Monroe County Chamber of Commerce helping businesses affected by COVID-19

MONROE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The coronavirus is changing the way business is conducted across the country and throughout our region.

Businesses across Monroe County have been impacted because of the coronavirus and the executive orders that have been issued.

There are many questions and the Monroe County Chamber of Commerce is helping business owners get answers they need.

The dining room at The Cottage Tea Room is empty, but customers are waiting outside for their to-go orders.

“They understand, they’re just ready to come back inside and eat off plates,” said Susan Langford, who is the owner of the Aberdeen restaurant and is navigating these unique times, along with other business owners, employees and customers across the area.

She said there are many questions about programs offering assistance and advice for small business owners, but the amount of information can be overwhelming.

She relies heavily on local experts in the business field.

“The chamber and visitors bureau have been awesome, they are constantly sending us links, telling us what to do, what we need to and we appreciate that more than you can know. We’ve never been through this no one knows which direction to go we’re just trying to follow their lead and do what they tell us to do,” Langford said.

As executive director of the Monroe County Chamber of Commerce, Chelsea Baulch has fielded a lot of questions and concerns about the impact of the pandemic from business owners. The chamber is using its resources to get information out to businesses.

“It’s not so much things we are having to create and do for this, but really stretching our arms, muscles and saying, hey this framework is here, you may not have ever thought you needed that or realized, but now more than ever, what can I do, even picking up the phone and saying, I’m here for you,” Baulch said.

In Amory, Indulge Restaurant is serving out of its food truck, after the dining room was closed. Austin Brummitt says community support and the chamber’s help have made a big difference.

“We appreciate everybody, the chamber set up Facebook page, To Go Monroe, that’s helped a lot, to see what options are there for takeout, helped small businesses keep going,” Brummitt said.

Brummitt and his family are confident the economy will rebound, they purchased the old “Nibble Nook Restaurant” It will eventually become a hibachi and steak diner, once the executive orders are lifted and the state is back at work.

Business owners expect large crowds at restaurants once the ban on inside dining is lifted.