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How Small Business Are
Preparing for a Potential Second COVID-19 Shutdown by Sandra Beckwith updated September 17, 2020 Take stock of what you've learned from the first coronavirus shutdown to help prevent problems and surprises during future crises. Should you expect a second small business shutdown due
to the COVID-19 pandemic? It depends on whom you ask, but Robert Redfield, MD, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is concerned that trouble's ahead. In an August video interview with WebMD, Redfield said that, with COVID-19 still prevalent during the traditional flu season, this could be the "worst fall" the U.S. has ever seen. That's why many small businesses are anticipating another serious disruption to their operations. Here's what some are doing to reduce the type of trauma they experienced during the first shutdown. Learning From the First Shutdown Companies that were caught off guard during the first wave are vowing "never again." They're reviewing what they learned from that experience and using it to plan for the next one. As business brokerage Hilton Smythe evaluates how well the firm navigated the country's first full lockdown, CEO Gareth Smyth is soliciting employee input, as well. "We actively asked for feedback and opinions from our employees and have encouraged them to play a part in developing our strategy moving forward," he says. After wellness products manufacturer NuLeaf Naturals experienced a distribution-chain disruption the first time, the company knew it needed to minimize future problems. "We are ramping up our e-commerce game so that we cansustain sales even if many of our retailers close during the lockdown," says Ian Kelly, NuLeaf's vice president of operations. Keeping Workers Remote Concerned about employee welfare in an ever-changing environment, some businesses still haven't returned employees to the workplace—and won't for a while. At training company Shapiro Negotiations Institute (SNI), both office workers and trainers who normally travel to client sites will continue to work from home indefinitely. For now, the company is offering only virtual training, even though that means turning down opportunities to present in-person in regions where the COVID-19 infection rate is low. "We feel that while we do somewhat limit ourselves, it is not only worth it to protect our team but, by having this mindset, we can continue to improve our online offerings," says Andres Lares, SNI's managing partner. Understanding Customer Behavior To keep staff employed as the situation has evolved in recent months, digital marketing agency 201 Creative LLC has been analyzing changing consumer behaviors and using what it discovers to serve clients better. That work will continue if a second shutdown occurs. By leveraging tools such as Google Trends to identify what people are searching for, the firm is helping clients adapt their products and services to the current marketplace. For example, using this approach for a local church, the agency discovered that "online sermon" spiked during the first lockdown. "In anticipation of a second shutdown, we've been working with this church to publish all of its sermons online," says Jared Bauman, CEO of 201 Creative. Staff at health products retail and review site Discuss Diets noticed that customers' health needs changed during the first shutdown when they were confined to home. The company is using that information to create an offshoot that will allow users to get customized suggestions. "We will essentially guide our customers through the process of setting up a health and wellness routine for their continued quarantine," says Rex Freiberger, Discuss Diets' CEO. Tightening Budgets and Spending You might have reduced spending during the first go-round, but eased up a bit when the situation improved. The potential for a second shutdown of small businesses means it's time to review finances again to identify what you can cut as well as where you should keep spending. Small business lender Clarify Capital is spending
less on image advertising to focus on measurable inbound marketing tactics.
"Being able to objectively measure the success of our marketing efforts is critical during a time of economic uncertainty," says Nishank Khanna, Clarify Capital's chief marketing officer. David Garcia, CEO of background check company ScoutLogic, keeps a close watch on receivables, determines which investments the company needs rather than wants, and ensures the firm has a line of credit for any short-term cash issues. "We have been growing and don't want to dial back any of the investments that are driving our success," Garcia says. By learning from their experiences the first time and using that information to plan for the future, companies are optimistic that a second shutdown will be less stressful than the first. |
Friday, October 9, 2020
Are you READY FOR ROUND TWO? How Small Business Are Preparing for a Potential Second COVID-19 Shutdown. October 2020
Thursday, October 8, 2020
VIRTUAL Veterans Networking Event. University of Maryland. Thursday, Oct. 15th, 2020 | 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Veterans Networking Social Event
Thursday, Oct. 15th, 2020 | 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Virtual via Zoom (Link available when form is submitted)
RSVP @ stamp.umd.edu/vetnetworking
Attire: Business casual (at least from the waist up!)
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If you are a current student veteran, this is your chance to meet other
veterans working in your desired industry and employers from various companies,
agencies, and departments. Find out information from recent alumni on the steps
they took to get that first or second position following graduation. Practice
your personal story and figure out your professional persona in a supportive
environment.
If you are a veteran alum of UMD, come and support current student
veterans and make connections that will support your next step.
If you represent a company, agency, or organization that is looking to
recruit veterans, come out and meet our current and former student veterans
here at UMD! Meet and speak with veterans in a relaxed, comfortable environment
that promotes genuine discussions.
If you are UMD Faculty or Staff, we want you here, too! Get to know our
student veterans here at UMD. You just might meet your next student hire for
your department or get your next research assistant!
No matter what, you will be supporting our student veterans. Come network
with us as we work to build the bonds that support successful transitions.
Thanks to our sponsor, Leidos!
David M.
Reese
Pronouns: he, him, his
Coordinator,
Veteran Student Life
Engagement
Office - 0110H
Adele H. Stamp Student Union -
Center for Campus Life
Division
of Student Affairs | University of Maryland
0110 STAMP | 3972 Campus Drive | College Park, MD 20742
dmreese@umd.edu
| 301-314-0073 | stamp.umd.edu |
@thestampumd
U.S. Army veteran
CONCERT. Saturday, October 10, 2020 as Antigua and Barbuda’s Reggae Ambassador Gregory “Causion” Bailey
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Special Concert
to be held for Antigua and Barbuda's Reggae Ambassador as part of ‘Thank You
Mission’ The
Thank You Mission is a digital platform to help artists in need Wednesday, October 7,
2020 — St. John’s, Antigua – Reggae lovers are in for a treat
this Saturday, October 10, 2020 as Antigua and Barbuda’s
Reggae Ambassador Gregory “Causion” Bailey will
be performing in an hour-long television special, produced by HAMAFilms. Causion is turning a
challenging medical diagnosis into an opportunity to help others. He was
diagnosed with stage 3 cancer in November 2019 and has been faced with
finding resources for treatment. This drove him to develop the Thank You Mission, a digital
platform and brand to help artists in need. As stated on the
website: “The Thank You Mission is a humble passion project to focus on
growing a powerful community of people that can help me fight the fight
against cancer while giving me a way to tell my story, hear the stories of
others, and help in the ways that I can, for the ones with a similar mission
and battle.” Causion’s
friends and colleagues in the media and music industries across the Caribbean
and beyond have made themselves available by sending messages of support to
bring greater attention to the Thank You Mission. Among them, veteran
journalist and Managing Director of the Jamaica Observer Julian Rogers,
Richie Daley, and Cat Coore, members of Third World the musical group he has
been touring with for several years. Sharon
Gordon, a PanAfricanist and Co-founder of the Coalition to Preserve Reggae
Music said she has known the artists since the early 90s when they worked in
New York. She called the initiative “very timely and necessary.” “This
thank you mission is just that. A way for all of us to say thank you to
artists like Causion who find themselves in this situation. Illness knows no
class or culture,” Gordon said. HAMAFilms
Antigua has produced a one-hour special featuring Causion, performing his
original songs. It was recorded on the island of his birth Antigua and
Barbuda. Causion continues to give back and says the Thank You Mission is a
way for him to express his gratitude to his fans and for life. "Gregory
"Causion" Bailey has been a friend and colleague for 30 years. His
commitment to his art and music is unquestionable along with his loyalty to
his friends. In the midst of this diagnosis of stage 3 cancer, Causion
remained committed to working with us on our film Deep Blue and he continues
to give to others. That is what the Thank You Mission is all about. While we
assist Causion, his intention is to have a platform that will continue to
help other artists who need financial assistance for medical expenses,"
HAMAFilms Producer Mitzi Allen shared. Fellow
musicians based in Antigua rallied to make the concert a reality. Bass player
Devon “Bugs” Emanuel also serves as the show’s Music Director. Guitarist
Adjani, M-16 on Drums, Remo the Engineer, and backup singer Simone Gordon,
who regularly tours with Causion, flew to Antigua to be a part of the Special
Concert. The
event is made possible with the support from local media houses Observer, ZDK
ABS Radio/TV and Vybz FM. Additional support provided by the Management and
Staff of the Catamaran Hotel and Kennedy’s Club Ltd. Viewers
are encouraged to visit www.thankyoumission.com to
donate via PayPal or CashApp. Depending on your contribution, you will
receive Causion stickers, Thank You T-shirts, bracelets, or music.   |
iTEMA (Tribal Emergency Management Association). The Latest News From Tribal Emergency Management Association October 2020
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![[Key Messages]](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/storm_graphics/AT26/refresh/AL262020_key_messages+png/151609_key_messages_sm.png)
![[Spanish Key Messages]](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/storm_graphics/AT26/refresh/AL262020_spanish_key_messages+png/151609_spanish_key_messages_sm.png)
Reminder. Voting Rights Awareness Workshop on Friday, October 9th at 11.00 am PT (12 Noon MT, 1 pm CT, 2 pm ET)
Please
find the attached flyer along with the zoom link and join us.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/92571344502?pwd=eUNQamZkUjlWKzJ1c25IQmJBU2gyQT09
Meeting ID: 925 7134 4502
Passcode: 331328
One tap mobile
+16699006833,,92571344502#,,,,,,0#,,331328# US (San Jose)
+12532158782,,92571344502#,,,,,,0#,,331328# US (Tacoma)
Dial by your location
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 925 7134 4502
Passcode: 331328
Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/ade3KPlexx
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Tuesday, October 6, 2020
Workshops, Upcoming: InfraGard. Cyber and Infrastructure. October 2020
other scheduled Workshop Wednesdays
topics, dates, instructor, prices, and links to register for them are listed
below; you can also view the full program at this website: https://nisru.org/workshop-wednesdays.
Workshop Title: NIST
National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) Technical Ransomware Attack
Mitigations for Prevention and Response
- Date/Time:
October 14, 2020, 10am - 12pm PT/1-3pm ET
- Instructor:
Principal Cybersecurity Engineer, Mitre Corporation
- Price:
InfraGard Member $49, Patriots Circle Member $44, Other Gov’t $49, All
others $79
- Registration
Link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1713206650980574732
Workshop Title:
Implementing a Resilience Centric Approach to Business Continuity: Lessons from
the COVID-19 Outbreak
- Date/Time:
October 21 2020, 10am - 12pm PT/1-3pm ET
- Instructor:
Dr. Steve Flynn, Founding Director, Global Resilience Institute (GRI)
- Price:
InfraGard Member $49, Patriots Circle Member $44, Other Gov’t $49, All
others $79
- Registration
Link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5924764994897590284
Workshop Title: If You
are Not Hacking your Physical Security, Someone Else Will. Understand the
Mindset of Hackers.
- Date/Time:
October 28, 2020, 10am - 12pm PT/1-3pm ET
- Instructor:
Jeff Jones, Threat Hunter and Security Officer, Large Financial
Institution
- Price:
InfraGard Member $49, Patriots Circle Member $44, Other Gov’t $49, All
others $79
- Registration
Link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2822280731383724044
Workshop Title: Certified
Cyber Security Architect (CCSA) Workshop
- Date/Time:
November 4 and 11, 2020, 10am-12pm PT/1-3pm ET
- Instructor:
Ali Pabrai, CEO, Ecfirst.org
- Price:
InfraGard Member $98, Patriots Circle Member $88, Other Gov’t $98, All
others $158
- Registration
Link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6550134223392590863
Workshop Title:
Employing the Mitre ATT&CK Knowledgebase for Critical Infrastructure
Protection
- Date/Time:
December 2, 2020, 10am - 12pm PT/1-3pm ET
- Instructor:
Cyber Security Engineer, Mitre Corporation
- Price:
InfraGard Member $49, Patriots Circle Member $44, Other Gov’t $49,
All others $79
- Registration
Link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4107817631952407056
Workshop Title:
Business Continuity Planning and Pandemics
- Date/Time:
December 9, 2020, 10am - 12pm PT/1-3pm ET
- Instructor:
Mary Lasky, Program Manager, Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics
Laboratory
- Price:
InfraGard Member $49, Patriots Circle Member $44, Other Gov’t $49, All
others $79
- Registration
Link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2002495856831346700
Workshop Title:
Vulnerability and Remediation Tracking Management Program
- Date/Time:
December 16, 2020, 10am - 12pm PT/1-3pm ET
- Instructor:
Terri Reilly, Sr Cyber Security Analyst, Dep. Program Manager, Dept
of the Army
- Price:
InfraGard Member $49, Patriots Circle Member $44, Other Gov’t $49, All
others $79
- Registration
Link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8092663275292012300
You may share these
courses with your friends and colleagues; they are not limited to InfraGard
members.
Workshop: Cryptocurrencies, Financial Fraud and Tracking Bitcoin InfraGard members use discount code.
National Infrastructure
Security and Resilience U (NISRU) Workshop Wednesday training event; here are the
details:
Workshop Title: Cryptocurrencies,
Financial Fraud and Tracking Bitcoin
Instructor: James McDowell,
Senior Security Analyst, Alabama Securities Commission
INMA Board Facilitator: Dwight Koop,
Treasurer
Date/Time: October 7, 2020, 10am
- 12pm PDT/1pm - 3pm EDT
Description: What are
cryptocurrencies? What is blockchain technology? What are the red flags of
financial fraud? How can you better protect yourself from fraud? If you find
yourself asking these questions, then this workshop is for you! We will spend
the first part of the workshop covering the basics of cryptocurrencies,
blockchain technology, and financial fraud. The second half of this workshop
will be spent walking through tabletop cryptocurrency fraud investigations with
attendees.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand
the basics of cryptocurrencies.
- Understand
the red flags of fraud.
- Understand
financial fraud investigations and how to protect themselves.
Who Should Attend: Those interested in
learning more about cryptocurrencies and financial fraud investigations;
banking, finance, insurance, government, military, law enforcement staff
Registration Link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5282501770206364684
Instructor Bio: James McDowell is a
Senior Securities Analyst for the Alabama Securities Commission. In this role,
he utilizes data analytics to coordinate multi-jurisdictional investigations;
trains law enforcement officers, at various levels, on digital and financial
investigations; and briefs stakeholders at all levels on issues related to
cybersecurity and data analytics.
He holds a master’s
degree in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance; bachelor’s degrees in Finance
and Economics; and the designations of Certified Cyber Crimes Investigator,
Certified Ethical Hacker, Certified Fraud Examiner, and Certified Computer
Hacking Forensic Investigator. He is currently pursuing the designations of
Certified Data Scientist and Certified Big Data Architect.
He is a proud member of
INMA’s Chief Information Security Officer Cross-Sector Council, the Multi-State
Information Sharing & Analysis Center, and InfraGard. Additionally, he is
elected to the Board of Directors for the Birmingham Chapter of InfraGard,
appointed to Co-Chair of the “Investment Adviser Cybersecurity and Technology
Project Group” of the North American Securities Administrators Association
(NASAA), and selected as Chair of the Financial Regulatory Compliance Section
of the Government Blockchain Association (GBA).
James is also a Member of the NASAA Enforcement Technology Project Group; a Member of the GBA Cybersecurity Working Group, Economic Analysis Working Group, and Financial Crimes Working Group; a Member of the Military Operations and Research Society Data Science and Artificial Intelligence CoP; a Member of the International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts; a Member of the Elder Justice Coalition; a Member of the American Legal and Financial Network; and a Member of the National White Collar Crime Center.
Patriots Circle members
get an additional 10% discount; as a member, you will get a separate email with
the Patriot Circle Discount code.
You, our relationship to the Government. September 2020
Water Security: Unorthodox desalination method could transform global water management
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Unorthodox desalination method could transform global water management by Staff Writers Water security is becoming an urgent global challenge. Hundreds of millions of people already live in water-scarce regions, and the UN projects that by 2030 about half the world's population will be living in highly water-stressed areas. This will be a crisis even for developed countries like the U.S., where water managers in 40 states expect freshwater shortages within the next 10 years. As the global population and GDP grow, so will the demand for freshwater. And, with the continuing rise of global temperatures, water shortages will only get worse. Desalination processes are increasingly being relied upon to
augment water supplies. In fact, global desalination capacity is projected to
double between 2016 and 2030. But these processes are expensive and can be
harmful to the environment. The ultrahigh salinity brines that are
the byproduct of desalination can be several times that of
seawater salinity and its management options are especially
challenging for inland desalination facilities such as those in Arizona,
California, Florida, and Texas. Over the past year, Columbia Engineering researchers have been
refining their unconventional desalination approach for hypersaline brines -
temperature swing solvent extraction (TSSE) - that shows great promise for
widespread use. TSSE is radically different from conventional methods because
it is a solvent-extraction-based technique that does not use membranes and is
not based on evaporative phase-change: it is effective, efficient, scalable,
and sustainably powered. In a new paper, published online June 23 in
Environmental Science and Technology, the team reports that their method has
enabled them to attain energy-efficient zero-liquid discharge (ZLD) of
ultrahigh salinity brines - the first demonstration of TSSE for ZLD
desalination of hypersaline brines. "Zero-liquid discharge is the last frontier of desalination,"
says Ngai Yin Yip, an assistant professor of earth and environmental
engineering who led the study. "Evaporating and condensing the water is
the current practice for ZLD but it's very energy intensive and prohibitively
costly. We were able to achieve ZLD without boiling the water off - this is a
major advance for desalinating the ultrahigh salinity brines that
demonstrates how our TSSE technique can be a transformative technology for
the global water industry." Yip's TSSE process begins with mixing a low-polarity solvent
with the high salinity brine. At low temperatures (the team used 5 C), the
TSSE solvent extracts water from the brine but not salts (which are present
in the brine as ions). By controlling the ratio of solvent to brine, the team
can extract all the water from the brine into the solvent to induce the
precipitation of salts - after all the water is "sucked" into the
solvent, the salts form solid crystals and fall to the bottom, which can then
be easily sieved out. After the researchers separate out the precipitated salts, they
warm up the water-laden solvent to a moderate temperature of around 70 C. At
this higher temperature, the solvent's solubility for water decreases and
water is squeezed out from the solvent, like a sponge. The separated water
forms a layer below the solvent and has much less salt than the initial
brine. It can be readily siphoned off and the regenerated solvent can then be
reused for the next TSSE cycle. "We were not expecting TSSE to work as well as it
did," Yip says. "In fact, when we were discussing its potential for
ZLD, we thought just the opposite, that the process would likely give out at
some point when there is just too much salt for it to keep working. So it was
a happy surprise when I convinced lead researcher Chanhee Boo to give it a
try, for the heck of it, on a Friday afternoon and we got such great
results." With a simulated (lab-prepared) brine feed of 292,500
part-per-million total dissolved solids, Yip's group was able to precipitate
more than 90% of the salt in the original solution. In addition, the
researchers estimated that the process used only about a quarter of the
energy required for evaporation of water - a 75% energy savings compared to
thermally evaporating the brine. They reused the solvent for several cycles
with no noticeable loss in performance, demonstrating that the solvent was
conserved and not expended during the process. Then, to demonstrate the practical applicability of the
technology, the team took a field sample of high-salinity brine, the
concentrate of irrigation drainage water in California's Central Valley,
where irrigation drainage water is difficult and costly to treat, and
achieved ZLD with TSSE. Conventional distillation methods require high-grade steam and
are frequently supplemented with electricity to power vacuum pumps. Because
TSSE requires only moderate temperature inputs, the low-grade thermal energy
necessary can come from more sustainable sources, such as industrial waste
heat, shallow-well geothermal, and low-concentration solar collectors. "With the right solvent and right temperature conditions,
we can provide cost-effective and environmentally sustainable concentrate
management options for inland desalination facilities, utilizing brackish
groundwater to alleviate the current and pending water stresses," Yip
notes. In addition to managing inland desalination concentrates, TSSE
can also be used for other high salinity brines including flowback and
produced water from oil and gas extraction, waste streams from steam-driven
electric power stations, discharges from coal-to-chemical facilities, and
landfill leachate. Yip's group is continuing to investigate the fundamental
working mechanisms of TSSE, to engineer further improvements in its
performance. This work includes further testing with real samples from the
field, as well as optimization of the overall process. Research Report: "Zero
Liquid Discharge of Ultrahigh Salinity Brines with Temperature Swing Solvent
Extraction" |
Monday, October 5, 2020
Webinar, Tue, 6 Oct 2020] Cities experience and good practices on reopening and adjusting public health measures in response to COVID-19
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Dear partners and
friends, We are pleased to invite you to participate in the upcoming webinar on “Cities experience and good practices on reopening and adjusting public health measures in response to COVID-19” to be held on Tuesday, October 6 from 7:30-9:00 am (NY time)/8:30-10:00 pm (Incheon time). Duration: 90 minutes The session will be in English and Spanish, with simultaneous interpretation available in six United Nations languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. You may sign up for the
event through this
link  This webinar is co-organized by United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction Global Education and Training Institute (UNDRR GETI), United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), as a part of the 5-week joint training series on “Making Cities Resilient: Developing and implementing local disaster risk reduction strategy to respond to COVID-19 and to better prepare for the future”. For more information, please visit https://www.undrr.org/event/undrr-unossc-paho-joint-webinar-cities-experience-and-good-practices-reopening-and-adjusting We look forward to your participation. Kind regards, UNDRR GETI, UNOSSC and PAHO/WHO |
Sunday, October 4, 2020
Community Roundtable. How do you feel? What's on your mind? Mark you calendar. Wednesday, October 21st 5pm PT (8pm ET)
We look forward to hearing from everyone.
Senait Admassu
President
African Communities Public Health Coalition
3731 Stocker St. Suite 211
Los Angeles, CA 90008
Office : (213) 909-0985
www.africancoalition.org