By Renee Schofield, CEO
As we are now in the holiday season, I want to take a moment to express my appreciation for the clients and communities that have supported TSS during enormously difficult times. I am so grateful for you. I also am grateful to my employees and family who made sacrifices to help TSS to continue fulfilling its safety mission.
The global pandemic has had a far-reaching impact on workplaces. Pandemic restrictions and concerns about infection and transmission, have kept consumers away, with devastating consequences for many businesses. Since March 2020, more than 160,000 small businesses have shut their doors permanently, according to data gathered by Yelp for its monthly Economic Impact Report. One in five small business owners say that they will have to close before the end of the year. Meanwhile, our local institutions and organizations are struggling to serve their constituents safely.
But not surprisingly, small businesses and communities are showing incredible strength and perseverance. TSS’s hometown of Ketchikan, AK, is a wonderful example of a community coming together to get through the coronavirus pandemic. We are taking care of each other and our local businesses.
TSS’s moment to be thankful came this fall in an opportunity to partner with the City of Ketchikan at a very challenging time. Together we utilized CARES Act funding to develop workplace training on prevention strategies and plans for COVID-19. It helped with the survival of our small business and allowed our certified safety specialists to give back by doing what we love: Using our expertise to help communities and workplaces stay safe!
In November, we were pleased to introduce our new online “COVID Clean, Taking Care of Business” course. This training is designed to help workplaces gain a full understanding of safety issues related to the coronavirus and develop the protocols needed to mitigate the risk of transmission.
Building trust is essential to bringing small businesses back, even as the pandemic continues. A COVID Clean certification from TSS, will show your employees, clients and community that you are committed to the highest health and safety standards when it comes to protecting them.
As part of our partnership agreement, the City of Ketchikan made scholarships available for the first 150 people in our community to take the course. This means local businesses and organizations are able to access COVID Clean at NO COST! If you are a Ketchikan area business, contact us at info@tss-safety.com to get your discount code. Then, register at tss-safety.com.
For organizations and companies outside of Ketchikan, this training offers best-practice business policies and health and safety guidelines, based on the science, for maintaining a COVID-free workplace and keeping your business doors open. To register, visit tss-safety.com.
TSS’s experience of working with our community and sharing our expertise with our neighbors, once again proves one of my favorite sayings: “Together, we can do great things.”