To further prevent spread, face coverings use will be required during interactions with wait staff and food service workers CHICAGO—The State of Illinois today announced revised guidelines for restaurants and bar establishments statewide to operate safely and help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Based on a recent increase in cases, these latest guidelines will require patrons to wear a mask during any interaction with wait staff, food service workers, and other employees at bars and restaurants. Face coverings must be worn over the nose and mouth when patrons are approached and served by staff, including but not limited to when employees take patrons’ orders, deliver food and beverages, and service tables. This guidance will also apply to other facilities with food services areas that are currently subject to the Restore Illinois guidance, such as indoor…
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Whether it be Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or another platform, social media marketing can be challenging and finding compelling visuals can be tough. Instead of focusing on business-related images, focus on images that will engage your audience. The reality is that posting about event registrations or making a sales pitch is unlikely to drive meaningful activity. Your audience is human and likely using these platforms on a personal level, so it’s not necessary to engage with them on a solely professional level. To drive interaction, pay attention to how you’re captioning your posts. Captions shouldn’t be an afterthought; they’re a prime opportunity to engage. When deciding if a caption “works,” start by asking yourself: How will my audience react to this content? Will they find it entertaining? How will it make them feel? A well-written caption…
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Whether you are working from home or at the office, after the last few months you may feel like your office needs a little organizing. De-cluttering and refreshing your workspace improves motivation and efficiency. Take a minute to check out your office for “curb appeal.” Does it say, “A professional accomplishes things here”? If not, follow these steps to solve the problem. Organize Your Office in 5 Minutes See which pens work and which are taking up drawer space. Also, ditch bent paper clips, loose staples, etc. Return borrowed items with a polite “Thank you.” Pitch outdated menus and offers. They’re unnecessary and probably available online. Get rid of that withering plant and the deflated birthday balloon. Are items you use most often within easy reach? Store items by whether they are used daily, weekly…
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The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is launching the first round of Business Interruption Grants (BIG) by providing $60 million to businesses experiencing losses or business interruption as a result of COVID-19 related closures. The BIG Program is available for up to 3,500 businesses that experienced a limited ability to operate due to COVID-19 related closures. DCEO will begin distributing funds to qualifying businesses in early July. The total program funding will amount to at least $540 million in grants for small businesses, $270 million of which has been set aside for childcare providers and is funded by the CARES Act. In the first wave of grants, priority will be given to small businesses that have been heavily restricted or completely shut down during the pandemic. Additional priority will be given to businesses located in…
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Dear Chamber Members: Our businesses need you. Our community has seen the crippling effects of COVID-19 on small businesses nationwide. Businesses have closed. Employees have been furloughed or laid off. Events have been canceled. Nonprofits, such as the Greater Belleville Chamber of Commerce, have been hit especially hard. The Chamber can work remotely, but it cannot disappear. Our businesses need the Chamber for information, resources, and connections to survive. The Chamber staff has continued to provide valuable services to our members in the virtual realm during the pandemic crisis with consistent, timely and pertinent governmental action updates, professional seminars, financial support opportunities, as well as quickly adapting the Chamber’s normal connections and networking opportunities to the shutdown environment. And yet, the Chamber has also been forced to cancel various events over the past four months….
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