It may be difficult to recall in today’s environment, but pre-pandemic business was far from simple. Almost all organizations faced myriad challenges in terms of fierce competition, discriminating customers, longer sales cycles, and difficulty in differentiating their offerings, which were all compounded by tremendous advances in technology and a demand for greater transparency. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, these business …

For most, recent weeks have been a fog where awkward distancing, conference calls, and decisions-on-the-fly have run together with seemingly no end in sight. As business leaders, we’ve reacted quickly to challenges and made decisions in a period of hours or days that, in pre-pandemic days, we would have analyzed and deliberated for weeks or months before making a move. …

It’s difficult to imagine a topic more top-of-mind with business owners and executives today than revenue and, more specifically, capitalizing on credits provided by our Federal and State governments. Chief among these opportunities is the CARES Act that provides assistance to employers who have experienced significant declines in revenue due to COVID-19. On its surface the CARES Act seems straight-forward, yet …

While it remains unclear how quickly the U.S. economy will recover, Virginia should bounce back from the economic storm faster than most. Even as projections vary as to when the COVID-19 virus will peak in the commonwealth, time could be on the state’s side. In recent days the virus peak infection and death models have widely differed on when the …

52% of our area’s adult homeless population were working members of our community before the pandemic hit. Today’s shelter-in-place environment has found many of our region’s workforce dealing with aggravating obstacles driven by their unexpectedly working from home. Our new 2020 work fixtures include children home from school, spotty internet, and barking dogs. While these are mere nuisances for many of us, some members of …

Diversity, inclusion and belonging are no longer just something your politically correct friend talks about, they have become increasingly important in today’s workplace. Turns out that diversity in belief systems, sexual orientation, gender expression, race, and ethnicity translate into diversity in thought, skills, and approach providing a competitive advantage Numerous studies have proven that organizations with a more diverse workforce …

A message from our Chamber CEO and President, Julie Coons Dear Chamber Members,   These days we’re all experiencing an onslaught of news and change surrounding the COVID-19 / Coronavirus as positive cases have now been confirmed in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C.  I’d like to take this moment to reassure you that your Chamber is concerned with your safety and is …

In today’s business climate, leaders are constantly thinking about two areas: new strategies to help propel growth and how to hire and retain the best people. What I’ve found as an HR professional is that there is one widely effective skill that can be a huge differentiator and set companies apart, and you might be surprised to learn it’s a …

I’m a fan of Gary Chapman’s book The Five Love Languages. It is actually my standard gift for newly engaged couples and I’ve come to find it highly applicable to business settings as well. If you haven’t read it, I recommend it, as it will help you understand how important the expression of love is regardless of the relationship.    According …

Your customers are the lifeblood of your business. Their happiness will make or break your bottom line, and there are a lot of factors that add up to a satisfied customer. How they are treated by you and your employees, the quality of your product or service, the ease with which they can accomplish their business with you, all of these …