By John Safin, President/CEO, Southwest Valley Chamber of Commerce
Hang in there! We spent the first six months adapting to dramatic changes. Now, we work to address reopening and bring some normalcy to our lives. You can do it! Because of that attitude inside each of us, I refuse to use the news media's jargon phrase “new normal.” It's a ridiculous concept to push on society. Did we think that way when the microwave oven entered our lives or everyone had to strip down to board an airplane? No, we didn't say that. We simply changed because change is part of Life. Incidentally, isolation has been the “new normal” for a third of the year. How you feel about that?
When all this started, the Southwest Valley Chamber of Commerce stayed true to its mission. We responded to ensure business and our community had guidance, resources, and support to persevere through the difficult and challenging times.
As our community begins to reopen, at whatever pace that might be, there will be more challenges. The Chamber of Commerce will continue to be a reliable resource for everyone as we rebuild our economy.
I have faith we will be better than we were before this began. I’m not only speaking about our economy, but us as a community. I've heard the stories of neighbors helping each other; people who have never met coming together to support a person, family, or business in need; and the acts of kindness freely given each day. The other morning I stopped for gas and a cup of coffee. The customer at the counter appeared to be buying his supplies for a hard day's work. He paused, told the cashier he was short a couple bucks, and looked to see what he could leave off his order. I was third in line and before I could get to the counter to help both people in front of me had dug into their pockets and covered the necessary balance. Three strangers ready to help another stranger in need. THAT is one example of why my faith in our community is strong, decent, and willing to be a community.
Sadly, there have been people and businesses not so fortunate. As much as I believe there is a solution for every problem, sometimes solutions don’t show up fast enough. Are you able and ready to help? There are hundreds of charities that can use cash and material donations and volunteers. You'll find many listed in the Chamber's business directory.
It's still a great idea to continue purchasing good and services from the companies that you used in the past. Keeps your business moving, helps to ensure your sources for supplies will continue to be around, and helps our local economy. As a business owner, you might not have a need to buy supplies or services at the moment. Take a few minutes to contact the vendors you use to see how they’re doing. It keeps your relationship active. Might even give a morale boost to hear a friendly voice. This is also a good time to start increasing your company’s name recognition and expanding your reach into new markets.
Our best solution for recovery will be for Arizonans to have honest, reliable information from government officials and the news organizations. This will help us make the best decisions for our families, our businesses, and our community.
Stay safe – stay healthy – let’s make it a great day!
Hang in there! We spent the first six months adapting to dramatic changes. Now, we work to address reopening and bring some normalcy to our lives. You can do it! Because of that attitude inside each of us, I refuse to use the news media's jargon phrase “new normal.” It's a ridiculous concept to push on society. Did we think that way when the microwave oven entered our lives or everyone had to strip down to board an airplane? No, we didn't say that. We simply changed because change is part of Life. Incidentally, isolation has been the “new normal” for a third of the year. How you feel about that?
When all this started, the Southwest Valley Chamber of Commerce stayed true to its mission. We responded to ensure business and our community had guidance, resources, and support to persevere through the difficult and challenging times.
As our community begins to reopen, at whatever pace that might be, there will be more challenges. The Chamber of Commerce will continue to be a reliable resource for everyone as we rebuild our economy.
I have faith we will be better than we were before this began. I’m not only speaking about our economy, but us as a community. I've heard the stories of neighbors helping each other; people who have never met coming together to support a person, family, or business in need; and the acts of kindness freely given each day. The other morning I stopped for gas and a cup of coffee. The customer at the counter appeared to be buying his supplies for a hard day's work. He paused, told the cashier he was short a couple bucks, and looked to see what he could leave off his order. I was third in line and before I could get to the counter to help both people in front of me had dug into their pockets and covered the necessary balance. Three strangers ready to help another stranger in need. THAT is one example of why my faith in our community is strong, decent, and willing to be a community.
Sadly, there have been people and businesses not so fortunate. As much as I believe there is a solution for every problem, sometimes solutions don’t show up fast enough. Are you able and ready to help? There are hundreds of charities that can use cash and material donations and volunteers. You'll find many listed in the Chamber's business directory.
It's still a great idea to continue purchasing good and services from the companies that you used in the past. Keeps your business moving, helps to ensure your sources for supplies will continue to be around, and helps our local economy. As a business owner, you might not have a need to buy supplies or services at the moment. Take a few minutes to contact the vendors you use to see how they’re doing. It keeps your relationship active. Might even give a morale boost to hear a friendly voice. This is also a good time to start increasing your company’s name recognition and expanding your reach into new markets.
Our best solution for recovery will be for Arizonans to have honest, reliable information from government officials and the news organizations. This will help us make the best decisions for our families, our businesses, and our community.
Stay safe – stay healthy – let’s make it a great day!
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