Chamber works to help county reopen safely

The Catoosa County Chamber of Commerce exists to promote business, with a special focus on local, small businesses. What does a Chamber do when a large portion of its members are forced to close their businesses due to a pandemic?

“Even though our offices have been closed to the public,” says Catoosa Chamber CEO Amy Jackson, “the Chamber staff has been working tirelessly to support local businesses in an ever-changing environment.”

Jackson says that, among other things, the Catoosa Chamber has been networking with other Chambers to share ideas and provide upto-date information on government programs and executive orders.

One especially useful project has been the creation of the website Catoosa.info, which was created in partnership with Keith Barclift of the Catoosa County Economic Development Authority.

Catoosa.info, says Jackson, “provides information for businesses about PPP (Paycheck Protection Program), EIDL (Economic Injury Disaster Loans), PUA (Pandemic Unemployment Assistance), and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp’s executive orders, as well as restaurant and business information guides for citizens.”

The first step the Chamber took when businesses were forced to close was to call all 400 of its members to see how they were doing. From there, says Jackson, it was a matter of adjusting to changing scenarios, including tornadoes that swept through the area in mid-april.

Businesses are now reopening and the Chamber is focusing on promoting them and helping them thrive.

Jackson says the Chamber has retooled its weekly email and social media “Chamber Business Blast” by featuring more businesses and waiving the usual advertising fee.

The Chamber has also been filming local business owners sharing their reopening stories, what they offer and how they’re working to keep the public and their employees safe as concerns about COVID-19 continue.

Elected officials are also a part of this social media campaign.

Here’s some more of how the Chamber has been helping businesses and the community throughout the past few months.

The Chamber has been promoting all Catoosa County businesses, not just Chamber members, on social media with their #shoplocal social media campaign and welcoming all business as they reopen.

The Chamber has been representing Catoosa County small businesses on weekly COVID-19 calls with Catoosa County Emergency Management and Catoosa County government.

The Chamber has been representing Catoosa County in regular Zoom calls with the Georgia and U.S. Chamber of Commerce that discuss the latest programs available to help small businesses with payroll and operating expense relief.

Chamber staff cut out fabric masks and volunteers sewed them; the Chamber has given away 300 masks and 200 more are almost ready to go.

Due to COVID-19, the Chamber couldn’t host a public candidate debate as was planned. Instead, Chamber CEO Amy Jackson conducted 17 candidate interviews that were recorded and played on UCTV and are available on the Chamber website https://www.catoosachamberofcommerce.com/. The project was sponsored by Chamber member MEDSTAT Supplies.

The Chamber arranged to facilitate the Catoosa Mobile Food Pantry at The Colonnade on May 29th from 10am to 12 noon.

Even though our offices have been closed to the public, the Chamber staff has been working tirelessly to support local businesses in an ever-changing environment.”

CHAMBER,