Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/1239591
w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m M a y 2 0 2 0 • I NSIGH T | 25 w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m M a y 2 0 2 0 • I NSIGH T | 25 'The hardest days of my career' Like Vue, Ryan Batley, general manager of the Best Western Premier Bridgewood Resort Hotel & Conference Center in Neenah, watched the state of his daily operations go from limited to nearly impossible in the space of 24 hours. Businesses like Best Western were mandated to close at 5 p.m. on March 17. Batley's team already had corned beef, cabbage and green beer prepared for a large St. Patrick's Day crowd at the property's restaurant, Ground Round, along with extra staff on hand and hotel rooms booked for people planning to make a night of it. "I like to say we are prepared for most everything, but we didn't expect something like this," he says. Batley says the hardest days of his career soon followed as he laid off 140 people from his 160-employee staff and broke the news to couples that their long-held plans would be delayed. Hotel room occupancy at the Best Western Premier has dropped to around 10 to 15 percent, and offsite catering is canceled for the foreseeable future. Ground Round remains open, offering takeout, room service and delivery within a 5-mile radius. Even though the community has shown its support, the restaurant is still losing 80 to 90 percent of its weekly sales. As many would echo, the hardest part for Batley and his team is navigating the unknown. Customers want to reschedule events but don't know when that's feasible. Rescheduling events requires a lot of coordination, not just with the host site, and that's not always easy to manage, he says. "We sell time and space. We really don't sell a product," Batley says. "Where other businesses might be able to sell more of their product in the third or fourth quarter to make up what was lost in COURTESY GROUND ROUND AT THE BEST WESTERN PREMIER RESORT HOTEL & CONFERENCE CENTER [ c o n t i n u e d ] » As businesses of all sizes grapple with uncertainty, area organizations are mobilizing to help them sort through the information overload and complexities the situation presents. Joe Sheehan, executive director of the Sheboygan County Economic Development Corp., says his organization has sent letters to each of the county's businesses to let them know about the support and services SCEDC can provide. Several companies within the county employ as few as two to five people and don't have time to sift through information and fill out paperwork. SCEDC aims to help businesses identify the steps they need to take to continue operations. Those include applying for the PPP, which provides a 100 percent forgivable loan through the SBA if organizations retain employees for an eight-week period. That option provides many with some peace of mind, Sheehan says. "To a person, their whole mindset is, how do we impact as little as possible our employees and their families?" Like Sheehan, Laurie Radke, president and CEO of the Greater Green Bay Chamber, says her organization strives to inform without inundating or overwhelming people. The chamber assembled teams focused on putting together resources for individuals and businesses. The chamber reviews and disseminates information from groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce and legislators. It's updating its website frequently to provide resources aimed at specific groups including employees, human resources and business owners. The organization also developed a series of virtual learning opportunities called "Chamber at Home" that offers education on topics such as working remotely and leading through tough times. They're available to everyone, not just chamber members. Region-wide, New North Inc. created a webpage filled with information and links to provide business leaders information about available assistance and resources. The organization is also working with the WEDC to provide free weekly webinars designed to help business leaders manage through these challenging times. While uncertainty continues to rock individuals and organizations, Radke has seen the community rise together in inspiring ways. "When people are filled with fear, they have to remember what we're made of as a community and even as a state," she says. "We'll prevail and there's hope, and it doesn't mean there's not going to be challenges and hard times, but it's an opportunity to really shine and show externally what we're made of, and the best way we can do that is sticking together." Laurie Radke Joe Sheehan A LIFELINE TO BUSINESSES Ryan Batley Ground Round at the Best Western Premier Resort Hotel & Conference Center "I like to say we are prepared for most everything, but we didn't expect something like this."