ACCE Alert: March 24, 2020 - Chambers not Included in Latest Federal Stimulus Package; News from the Des Plaines Chamber on new state of Illinois Small Business Loan program: 3/24/20

Good morning #ChamberWorld! It's going to be a GREAT day!

I received this from Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) yesterday. It is very unsettling that chambers of commerce, the organizations doing so much are passed over in current legislation. If you have a chance to respond, please do. John

From ACCE: Act Now: Ensure Chambers are Included in Federal Stimulus Package

4:38 PM 3-23-20

Chambers Not Included in Latest Federal Stimulus Package – ACT NOW
Congress is debating a massive economic stimulus package. The current bill language includes "nonprofit organizations" as eligible for the $350 billion in support for small businesses, but they define nonprofits being included as exclusively 501(c)(3) groups. The package does not include 501(c)(6) organizations. Contact your elected officials and encourage them to ensure all associations are eligible for the emergency stimulus included in this package. We have been working with the American Society of Association Executives on this issue. You can use their platform to send a message. Whether sending email directly, or using this online platform, here is an updated message you can send that is specific to chambers of commerce. Act quickly as this is moving fast. Thank you!

ACCE website: ACCE


News from the Des Plaines Chamber on new state of Illinois Small Business Loan program: 3/24/20


We wanted to let you know about a small business loan program the State Treasurer's Office is launching in partnership with Illinois financial institutions to assist small businesses and non-profits impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Click Here to read the press release that was issued today and a two-page flyer describing the program, is summarized below.

Business Invest -- Illinois Small Business COVID-19 Relief Program

This is an impact investment loan program under which the State Treasurer would make up to $250 million in deposits available to financial institutions throughout the state, at near-zero rates, to assist Illinois small businesses and non-profits negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this program is to provide vital economic support to small businesses and non-profits to help overcome the loss of revenue they are experiencing. Through this program, the Treasurer's Office would partner with approved financial institutions to provide loans -- either lower rate loans, or loans to a business or non-profit that would not otherwise qualify -- to Illinois small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.  



·     State funds would be deposited with qualified financial institutions for a 1-year term at a near-zero deposit rate of 0.01%

·     Deposited funds would facilitate affordable loans (not to exceed 4.75%) to small businesses and non-profits that could be used to provide bridge funding, pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills

·     Deposits could be drawn in $1 million or $5 million increments, up to a maximum of $25 million per financial institution

·     Eligible Illinois businesses or non-profits must (1) have been shut down or limited due to COVID-19; (2) have less than $1 million in liquid assets or $8 million average annual receipts (per SBA standards); and (3) be headquartered in the State of Illinois or agree to use the funds in Illinois

·     Deposits would be renewable as determined by the Treasurer’s Office

·     Financial institutions would be required to provide reports to the Treasurer's Office regarding the usage of program funds, including the number and types of loans provided to small businesses and non-profits and the economic impact of such loans 

·      

For background, here is a link to the Treasurer's website that explains this program in greater detail: bit.ly/SmallBizRelief.

           

We will keep you updated with information as it becomes available. Please feel free to contact me if you have any specific questions or concerns. 

           

SIncerely,

Andrea Biwer

Des Plaines Chamber of Commerce

Virginia Peninsula Chamber: Top 9 Tips for Working Remotely

Are you new to working from home or working remote? Have you considered the challenges and special needs of your remote employees? With the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States, there are many people, new to telecommuting, who could use some tips and best practices.

I’m the author of, “Paradigm Flip: Leading People, Teams, and Organizations Beyond the Social Media Revolution”. I’ve spent 20 years leading global teams, comprised of many telecommuters and regularly work from home myself. This is a small contribution to help those new to this environment – and reminder to the rest – of best practices…

9 Tips for Working Remotely

1. Designate Space

You need a working space. Don’t sit in the middle of the living room, kitchen or anywhere else the rest of the family congregates. Whether you have roommates or live alone, choose a space with the fewest possible distractions. It may be a spare bedroom, dining room, or even a large closet – as long as it has power and ideally a door to close (see tip 2). If you don’t live alone, make sure your family or roommates know that when you are in your work space, you are working and interruptions should be avoided.

2. Close Doors

If you have roommates, the door is a great reminder you are busy. If you live alone, the door also keeps out background noises from appliances and neighbors. If you have kids, lock the door, otherwise you may end up like poor Professor Robert Kelly, who conducted a TV Interview when his kids burst into the room.

3. Use Headsets

Headsets are the best option for keeping your hands free to type. Most consumer grade speaker phones have major limitations that make it difficult for two-way conversations. This is especially true for the speaker feature on most mobile phones. The microphone often picks up your voice or background noise and disables the speaker, to avoid feedback. Therefore, you won’t hear others as they try to speak. As a result, other participants could perceive you as ignoring them. Professional speakerphones, like those you may have at the office, are fine.

4. Pause Often

If you are on a conference call, pause your speaking often and listen for comments from others. With in-person meetings, body language signals when someone has a thought to interject. You lose this signal when meeting over the phone.Therefore, don’t go on long monologues without pausing often and asking for feedback and insights from others.

5. Use Video

A major component of our communication is non-verbal. A sense of agreement or disagreement is easily seen in the posture and facial expressions when meeting in the same room. Over the phone, we lose this feedback. If you have the benefit of easily accessible video devices and bandwidth, as most knowledge workers in the US do, leverage that when working remotely. This has the additional benefit of creating a more team-like atmosphere.

6. Make Eye Contact

It amazes me this is not done more often. Try this with a friend: on a video call, have them speak to you while looking at your image on the screen. See how you feel and how you perceive their message. Next, have them speak to you while looking directly at the camera on their end. Now, see how you perceive the message. When the speaker looks into the camera, the recipients of the message see them looking into their eyes. When the speaker does not do this, they appear distracted and disinterested. It makes a huge difference. Look into the camera when speaking.

7. Work Online

There are many great tools for synchronizing your work online, so you can access it from any location with internet access. Some of the most popular tools today are Microsoft’s OneNote / Office 365 or Google’s G Suite and Google Drive. Slack is also a very popular tool for chatting and keeping notes in a shared repository.

8. Make Backups

Most employers automate backups of your computer while connected to the network. If you’re working from home, this probably is not happening automatically. Therefore, be sure to manually backup your work by using services like Office 365, Google Drive or your corporate office network, by logging into your Virtual Private Network (VPN). Contact your IT support team for assistance.

9. Focus Time

When you are working, work. When you are with your family, be with your family. Wherever you are, be present. The lines blur easily when working from home.  Studies prove that humans do not truly multi-task. Your family and friends, seeing you distracted by work, could perceive you as disinterested. So follow the tips above, have a space, close the door, and focus your energy based on where you are.

I hope these tips help anyone new to working remotely. If you have any questions or struggle with any of these ideas, email me. Stay healthy and make the best of this change in your work / life alignment.

Read more: ModernServantLeader.com

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Town Square Publications, a division of the Daily Herald Media Group, is a national chamber custom publishing group that specializes in developing partnerships by producing high-quality print and digitally integrated publications along with other added value programs dedicated to creating relevancy for local chambers of commerce and other membership focused organizations interested in raising non-dues revenues.

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Chambers of Commerce and member focused organizations serve as a valuable resource in the local marketplace. The networking opportunities and representation with a wide variety of diverse businesses in your community is the catalyst of a successful organization. For further information about Town Square's publishing partnership with chambers of commerce and our No-Cost guarantee and Earned Revenue Share Program, To request your chamber publication or map proposal, contact Town Square Chamber Proposal

Best,          

John Dussman

John Dussman | Chamber Partner – Town Square Publications

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