Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Following up with a survey released at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Napanee District Chamber of Commerce is once again seeking input from local business owners.
As with the first time around, the latest survey is online and can be found at www.surveymonkey.com/r/G355QCY. Business owners from Napanee, Loyalist, Deseronto and Stone Mills are invited to take part in the 10-question survey. While the previous survey, which was released in March, focused on the challenges associated with lock down measures, this one centres around the next steps as the economy slowly re-opens.
“The second survey is more of that rebuilding and planning for the future,” said NDCC business manager Megan Sands. “The Chamber, we have put together a COVID committee and it’s in association with a lot of our local business partners, the County (of Lennox and Addington), the Town of Greater Napanee, we have invited Stone Mills, Loyalist Township and Deseronto, included in that is the MP (Derek Sloan) and MPP (Daryl Kramp) and Marg Isbester as the warden and mayor. We’re talking on a bi-weekly basis and these surveys are really helpful to help us identify changes and things that we may need to do in order to support the business community.”
Sands says feedback from the businesses is invaluable for the Chamber as they map out a plan to support local shops and services through the next phase.
“It’s asking the changes that have occurred, what resources do they need, what financial support have they looked at, have they gotten, is there additional support that they need from organizations like the Chamber or other partners that we are in communication with on a bi-weekly basis,” Sands said of the survey.
The information they gather will help shape their response should there be a second wave of closures.
“We need to know now if there’s things we need to do now to build that structure for businesses to be able to survive if this happens again,” added Sands.
Anyone who fills out the survey has the option to remain anonymous, though it is more helpful if they provide their contact information.
The survey, along with other links for local businesses, can be found at www.napaneechamber.ca.