chamber and local area Chambers
Ladysmith Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Centre
All upcoming events have been postponed until further notice.
In following the Minister of Health recommendation to practice Social Distancing and to do our part to flatten the curve and keep our team safe, we are primarily working from home. If you need to contact us by telephone, you can call 250-245.2112 (please try, where possible, to restrict your calls to regular business hours) or send an email
33 Roberts Street, PO Box 598 Ladysmith,
BC V9G1A4 Canada
250-245-2112