The Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce has taken precautions in limiting physical contact with community members while continuing to lend support to businesses in time of COVID-19, according to Chamber President Robert Agrusa.
The Chamber office will continue to remain fully operational, limiting walk-ins to the office through March 30 and limiting the use of the Chamber’s conference room. The Chamber will serve community members via telephone and email.
The Chamber has postponed all of its events including Breakfast & Learn – Morning Mingles, Business After Hours, committee meetings for the time being.
If ever the Chamber must further modify its operations or temporarily close its office, the Chamber staff can work remotely with access to documents and systems in a secure environment. The organization is also working on new virtual networking and educational opportunities, which it will announce soon.
Local businesses need help
Recognizing that local businesses have run into difficulty because of the pandemic, the Chamber gave encouraging advice and tips for how the community can support business owners and how businesses could keep their head above water.
- The Chamber provided a list of Apopka restaurants on its website that customers can order from. Customers are encouraged to use #takeoutapopka on social media to show support for restaurants.
- Businesses that suffered economic harm as a result of the coronavirus in Florida can participate in the official Emergency Business Damage Assessment Survey, found at www.floridadisaster.biz/businessdamageassessments. Governor Ron DeSantis launched the survey on Friday, March 13.
- Qualified small business applicants for the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program are eligible up to $50,000 and loans of up to $100,000, may be made in special cases as warranted by the need of the eligible small business. To apply for the loan, visit www.floridadisasterloan.org.
- The U.S. Small Business Administration has begun to provide low-interest Disaster Assistance Loans to help businesses and homeowners recover from declared disasters. To apply for a SBA Disaster Assistance Loan, visit www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance.
For the latest on COVID-19 from the Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce, visit www.apopkachamber.org/covid-19-updates-resource-center.
