TVRC Chamber News: The Voice of Business & Industry

APRIL 2020

Chamber News THE VOICE OF BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

SPECIAL SECTION:

STRONGER TOGETHER Rallying the Resources

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chair Tracy Vosika George Mason Mortgage, LLC Chair-Elect John Fox Greenwood Grocery & Deli Vice Chair Scott Harvard First Bank Treasurer Adrian Taylor YHB Immediate Past Chair John Lamanna Timber Ridge School BOARD OF DIRECTORS

DEPARTMENTS

FEATURES

04 | Letter from CEO

08 | Resource Guide

Susan Brooks Navy Federal Credit Union Emily Burner Shenandoah University

04 | New Members

Charles Daniels Integrus Holdings, Inc.

05 | Good News

Jenny Grooms WMC Foundation Jim Guisewhite Sperry Van Ness

Top of Virginia Regional Chamber Sponsors

Chamber Elite

Kevin McKannan Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Walsh, P.C. Katrina Meade City National Bank

Chairman’s Club

Nadine Pottinga United Way NSV

President’s Club

Patti Solenberger Solenberger’s True Value Hardware James Stewart Grafton Integrated Health Gregory Vossler Green Bay Packaging

Letter From CEO

CHAMBER STAFF

#TOVOpen4Biz

Cynthia Schneider, CEO Yes, the Top of Virginia is open for business. cschneider@regionalchamber.biz How we do business may look different but the community spirit and ingenuity that defines us has never been more evident! Many of our businesses, Billy Whirley with both caution and flexibility, continue to produce supplies and provide Director, Membership essential services to our region and the world. Still others of our business Development leaders have had to make the difficult decision to pause their operations and bwhirley@regionalchamber.biz this could have significant impact on the vibrancy of our region in the future. Dan Hitchcock Please, choose to focus your resources in support of our local businesses. Membership Development Every contribution, no matter the size, will multiply with great effect! Specialist In this issue you will find information on available resources on how to not dhitchcock@regionalchamber.biz only survive but thrive, even in this unprecedented time. Whether you are managing a business or a household (or both) you are being faced with potenAshley Miller tially life changing decisions. As I reflect on previous storms I’ve weathered, times when I could Director, Marketing & only see a pinhole of light on the horizon, a few lessons came to mind. Communications • Keep your eyes looking up and your heart open to HOPE. amiller@regionalchamber.biz • Be committed to moving forward, even if it means reinventing yourself or your business model. Danita Roble • Embrace change and allow new opportunities to be birthed. Director, Event Management • Work hard, and work as a team, understanding that this may require sacrifice. droble@regionalchamber.biz • Maintain open & honest communication with vendors and customers. • Keep paying something (even if all you can manage is $5.00) to keep good faith flowing. Jody Wall • Reach out for help and to help others. Many hands lighten the load. Director, Program • As a community, we are walking through a season unlike any we’ve seen before. I remain Development hopeful that our collective resiliency will help to sustain us. jwall@regionalchamber.biz We truly are Stronger Together! Cynthia Schneider | CEO Top of Virginia Regional Chamber

UPCOMING EVENTS The full TVRC calendar can be viewed at regionalchamber.biz

Welcome

New Members Highland Food Pantry Capital Caring Health

VIRTUAL BUSINESS AFTER HOURS Tues. April 14

VIRTUAL BUSINESS & BREAKFAST Tues. April 21

VIRTUAL MARKETING MIND SHARE Wed. April 22

Thanks to our new members who joined the Chamber between March 1 and March 27. To learn more about membership benefits, call 540-662-4118.

407 S. Loudoun Street Winchester, VA 22601 540-662-4118 regionalchamber.biz OUR VISION Be the voice of business for Frederick & Clarke Counties and the City of Winchester, Virginia. OUR MISSION Provide programs and services to meet the business and professional needs of our members. OUR PURPOSE Connect business and community resources for mutual success.

TVRC GOOD NEWS

Member’s of TVRC’s SING (Senior Interest Network Group Lead Share) answered the call for donations requested by the Shenandoah Area Agency on Aging. Volunteers across the Top of Virginia provided face masks to Blue Ridge Hospice, so each clinical staff member would have more than one to wear during their daily patient care.

Member Salvation Army Winchester VA with the help of Anthony’s Pizza provided meals to over 70 people. We continue to be inspired by the kindness in our great community.

A resource guide for Top of Virginia businesses and community during the COVID-19 pandemic By CHAMBER STAFF The COVID-19 pandemic has left businesses feeling the pain of life under social distancing, marked by the loss of customers and the unforeseen future. But businesses, nonprofits and the Top of Virginia Regional Chamber are working to help companies and the greater community with such things as loans, employment and food recourses. Over the past few weeks the Top of Virginia Regional Chamber has compiled resources for our members and their employees on the Coronavirus pandemic response. We know that during times like these, often community businesses and leaders look to the Chamber of Commerce for leadership and support. We know that this is a difficult time as the COVID-19 virus continues to have a dramatic impact on business. The Top of Virginia Regional Chamber is open for business because our members

are open for business. We are continuing to find solutions for all your business needs. In the first week of the pandemic, we introduced #TOVOpen4Biz on our social media platforms to create a sense of community in the Top of Virginia and amongst businesses. We also opened three public groups, “Top of Virginia Take Out and Delivery Options”, “Top of Virginia Job Opportunities” and “Good News in the Top of Virginia”. All the groups have reached a wide number of community members in Clarke and Frederick Counties, and the City of Winchester. Each and every day, the Chamber staff and our community parters are committed to serving our members and greater community during this pandemic. Throughout this special section, known as “Rallying the Resources” you will find resources from the Lord Fairfax Small

Business Development Center, Virginia Employment Commission and our local Economic Development Administrations. You will also find tips on Working From Home, How to Work on Your Business When You Can’t Work in your Business and tips for mental health. And lastly, a list of vital resources on the local, state and federal levels to allow you to connect with your local community quickly. It is important to understand that these resources will change on a daily basis. In the weeks to come, we encourage you to continue to visit our website, www.regionalchamber.biz for up to date, trustworthy information and resources and to engage with us on social media. The Top of Virginia and the nation will emerge from this coronavirus pandemic stronger.

Table of Contents Pg. 7: Local, State and Federal Contacts Pg. 8: Working from Home Tips Pg. 8: Work on your Biz, When you aren’t at your Biz Pg. 9 Connect with LFSBDC Pg 10. Connect with EDA’s Pg 12: Connect with VEC Pg. 13: Self Care Actions Pg. 13: Sinclair Clinic Pg 14: Delivery & Take Out Options Pg 15: Employment Opportunities

Rallying the

Resources By CHAMBER STAFF

As COVID-19 Coronavirus continues to spread globally, impacting commerce and communities, we are monitoring the situation and want to provide useful tools and resources to you.

Helpful Information for Businesses: Top of Virginia Regional Chamber | 540-662-4118 | regionalchamber.biz SBA Small Business Administration | 800-877-8339 | www.sba.gov Lord Fairfax Small Business Development Center | 540-868-7093 | www.lfsbdc.org Virginia Chamber | 804-644-1607 | www.vachamber.com U.S. Chamber | 202-659-6000 | www.uschamber.com Governor Ralph Northam | 804-786-2211 | www.governor.virginia.gov National Business Emergency Operations Center | www.fema.gov Virginia Small Business Finance Authority | 804-786-6585 | www.sbdc.virginia.gov Virginia Employment Commission | 866-832-2363 | www.vec.virginia.gov

How You Can Help: Bright Futures | Due to school closure, Bright Futures is urgently seeking donations for their breakfast and lunch bags for over 900 students. Monetary dontations can be made via MySchoolBucks at https://bit.ly/BFmonetarygift. United Way NSV | United Way NSV and Valley Assistance Network (VAN) are closely monitoring the COVID-19 virus and the impact it is having on the Top of Virginia region Highland Food Pantry | 540-533-0347 | highlandpantrywinc.org Valley Makers Association | valleymakers.com

Local Government: Clarke County | 540-955-5100 | clarkecounty.gov Frederick County | 540-665-5600 | fcva.us City of Winchester | 540-667-1815 | winchesterva.gov

What is COVID-19?

COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, tiredness, and dry cough. Some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhea. These symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually. Some people become infected but don’t develop any symptoms and don’t feel unwell. Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing special treatment. Around 1 out of every 6 people who gets COVID-19 becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, are more likely to develop serious illness. People with fever, cough and difficulty breathing should seek medical attention. (Provided by the World Health Organization).

Symptoms of COVID-19 Reported illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death for confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases. These symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure (based on the incubation period of MERS-CoV viruses). • Fever • Cough • Shortness of breath If you develop emergency warning signs for COVID-19 get medical attention immediately. Emergency warning signs include*: • Trouble breathing • Persistent pain or pressure in the chest • New confusion or inability to arouse • Bluish lips or face

New to Working from Home? Here’s what you should know By CHAMBER STAFF

Tips you need to work from your new office; whether it’s your kitchen or your couch while participating in social distancing. 1. Maintain Regular Hours: Set a schedule, and stick to it. Having clear guidelines for when to work and when to call it a day helps many remote workers maintain work-life balance. That said, one of the benefits of remote work is flexibility, and sometimes you need to extend your day or start early to accommodate someone else’s time zone. When you do, be sure to wrap up earlier than usual or sleep in a bit the next morning to make up for it. 2. Create a Morning Routine: Deciding you’ll sit down at your desk and start work at a certain time is one thing. Creating a routine that guides you into the chair is another. Shower, dress, grab coffee. Or exercise, shower, breakfast, coffee. 3. Set Ground Rules with the People in Your Space: Set ground rules and boundaries with other people in your home or who share your space for when you work. 4. Schedule Breaks: Know your company’s policy on break times and take them. If you’re self-employed, give yourself adequate time during the day to walk away from the computer screen and phone. 5. Take Breaks in Their Entirety: Don’t shortchange yourself during breaks, especially your lunch hour. You can use an app, such as TimeOut for Mac and Smart Break for Windows,

to lock yourself out of your computer for 60 minutes. Or you can just launch a simple clock or timer on the screen when you take a break. If you return to your desk after only 40 minutes, walk away for another 20. 6. Socialize With Colleagues: Loneliness, disconnect, and isolation are common problems in remote work life, especially for extroverts. Companies with a remote work culture usually offer ways to socialize. For example, Skype, Zoom, Google Messaging or even Facetime. 7. Overcommunicate: Working remotely requires you to overcommunicate. Tell everyone who needs to know about your schedule and availability often. When you finish a project or important task, say so. Overcommunicating doesn’t necessarily mean you have to write a five-paragraph essay to explain your every move. If you can use a shared calendar that works as well. 8. Be Positive: When you work remotely full-time, you must be positive, to the point where it may feel like you’re being overly positive. Otherwise, you risk sounding like a jerk. It’s unfortunate, but true. So embrace the exclamation point! Find your favorite emoji :D. You’re going to need them. 9. Don’t Be Too Hard on Yourself: The most successful remote employees have a reputation for being extremely disciplined. After all, it takes serious focus to do any full-time office job from an unconventional space. That said, everyone lets their attention drift sometimes. If you find yourself working one minute and booking flights for your upcoming vacation the next, don’t reprimand yourself too harshly. Instead, ask yourself whether people in an office setting do the same thing. If the answer is yes, cut yourself some slack, then get back to work. 10. End Your Day With a Routine: Just as you should start your day with a routine, create a habit that signals the close of the workday. It might be a sign off on a business messaging app, an evening dog walk, or a 6 p.m. yoga class. Something as simple as shutting down your computer and turning on a favorite podcast will do. Whatever you choose, do it consistently to mark the end of working hours.

Work On Your Business When You Can’t Work In Your Business Strategies to Help Your Business in the Wake of Social Distancing By CHAMBER STAFF The country recommended people stay in their homes; airlines are grounding flights, the state has implemented shutdowns on schools and entire industries. Your customers are being told to only leave for necessities; your employees are working from home, and you’re looking around an expanse of open space in what used to be a bustling business. What do you do when you can no longer function as the business you’ve always been? Use this time to work on your business, not in it. • Professional Development – Learn more about your industry, growing a business and how to lead. • Update your skillset- Update or learn something new. • Implement Systems – Systems can be great for your business. They help you to respond faster, not have to duplicate processing over and over, batch tasks and can help you run more efficiently. • Tackle that project you’ve been avoiding. • Review resources – Check out what resources may be available to you. Maybe there are grants or opportunities available to you. • Find a Mentor – It’s nice to get the perspective of someone who’s been there. And while you’ll probably be bereft of finding someone who’s gone through this exactly; you can certainly find someone who has weathered storms before. • Speak up - Keep communications with your customers and supporters and other businesses. • Support Others - Reach out to your local nonprofit or check-in with at-risk populations in your community if you have something to offer.

Self-Care Actions Self-care is essential It requires thought and commitment. Make a plan to take care of and protect yourself by getting back to some of the fundamentals tied to wellness. By CHAMBER STAFF In addition to getting enough sleep, exercising, and eating well, here are some other self-care tips to practice: • Try a wellness app (meditation, mindfulness). • Be in the NOW. (when our minds wander and fear sets in, return to the present). • Practice positive self-talk. “This is temporary.” Acknowledge that while we are in limbo, it will not go on forever. “You will adjust, you will heal, and we will recover.” • Embrace positive distractions: binge a TV show, listen to music, flip through a magazine. • Don’t become a media junkie. It fuels the anxiety with no benefit. Turn it off! • Try to avoid speculation and look up reputable sources on the outbreak • Connect with others through technology. Call, text, use FaceTime! • Take breaks throughout the day. Contact the Concern Hotline, 540-667-00145 if you need to talk.

#TOVOpen4Biz Restaurants open for delivery or curb side pick-up By CHAMBER STAFF 50/50 Taphouse 540-773-4986 | 5050taphouse.com Benny Meleto’s Pizza 540-323-7036 | facebook.com/bennymeletos Bonnie Blue 540-686-7490 | bonniebluebbq.net Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar 540-723-6900 | buffalowildwings.com Brewbakers Restaurant 540-535-0111 | brewbakersrestaurant.com Cafe’ Del Sol Winchester 540-535-2274 | delsolcafes.com Carrabba’s Italian Grill 540-868-7665 | carrabbas.com Cork Street Tavern 540-667-3777 | fcorkstreettavern.com Crash Test Yummies 540-773-4218 | crashtestyummies.com Fellowship of the Sip 540-699-0777 | fellowshipofthesip.us/ Firefly Cafe & Bakery 540-450-8544 | fireflycafebakery.com Firenza Pizza 540-686-7742 | firenzapizzawinchester.com George’s Food & Spirits 540-678-4700 | georgesfoodandspirits.com Harvest Food Healthy Living 540-678-8872 | facebook.com/ShopHarvestMoon/ Honey Baked Ham Co. & Cafe 540-535-0060 | honeybaked.com Horsehoe Curve Restaurant 540-554-8297 | facebook.com/Horseshoecurve Houlihan’s 540-631-3045 | https://www.facebook.com/HoulihansFrontRoyal James Charles Winery & Vineyard 540-931-4386 | facebook.com/jcwines Jersey Mike’s Subs 540-773-0100 | jerseymikes.com Jimmy Johns 540-722-4091 | jimmyjohns.com

L’ Auberge Provencale 540-837-1375 | tinyurl.com/shexfd7 Los Toltecos 540-665-0088 | lostoltecosrestaurant.com Manolete’s Taqueria Gourmet 540-431-5435 | facebook.com/manoletestaqueria Moe’s Southwest 540-313-4120 | moes.com Murphy Beverage Company 540-723-9719 | facebook.com/MurphyBeverage/ Nibblins 540-535-0787 | nibblins.com/ Oak Stone Pizza 540-450-5252 | facebook.com/oakstonepizza Paladin Bar & Grill 540-431-5253 | paladinbarandgrill.com Perkin’s Restaurant & Bakery 540-678-4015 | perkinsrestaurants.com Pizza Hut 540-722-2111 | pizzahut.com Pizzoco Pizza 540-323-7517 | pizzoco.com Popeyes 540-723-8822 | 540431-5253 Presto Dinners 540-277-2103 | prestodinners.com R Roots Catering 540-313-4769 | rrootscatering.com Roma’s Old Town 540-667-2743 | facebook.com/RomaWoodFired Roma’s Stephens City 540-869-5200 | facebook.com/romacasualstephenscity Roma’s On the Go 540-662-7662 | myromaonthego.com Santmier Catering 540-935-3983 | facebook.com/santmiercatering/

Sexi Mexi 540-773-8521 | facebook.com/SexiMexiBurritos/ Shaffer’s BBQ & Market 540-508-4274 | shaffersbbq.com/menu Shawnee Springs Market 540-888-3429 | shawneesprings.com T Bone’s Bar & Grill 540-323-7245 | facebook.com/Tbonesbarandgrill/ Taqueria Guadalajara 540-450-8360 | guadalajarava.com TGI Fridays 540-722-3059 | facebook.com/TGIFridaysWinchester The Mac Shack Express 540-327-9348 | Macshackexpress@icloud. com Violino Ristorante Italiano 540-667-8006 | violinorestaurant.com Water Street Kitchen 540-313-4680 | waterstkitchen.com West Oaks Farm Market 540-539-8175 | facebook.com/westoaksfarmmarket/ Winchester Brew Works 540-692-9242 | winchesterbrewworks.com Wok Zone 540-508-0062 | facebook.com/wokzone/

Disclaimer: This list was created through a call to action to the community when the COVID-19 outbreak began. It is not a full listing of restaurants in the City of Winchester, Frederick or Clarke counties. View the full document at shorturl.at/etIP5. Photos courtesy of Water Street Kitchen and Bonnie Blue.

Member

Congratulations to our renewing members! We greatly appreciate your continued support and involvement.

Renewals • • • • • • • • • • •

Clarke County Education Foundation Fair Ways for Youth, Inc. Highland Food Pantry Alzheimer’s Association BlackWater Designer Concrete Coatings LLC Blue Ridge Association of REALTORS Blue Ridge Insurance Agency Bridgeforth Photographics Cardinal Technology Solutions, Inc East Coast Gymnastics and Cheer Merry Maids

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Walter & Walter Insurance Agency, Inc. WECI, Inc. Capital Caring Health Foreman Builders, Inc. Rhythm Studio and Dance Wear AirPac, Inc. BK Connected Solutions Budget Blinds of Winchester Staples Compass West Realty, LLC Costco Wholesale Grafton Integrated Health Network

MEMBER NEWS & BUSINESS AGENDA UPDATES • During this period of time Josh Morris is providing a complimentary personal and business planning review. This will include but is not limited to an overall financial and goal planning review. • Dr. Dave Leadership Corp. is now offering its workshops & programs online via Zoom for your leaders, teams, & staff. Also offering help for your large-scale remote meeting facilitation needs. • Lord Fairfax SBDC and TVRC have partnered to bring you Brew N Business & Business and Brews this month. We are seeking businesses who are willing to present a business “problatunity”. Please contact Ashley Miller if your business is interested in this opportunity.

TVRC Chamber News: The Voice of Business & Industry | April 2020