June 2020 Newsletter excerpt 

Every business is NOW OPEN in our community. In honor of this positive step toward economic recovery we are declaring this to be business appreciation month. Our businesses have stayed positive through the various stages of the COVID19 crisis and finally they are open. What does that mean? It means that is time for all of us to get out and show how thankful we are they have survived by shopping local. Make appointments with your doctor, dentist, orthodontists, etc that you have been putting off this spring. Get yourself back on track just like our businesses are. Do some shopping for yourself and loved ones and enjoy getting out and about.

What has the Evergreen Chamber been doing to help get business up and running? In the past month we have worked with the county not only to ease restrictions on businesses but to successfully apply for a variance with the state to increase the amount of customers our businesses can serve. We also worked with the county to set up a small business grant program that offers money to our local small businesses to get them through this last phase of reopening. We have provided lots of free marketing and exposure to all to make sure our community knows they are open. We have continuously updated our website with the resources from the federal, state and county levels leaders that business needs to navigate the complicated waters of re-engagement following a global pandemic.

How can you appreciate business? Get back in the habit of stopping into stores and saying hello to the owners. Our restaurants are all open and following the social distancing guidelines provided by the state. Think about asking a friend to meet for coffee or lunch. Heading back to our restaurants will seem weird at first and all of us will do it when ready. When you are ready, think about how great it will be to have someone cook for you, serve you and do the dishes! We have all come through this together and it is time to pamper ourselves, relax and enjoy the great outdoors.

Speaking of the great outdoors, Governor Polis has encouraged people to get outside and play. What that means for our mountain community is that more tourists will be here enjoying what we all know as some of the best scenery around. We all will need to be patient with visitors and have an awareness that parking on the weekends will be a challenge for residents but it is an opportunity for businesses to receive more customers that can help sales during this phase of recovery. Remember, it is business appreciation month. We need to work together to encourage shopping, eating and playing in our mountain community. We have the flexibility to shop and eat whenever we want and business needs the revenue. If you happen upon a visitor to our community please tell them about your favorite place and give them the directions to get there.

What about nonprofit businesses? How can we as a community show our appreciation when all summer events are cancelled because of the need for limiting the size of social gatherings? These events typically raise thousands of dollars for our nonprofits and now they are raising zero. Show your appreciation by making a donation to the organizations who run your favorite summer events. Even just the cost of a ticket makes a difference. Do you miss theater performances? Go to your favorite theater site and make a donation in the amount of a ticket. Any size donation helps and lets your favorite organizations know that you appreciate them.

Again as always, on behalf of our business community I would like to say thank you. Thank you for social distancing and wearing masks when appropriate in respect of those around you. Thank you for supporting local nonprofits, merchants, spas, restaurants, gyms and services. Together we can make business appreciation month a success for all!

Betsy Hays, President & CEO
Evergreen Chamber
(303) 674-3412 | EvergreenChamber.org