CLICK HERE for up-to-date listings of which Adams Morgan businesses are open during this crisis and what their delivery/carryout/gift card options are.

Home Sweet Home

April 15, 2020

#InThisTogether

Updates from Adams Morgan

For the latest from the DC government, refer to: https://coronavirus.dc.gov

Resources for small businesses: https://coronavirus.dc.gov/recovery-business

Click Here to see previous updates in our newsletter archive


April Board Meeting

The Adams Morgan Partnership BID held their April board meeting on Tuesday, April 14 via a web-based video call. In addition to the board's regular business, a resolution was passed to waive penalties and interest (P&I) on late BID tax payments. As long as the taxes are paid before the next BID tax bills are sent out in August, no P&I will be accrued.

The board also requested that staff send a letter to all property and business owners within the BID boundaries with a summary of action the BID has taken to date in regards to the Covid-19 crisis. The letter will be in English and in Spanish.

Any questions about the board meeting should be directed to Kristen Barden .

During this public health crisis, the board will keep a monthly meeting schedule and meetings will be held via online video calls as long as restrictions on gatherings are still in place.

The next board meeting will be held on May 12.

T he FY2021 draft budget will be presented at the May 12 meeting, reviewed at the June 9th meeting and voted on at July 14 meeting.



AMPBID Digital Assistance During COVID-19

Adams Morgan Partnership BID is offering Website, Digital Marketing, and Social Media Advice for Small Businesses During COVID-19.

We are available to offer digital assistance to our Adams Morgan small businesses during COVID-19. Whether you're a retailer that’s temporarily closed your doors, a restaurant promoting takeout and delivery offerings, or an online business that’s experiencing a spike you weren’t anticipating, we're here to help you identify potential marketing opportunities and assist in “figuring out where to begin.” We may not have all the answers, but we’re committed to providing you with relevant and timely resources that you’ll need as you navigate through the uncertainty ahead.

If you are in need of digital marketing tips, social media setup/strategy, or website advice, we’re here to help and please don't hesitate to reach out (virtually) to bbarrie@admodc.org to set up a time to speak with us so that we can brainstorm together.

In the meantime, here are a few steps that you can take today:

  • If you don't have a website, consider building an e-commerce/shoppable landing page where customers can buy your products online. You can also use it to sell gift cards that people can buy now for future use.
  • Landing pages can also be a great way to collect contact information from your audience. Create a page with a signup form, share the link across your social channels, and then start sending regular updates to keep potential customers informed about everything going on with you and your business.
  • Consider setting up Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram channels to share relevant, timely information with your audience.
  • If you’ve got a product that’s been particularly popular, consider setting up social media ads on Facebook and/or Instagram to boost awareness among new and existing customers.
  • Instagram stories can be an interactive way to connect with your audience. Try posting a few to show off your products, discuss your plans for the coming months, etc.
  • Let us know what you are doing so we can help you get the word out!

If you find that these (or any other content opportunities you’ve discovered) resonate with your audience, consider adding them to your long-term marketing plans. Any strategies you put into place now will only make your business stronger on the other side.

Please feel free to reach out to us and we will do our best to walk you through some suggestions and provide you with potential resources. We are here to help the best we can!


Comments sought on DC Council mortgage relief program

DISB has asked CNHED to pull together comments from its members to inform the development of the District's mortgage relief program, which was authorized by Council as part of recently passed legislation. Click here to read over a subsection of the legislation dealing with the mortgage relief program. Please email Kristen Barden with your comments. Please submit your comments no later than Monday, April 20 by close of business.


SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) application insight

If you submitted an SBA EIDL application early in the crisis and did not fill out a new EIDL application (that contains the $10,000 advance), the older application may not be reviewed. If you did not reapply, you should do so. Multiple applications will be merged throughout the process.


Virtual Roundtable: How DC’s Restaurant & Food/Beverage Industry is Responding to COVID-19

Join the DowntownDC BID & restaurant industry leaders on Thursday for this virtual roundtable discussion.

About this Event

Join the DowntownDC BID and restaurant industry leaders as they highlight today’s top resources for restaurants and food and beverage business owners and employees navigating the COVID-19 crisis, including access to emergency funding, as well as optimizing marketing efforts, operating efficiencies, and takeout/delivery strategy.

Event Moderator: Neil Albert, President & CEO, DowntownDC Business Improvement District

Event panelists:

Thursday, April 16, 2020; 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM EDT

Click Here to Register


Important Resources

Free Webinar: Open or Closed for Business?

April 23, 2020; 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Employment Law Issues for Small Businesses and Nonprofits During the Pandemic

Covid Loan Tracker

From a group of small business owners concerned about their businesses and the timeline for receiving loans from the government via the SBA. In order to help other small business owners like us, we created a survey to better understand how many loans have been paid.


The Save Small Business Fund is a grantmaking initiative offering short-term relief for small employers in the United States and its territories.


This free app can help you quickly file for unemployment

A free service developed by the makers of the DoNotPay app helps get unemployment claims processed quicker to get money to people faster. Click here for more info.


Ensuring Access to Utilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

A comprehensive resource page provided by the DCPSC is helping to guarantee that consumers and businesses in the District have access to safe and reliable utility service during the COVID-19 public health emergency. The page provides a summary of all government operations, utility response efforts and the Commission’s decisions, and is updated as soon as new information becomes available. The DCPSC is also playing an active role in supporting the Mayor, the D.C. Council and local health officials.

The resource page includes information on several pending utility-related initiatives, including utility disconnections and re-connections, waiver of late fees, a moratorium on door-to-door marketing from energy suppliers and more.


Standard Offer Service Rates Lowered for Electric Customers

The DCPSC has approved lower rates for residential and small commercial consumers receiving electricity through Pepco Standard Offer Service (SOS), beginning June 1, 2020.

Bills for the average SOS residential customer will decrease by about $1.98 per month and those for the average small commercial SOS customer will decrease by about $2.17 for the use of 1,602 kWh/month.

SOS is the default electricity service for customers who have not chosen to purchase electricity from a licensed competitive electric supplier. The lower electricity rates are the result of a competitive auction for electricity supply held on Dec. 9, 2019, and Jan. 6, 2020.

Learn more about SOS and the customer choice program for competitive electric suppliers online or call (202) 626-5120.


Comcast Business Launches Webinar Series to Support Businesses of All Sizes

Comcast and industry experts explore critical topics facing today’s business community

Comcast Business announced the launch of a new webinar series aimed at helping businesses, of all sizes and across all industries, navigate the current environment, including strategies on how to rethink their short- and long-term goals and leverage technology to remain productive and nimble with their operations.

The free, five-part series, features Comcast Business leaders and subject matter experts alongside industry partners and topical experts tackling some of the biggest questions facing today’s businesses amidst the global pandemic.  Interested businesses can view full details and register here . The scheduled webinars in the series include:

Thursday April 16, 2020 1PM EDT

Connectivity and Resilience: How Technology is Supporting Business Continuity

A shift to remote working and digital commerce puts new demands on technology infrastructure. Comcast Business experts explore how resilient network connectivity can help keep businesses productive.

Panelists : Bob Victor, SVP, Product Management; Noam Raffaelli, SVP, Network & Communications Engineering; Jeff Lewis, VP Data Product Management, Strategic Planning & Development

Thursday April 23, 2020 1PM EDT

Remote Learning Tech Solutions

Many school districts lack the technology to enable remote learning. Comcast Business and industry experts detail how educators can adapt by shifting their networks and technologies.

Panelists : Lenny Schad, Chief Information & Innovation Officer - District Administration; Nelson Ortiz, Executive Director National Sales Engineering at Comcast Business

Tuesday April 28. 2020 1PM EDT

Keeping Cybercriminals at Bay – and Protecting Your Business

Companies are vulnerable during a crisis. Comcast security leade

rs help businesses understand how to identify if they are a potential target and explore the steps that can be taken to mitigate risk.

Panelists : Shena Seneca Tharnish, Vice President, Cybersecurity Products, Comcast Business; Noopur Davis, EVP, Chief Product & Information Security Officer, Comcast.

Thursday April 30, 2020, 1PM EDT

Steering Your Brand Through Crisis

Brand actions matter, especially during difficult times. Lou Aversano, CEO of Ogilvy & Mather USA will discuss how companies can manage their brands during all phases of a crisis and come out on the other side.

Presenter : Lou Aversano, Chief Executive Officer, Ogilvy & Mather USA

For more details on how Comcast Business is helping support its business customers at this time, please visit: https://business.comcast.com/response


Mental health resources

From RAMW:

In talking with many of you, I know that so many of you are checking in regularly with your employees and managers who are not on site during this time. It is critical that we all touch base with one another during this time to be supportive as mental health and substance dependencies may be increasingly prominent. Difficult times resonate differently with people and we want to be mindful of that and will continue to offer resources and connections to professionals that can assist in hopes that it is helpful to you and your teams. We recently shared these links available on our blog and are sharing additional tools below.

The National Restaurant Association has two upcoming free webinars in partnership with Unilever on related topics:

Other Resources:

If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.

DC has a 24/7 helpline through the Department of Behavioral Health at 1-888-793-4357 or visit www.dbh.dc.gov . Also Whitman-Walker Health is offering telehealth visits.


"Buy Restaurant Bonds" campaign encourages customers to support restaurants by gift card purchases

The Adams Morgan Partnership is trying to help restaurants and bars that have forced to close or severely limit their services by encouraging customers to purchase gift cards for future dining. We are trying to make a splash with this campaign -- modeled after the Buy War Bonds campaigns of WWI and WWII -- to help draw attention to our 100+ restaurants and employees that are facing an uncertain future. Please join in via your own social media accounts using the hashtag #BuyRestaurantBonds

Please tag us in your social media posts about the operating status of your business so we can pass the information along.



SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Sponsor one of our community events! Partner with our community while reaching some of the city's most desirable demographics. For details, contact Kristen Barden at 202-997-0783.

Tag us on social media!

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