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SOD Center prepares to help businesses reopen in Salem

SALEM — Reopening a business shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic won’t be a matter of just flipping a switch — there’s a catch or two and that’s where Restart Salem will come in.

Julie Needs, executive director of the Sustainable Opportunity Development Center, explained the additional resource page being developed in partnership with the Small Business Development Center to help businesses restart once they get the go-ahead from the governor that they can open.

For some businesses, that reboot can begin as early as next week, for some the week after, with still others awaiting the governor’s nod. Needs said SOD Center wanted to work with SBDC on something positive to create some hope for businesses, to provide businesses with resources they may need to reopen their doors and get employees back to work, safely.

Businesses slated to reopen will need to take precautions to ensure social distancing, with everyone required to wear masks and keep up with hand washing and sanitizing requirements. According to Needs, businesses who were deemed essential and continued to operate have developed some best practices in that regard and she plans on sharing some of that information with businesses about to reopen.

“My Salem manufacturers never cease to amaze me,” she said.

She said Restart Salem will roll out soon, but she’s hoping to start sending out some informational emails with pertinent information for businesses slated to reopen. Resources expected to be included with Restart Salem will include financial/accounting information, marketing, human resources, food service, operation specialist and efficiency/cash flow analysis.

The whole idea is to look at what businesses need to get started again and something that can help determine that is the business impact survey she’s asked local businesses to complete.

The deadline for filling it out is Friday. The Local COVID-19 Business Impact Survey can be accessed at sodcenter.com or on the SOD Center Facebook page.

Needs said previously that the survey looks at how the pandemic has impacted local businesses, seeks to find out what assistance companies have received or attempted to receive and what assistance companies could use.

So far, only 42 surveys are in.

“We really want our businesses to fill that out. The more who fill it out, the better we can help businesses,” she said.

Needs talked about Restart Salem, the survey and all the activities of the SOD Center during the first quarter of 2020 during a meeting of the Economic Development Committee of city council on Monday night. The meeting was done via Zoom.

The year started strong, with a video made about Salem for the Hometown Takeover contest. She hasn’t heard anything more about the show, but the video created quite a buzz about Salem, gaining lots of compliments and enthusiasm. In February, the annual board meeting for the SOD Center took place with discussion about the 10th anniversary of the SOD Center later this year and initiatives being targeted this year for shovel-ready sites, housing, increasing the tools available, and industrial sites. She was even talking with some local companies about expansion. Those plans are on hold, but still in the works.

Retailers were looking for space in downtown Salem and one did lease property, but she noted there are 20 vacant properties that aren’t for sale or lease and some are very viable. She said they need to keep pushing on the vacant property ordinance. At the beginning of March she also attended a meeting about a JobsOhio grant/loan program that had her thinking of two or three projects that could benefit.

“Then mid-March hit and everything changed,” she said.

Since then, SOD Center has been posting credible information on the website and Facebook page regarding COVID-19 and resources available to businesses as programs were announced. She said they’re always adding something, noting they’ve also been sending direct emails to businesses about what’s available.

mgreier@salemnews.net

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