EurekaFacts Supports Local Community During Phased Reopening

Rockville, MD, June 12, 2020 — EurekaFacts will actively participate in the phased reopening of Montgomery County after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down many nonessential activities in order to protect lives and keep the population healthy. As Maryland Governor Hogan removes “Stay-at-Home” orders that greatly restricted business operations, much planning is needed for reopening the State and County in Phase 1 and beyond. Montgomery County is fortunate to have a vibrant and diverse small business community and with the support of its leaders, the County will chart a path forward and continue to have a robust small business community. Phase 2 of reopening begins on Friday, June 19, at 5pm.

 

Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Montgomery County (HCCMC)

Phase 1, Phase 2, What does this mean to you? Jorge Restrepo, CEO of EurekaFacts, a market research firm, explores best practices for getting back to business safely. Whether business-to-business or business-to-consumer, if you want to continue doing business, you need customers to buy and staff to support your operations. This is a FREE online event on June 12 from 4:00-5:30 PM. Click this link for instructions on how to join this FREE event hosted by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Montgomery County. #HCCMC #MontgomeryCounty #B2B #B2C

 

Montgomery County Recovery Economic Task Force and Small Business Workgroup

EurekaFacts CEO Jorge Restrepo has joined the Montgomery County Recovery Economic Task Force, an ad hoc committee that will address the challenges and opportunities associated with business reopening and recovery efforts. More specifically, Jorge will serve on the Small Business Workgroup, an important component of the Task Force. The Economic Revitalization mission area will be led by Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Jerome Fletcher, with a Recovery Economic Task Force group providing strategic guidance to each of the subgroups. Judy Stephenson will serve as the facilitator for the Small Business Workgroup.

Montgomery County leadership developed a framework to guide its overall recovery process with five recovery mission areas:  Government Operations and Services, Economic Revitalization, Health and Human Services, Housing, and Education. Each recovery mission area will be guided by the four principles below:

Racial Equity: Provide the appropriate level of support to individuals so that there is fair access to quality services and resources.

Inclusion: Focus on initiatives that make Montgomery County a place where all people can recover and rebuild regardless of race, ethnicity, age, or economic circumstances.

Innovation: Harness advancements that sustain a continuation of all County and related services and resources to our community.

Sustainability: Use this opportunity to modernize County services and deploy resources efficiently and responsively.

 

Rockville Economic Development, Inc. (REDI) Workforce Education Roundtable

Director of Cognitive Research Mila Sugovic joined the Workforce Education Roundtable, a part of Rockville Economic Development, Inc. (REDI). She joined a conversation between Rockville businesses and the educational institutions and systems serving Rockville. Mila shared, “I was happy to learn that the economic recovery in Montgomery County is happening at a faster rate than in surrounding jurisdictions due to the high levels of education within the County. On the flip side, the data shows that economic recovery time will be greater for populations with lower educational achievement.”

The discussion also delved into the workforce needs of today and tomorrow and how to ensure that business needs are known and can be addressed. The agenda covered:

1. A Presentation by Dr. Kevin Long, Acting Deputy Chief of Staff, Montgomery College — on the workforce needs, future demands and implications of COVID-19 on Rockville’s workforce, including data by the business sector.

2. Breakout sessions to discuss resources/opportunities/gaps/needs post-COVID for:

• Workforce training, secondary education, 2-year colleges, 4-year universities, graduate school
• Is your business currently working with K-12, higher education, or other intermediaries to help find and/or develop your workforce?
• If so, what models or methods are you using, and are these effective? Internship, apprenticeship, direct hiring from educational institutions, influencing curriculum, providing opportunities for early exposures to the skills in your industry through career days, participating on advisory board
• What new models or working together can be envisioned that would be helpful?

After an initial listening session on June 4, 2020, REDI will incorporate the contributions into a “road map” and will propose some ways to help find and grow the workforce of now and the future.

 

EurekaFacts Longterm Community Involvement

EurekaFacts has a long history of proactive community involvement and supporting the annual National Small Business Week. As a small business ourselves, EurekaFacts has conducted Latino entrepreneurship, women entrepreneurship, and hospitality industry research on behalf of nonprofits, associations, and governments that support small businesses.

Women Entrepreneurs Research

EurekaFacts, supporting the Small Business Administration and prime contractor Washington CORE, analyzed the role of incubators and accelerators in promoting the launch of women-owned businesses. The study followed a theoretical model developed for The Diana Project, with support from the Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, the Small Business Administration, and the National Women’s Business Council, in order to understand how women entrepreneurs access venture capital.

Latino Entrepreneurs Research

EurekaFacts participated in the development of a respondent panel for the 2018 LBAN survey. The Latino Business Action Network (LBAN) supports small businesses through its programs to scale Latino entrepreneurial firms and to research the state of Latino entrepreneurship in the United States.

Small Business Hospitality Industry Research

The J-1 Visa Summer Work Travel (SWT) Program supports small businesses. Research analysis, conducted by EurekaFacts on behalf of the Alliance for International Exchange, showed that SWT participants supplement the existing American workforce rather than competing for existing jobs with local workers. Key findings also showed that there was no statistical relationship between the number of SWT participants and U.S. youth unemployment rates.

 

About EurekaFacts

EurekaFacts delivers Smart Research Solutions for missions that matter. Since 2003, we have collaborated with government agencies, nonprofits, and corporations to support their efforts to influence consumer behavior and drive societal change. Through rigorous, unbiased data collection and advanced analytics, we provide actionable insight in response to their most vexing questions. Headquartered in the Washington, DC area, EurekaFacts is ISO 20252 certified to the highest quality standard in market and social research.

 

About Rockville Economic Development, Inc. (REDI)

Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Montgomery County (HCCMC)

The Hispanic Chamber of  Commerce Montgomery County (HCCMC) provides a forum for matters affecting Hispanics in business. HCCMC advocates on behalf of the organization’s membership to achieve economic, educational, and social equality under the law, ensuring a positive and inclusive public image of Hispanic-owned businesses.