PW OPINION
PW NEWS
PW LIFE
PW ARTS
Bulletin Board By Paul Little
A MESSAGE FROM THE PASADENA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Coronavirus (COVID-19) is impacting our local businesses. You can help each other weather the outbreak — and maybe keep each other in business
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is having a negative impact on local businesses. Many are anticipating a significant drop in income over the next few weeks and some are even considering closing temporarily. (Which could also impact their workers’ income.) If you feel at all ill, please stay home. If you can, encourage your employees to work remotely and continue patronizing their favorite businesses. There are things you can do to help maintain income at your favorite restaurants: 1. Buy a gift card online. 2. Order food to pick up or have it delivered. Restaurants are already among the cleanest retail environments you can find. Currently, our local restaurateurs are doubling down on their cleaning and sanitizing efforts to ensure their customers are safe and their staff is protected. Likewise, our retailers are seeing a decline in business. You can support them even if you do not want to shop in person. Go to your favorite local retailers’ websites and buy a gift card that you can use later. Many local retailers also have online shopping portals. Order online and have your items delivered to your home or office. Many also offer a curbside pick-up service. Order and pay in advance and pick up your item at the curb. Publishers Weekly listed some things that can be done to support independent booksellers. A lot of these suggestions are true of every retailer, not just Vroman’s Bookstore and Whitmore Rare Books (https:// www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/columns-and-blogs/soapbox/ article/82668-10-ways-to-support-your-indie-bookstore-throughcoronavirus-and-beyond.html). Also seeing a drop in business are fitness and yoga studios. If you can purchase future sessions, reserve for a time in the future or buy that gift card. Fitness and yoga studios deal very closely with clients and are working hard to maintain a safe and healthy environment. Many of our small business members are very concerned that a prolonged period with little or no income could be devastating for them. As we hear information or become aware of potential resources, we will make that information available. If you have immediate needs, we may be able to find resources to help. Please contact us at the Chamber. If you have ideas on how the Chamber can help, or how policy changes could help your business (or someone else’s business) survive please let me know at paul@pasadena-chamber.org.
MORE CHAMBER NEWS Coronavirus: Local impacts, resources and information
We will update this post as new information becomes available. Please check back often for updates. We will post daily updates at https:// community.pasadena-chamber.org/ You must be a Chamber member to access the community pages and have signed up for the community forum page using your work email. • Many public events and acivities have been canceled or postponed, including performances at A Noise Within and Boston Court Pasadena, as well as The Pasadena Symphony. The Huntington Library, Art Museums and Botanical Garden has canceled public events but the gardens and facility remain open to the public. ArtCenter College of Design has canceled classes while Pasadena City College and Caltech have stopped holding in-person classes and are migrating instruction online. Disneyland will be closed through March. n Paul Little is CEO and president of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce.
03.19.20 | PASADENA WEEKLY 13
