March 21, 2020

CEO Message: COVID-19 Mitigation Efforts for Businesses

Dear Chamber Investors,

This week, as you all know, has been a challenging one. In response to COVID-19 mitigation efforts, both Texas Governor Abbott and Williamson County have taken steps to ask people not to gather in groups of ten or more, and most bars and restaurants are either closed or limited to take-out services only. Many other businesses and industries have been directly or indirectly impacted by these events as well.

First, on behalf of our board of directors, and our 810 business investors,  we want to share how concerned we are for you, the future of your business, your employees, and your families. We are committed to being innovative and acting as quickly as possible to establish needed programs, communicate current information, and be a gathering place for community leaders to build our future.

We have been in daily contact with community partners including the City of Round Rock, Williamson County, the Greater Round Rock Community Foundation, Workforce Solutions Rural Capitol Area, and many other regional Chambers and organizations. All are trying to share information and coordinate responses as quickly as we are able.

Our paramount focus right now is to help you be informed and know of options for assistance.

On our website, roundrockchamber.org, you can find a link to our resource listing page. Please check frequently as we can continuously added sites and information as it is available.

For job seekers or employers, Workforce Solutions Rural Capitol area is an excellent resource for connecting employers to job seekers in the area. You can find their information at workforcesolutionsrca.com.

The  Chamber’s Investor Connector email now is sent to multiple times a week to all investors and is shared in all online and social media locations. This is available to any Round Rock business and is NOT limited to Chamber investors only at this time. You can add your information here.

Last week, Texas Governor Abbott and the Small Business Association (SBA) announced that you can now apply online for SBA Disaster Loan Assistance.

You will need to create an account with the SBA.

We understand the process, and the information you may need to gather, can be a challenging for those not familiar with it. So we have some members of our staff assigned to advise you on what information you need to prepare and how to navigate the process. For help, please email our team at sbaloans@roundrockchamber.org and a member of our team will contact you.

*Please note: The Chamber does not give or approve loans, or determine loan terms, but we can advise you on what information to prepare and address questions you may have about the process. Whenever possible, we will also connect you with other organizations and resources to help you through the process.

Efforts are underway in Washington D.C.’s Phase 2 and Phase 3 COVID-19 response bills to streamline access to SBA loans as well.

If you are concerned about paying the utility bill for your business, no matter who your provider is, we encourage you to contact them. We have been advised that many utility providers can help you structure future payments to make your utility bill more manageable over time.

This week, please be on the lookout for a very brief survey. The Round Rock Chamber will issue a survey to our investors in an effort to better understand the impact to your business and develop future programs.

In closing, please know that there is an army of dedicated professionals in your city and county government doing all they can to continue services and provide for public safety. They are tireless in their efforts. We have been supporting them in any way we can.

These are unprecedented times, but so too is the response that Round Rock will have to the crisis. I believe we can rise to the occasion.

#TomorrowTogether

Jason

Contact Us. We’re Here to Help.

Get in touch with our team to learn more about how the Round Rock Chamber can help.