Blog: Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber Providing Resources and News for Our Members and Community

On May 15. Governor Larry Hogan moved the State into stage one of the ‘Maryland Strong: Roadmap to Recovery’, with the state moving from a Stay at Home order to a Safer at Home public health advisory, and gradual reopening’s of retail, manufacturing, houses of worship, and some personal services. Although the Governor has amended the State’s Stay-at-Home, Montgomery County has not. All restrictions still apply within Montgomery County until further notice. So, what’s next?

The coronavirus pandemic is having a severe impact on small businesses nationwide and at home. Numerous entrepreneurs’ businesses, and restaurants, have been forced to either close their doors or make significant changes in how they operate.

Businesses impacted by the pandemic are focused on what’s happening right now and trying to figure out what’s next too.

It is our mission to serve the needs of the business community and at times such as this, it’s more important than ever that we stand ready to help where we can. We understand the stress and anxiety that this pandemic has placed on everyone, and if we can lighten that load, we’re going to do that.

First and foremost, we are an advocate for our businesses to ensure they are ready and can receive any financial resources as they become available. We know that it is crucial to reach out to our business community with the most up to date information possible to they can make informed decisions during this time of crisis.

But now, more than ever, the Coronavirus presents a time where we need to be our strongest. We have been and will continue to step forward to help business owners figure out ways to survive the COVID-19 situation.

We worked with various levels of the Federal, State, and County government to identify the financial aid options coming available. The Chamber created a COVID-19 Resource Package webpage where businesses could get the latest, verified information about funding, as well as steps to take to protect themselves, their employees and their customers.

With so much information coming out so quickly, it can be daunting to get the right answers for your business. That’s why we created the COVID-19 Resource Guide on our website, to provide a verified, reliable source of information for your businesses to go to when you have questions. The myriad of information is available in a clear, concise way

Feel free to visit our Economic Recovery Resource or COVID-19 Resource page anytime.

Please know the information we provide is from trusted sources. Our goal is to be able to give you a sense of calm amid the storm and arm you with information you can trust. We are a partner for you.

We’ve also been utilizing Zoom meetings much like everyone else and will most likely utilize this tool going forward to provide our members with more educational options and business networking opportunities.

We understand that at a time like this, things don’t always move as quickly as we’d like, but that we will try our best to make sure you get the information you need when you need it. We also want to encourage our community to be gracious and kind, reach out to help where possible (at a safe distance).

If we can be of assistance to you, please reach out to us at info@ggchamber.org. We’re in this together! #ChamberStrong #MarylandStrong

About Laura Rowles

Laura authors the blog Your Success is Our Business on MyMCMedia. Laura is the Director of Events & Marketing for the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce - a member-based organization of businesses that have joined together for the purpose of promoting the civic, commercial and industrial progress in our communities. The area's economic well-being is a result of the caliber of work that is done by the Chamber. The Chamber has a major impact on business, income and future growth of the area. My position at the Chamber - Director of Events & Marketing - affords me the opportunity to plan quality events for our Members and market the Chamber is a variety of avenues. At the GGCC, we typically have around 30 events each year including: breakfasts, lunches, after-five's, ribbon cuttings and special events. The consensus is we have high quality events with good energy. In 2012, we had over 2,040 people visit our events. Most our events are free to Members so securing sponsorships for all events. Additionally, I am responsible for planning networking, overseeing the budget and marketing of all events in order to make them successful. Lastly, I coordinate all marketing and communication efforts of the GGCC including weekly email blasts, its quarterly newsletter, all social media platforms, media relations and community outreach.

View all posts by Laura Rowles