We’ve said it before – hard times push humans to innovate. And Birmingham has been innovating, indeed. The community is lifting each other up and trading ideas. We’ve seen entrepreneurs pivoting their offerings to still meet their customers’ needs in these unprecedented times. Nonprofit partners (including REV) and content experts have quickly pulled together numerous resources to help Birmingham’s small business community weather the storm.
And, now, more than a month into COVID-19 response in Birmingham, this where the rubber meets the road.
To help our small business community fully take advantage of the tools available to them, we’ve compiled a list of what’s out there. Below you’ll find everything from webinars to credit resources that you can use starting now to prep for what happens when Birmingham gets back to business.
Upcoming webinar
Thursday, May 14 | 10-11 a.m.
Presented by Ally Clokey, BIG Communications
As Birmingham inches towards reopening, above all your customer wants and needs to know their health and wellbeing are top of mind and top priority. Ally Clokey, Senior Strategist at BIG Communications, is using robust data and strategic communications to support national brands navigate reopening. Join us as she shares how empathy, transparency and consistent communication are driving foot traffic patterns across the Globe. Ally will help you apply big brands’ best practices to your reopening communications strategy so you can instill confidence in your consumers and boost sales.
About our presenter:
Ally Clokey is a Senior Strategist at Big Communications. She contributes to client strategic planning where she focuses on analyzing industry trends and consumer perceptions to evaluate and position brands within markets. Clokey earned her marketing degree from the University of Alabama before earning her MBA and relocating to Nashville to begin her career. She returned last year to Birmingham, full of enthusiasm for the city. Ally seeks to share her expertise and utilize her talents to drive team collaboration, enhance client relationships, and deliver high impact creative solutions that resonate with consumers.
Webinar replays
Dave Gray, founder of Biso Collective presented Leading Through COVID-19 and Beyond. Gray shared his expertise gained from two economic downturns: He was a middle manager of a Silicon Valley-based software company during the Dot-Com Crash with a front-row seat to see how his CEO navigated the crisis. Then a few years later, he was CEO of Daxko during The Great Recession.
Melva Tate of Tate & Associates and Heather Russell of Barfield, Murphy, Shank & Smith answered questions about complying with HR regulations, navigating layoffs and unemployment to gain the right support to lead your teams through COVID-19 and beyond.
Catch up on more from our Biz Growth Resiliency workshop series, from navigating a commercial lease to maximizing customer relationships during a disaster. You can watch each previously recorded session in full.
REV’s COVID-19 response
REV has been engaged with our entrepreneurial ecosystem partners to ensure we are being as collaborative and clear as possible in messaging to our community the resources available to them during the COVID-19 pandemic.
#BhamStrong
In the last few weeks, The City of Birmingham partnered with public and private partners to coordinate small businesses and residents affected by COVID-19 with resources such as loan programs and employment options that get people out of a job back to work.
Operation HOPE
Is your credit holding you back from applying for a loan? Operation Hope offers no-cost resources to repair your personal credit so you can begin pursuing business loans. Click here or call 888.388.HOPE for more info and coaching.
ASBDC
The Alabama Small Business Development Center offers a wealth of FREE resources for businesses navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic.
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