“We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future.”
-  George Bernard Shaw

​As we enter our 95th year of service to the business community, the leadership and staff of the Greater Bethesda Chamber of Commerce take Mr. Shaw’s words to heart.  Our responsibility and future is NOW.  We have advocated for the Bethesda region during times of growth, recession, war, and change. We continue to advocate for business by providing a strong voice of clarity through the uncertainties and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve been a helping hand, a (virtual) shoulder to cry on, and an encourager, while providing clarity about the confusing maze of resources designed to help sustain businesses.

Happy Spring!  March marked the 1-year anniversary of the COVID-19 World-Wide Pandemic.  It’s hard to believe that it has been one year. At times, it felt like 10 years and in other aspects, it felt like the last 12 months flew by.
 
During that dreaded and fearful March of 2020, the Dow Jones Industrial Average had dropped by nearly 36%.  All of us were in fear for our health, our families, our children, our jobs and our savings.  With that historic market drop came a scary time for small businesses.  Restaurants that rely on patrons to enter their doors were forced to close. Some for numbered days while others forever. Every business in Bethesda (and worldwide) was affected in one way; most in a painful way. I remember putting my children to sleep one night in late March and just sitting outside their bedroom door, on the floor and wondering what will be.  What will become of our family, our community, our county and even what of our world.  I cried silently in the darkness of our home. That day I was not able to see the light.

Guest Blog by Mike Shelah, Director of Marketing and Business Development, Advantage Industries

Back in December 2020, My colleague Russell and I shared a webinar with Chamber members (you can watch it here https://youtu.be/Wsidf2Q-wYM ) about simple , effective and low cost cyber security tips that every business should follow.

Here is a hard truth, the days of having an “IT break fix guy” that puts out fires for you when something breaks are long gone. It is super easy for a hacker to steal your information today, you really need to be proactive and work with a team to keep everything up to date. That said, there is plenty you can do as a business owner to better protect your company, your data and your reputation.

Today, The Greater Bethesda Chamber of Commerce celebrates standing with our local business community for 95 years. We have advocated for the Bethesda region during times of growth, recession, war, and change.

​We continue to advocate for businesses, providing a strong voice of clarity through the uncertainties and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve been a helping hand, a (virtual) shoulder to cry on, and an encourager, while also providing clarity about the confusing maze of resources designed to help sustain businesses.