DuBOIS – Professionals at the North Central PA LaunchBox have made it their top priority to help business and industry navigate the challenges of the COVID-19 outbreak. Furthermore, LaunchBox staff members are already looking ahead to the end of quarantine, when they’ll help businesses in the region return to normal. To help meet that end, business owners and industry leaders are being asked to participate in a short survey to help identify their needs and concerns during this trying time, and into the future.
Some state legislators are already on board, encouraging regional businesses to participate in the survey and asking municipalities and counties to support the effort. State Representative Tommy Sankey (R-73, Clearfield/Cambria) has given his support to the LaunchBox initiative of reaching out to businesses to examine their needs saying, “We have to have a vision going forward. We don’t know how long the situation we’re in is going to last, but it won’t last forever. We have a responsibility to look ahead and keep the machine running. We need to help meet the desires of businesspeople in our region to get back to normal.”
State Representative Cris Dush (R-66, Jefferson/Indiana) added, “This is the perfect partnership to gather and put together the data that will help local and state officials come out the other side of this pandemic in the best way possible. This information will be essential in developing a direction that will help government both get out of the way, as well as help where needed.”
Serving the counties of Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Elk, Jefferson, Potter and McKean, the LaunchBox has developed this short, online survey to fully understand not only the initial ramifications of Covid-19 towards businesses, but also ongoing issues that may impact those businesses once they begin to reopen. This project has been in cooperation with several counties in the region including Cameron, Clearfield, and Jefferson, along with municipalities and regional resource partners.
North Central PA LaunchBox Director Brad Lashinsky said, “One of the concepts behind this project is to be able to examine the effects of COVID-19 on businesses from municipal, county, and regional levels. This will help local and county officials gain access to data that they can directly pass along in conversations with state and federal legislators to further help assist businesses through all stages of this pandemic.” Lashinsky continued, “Another benefit of this survey is being able to examine the effects of this pandemic on a regional level and to utilize the skills and assets associated with all the business resource partners in the region.”
Lashinsky further explained that hurdles presented by the pandemic are many, but the number of resource partners available to help guide businesses through this time are also numerous. Those partners are able to provide a wide variety of resources depending on the needs of businesses and the various ways they may be affected by the pandemic. Those partners include the North Central Regional Planning and Development Commission, Workforce Solutions of North Central PA, economic development commissions, the Clarion Small Business Development Center, chambers of commerce, the North West Industrial Resource Center, and others.
Lashinsky added, “This survey not only examines what impacts and opportunities businesses have witnessed and taken advantage of, but will also show what services are desperately needed moving forward as we leave the pandemic behind and get back to normal.”
To participate in the survey, visit https://pennstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0qc5R9Lu2yDdfCJ
For more information, contact the North Central PA LaunchBox at 814-372-3020 or ncpalaunchbox@psu.edu
Visit this link for additional business resources offered by the North Central PA LaunchBox and regional partners.