Envision this – Businesses are operating at levels we haven’t seen since 2019. We are no longer hearing about the latest variant and the possibility of new restrictions. People are fully employed without worrying about the next outbreak.

What can we do to make this possible? The New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and 36 local and regional chambers throughout the state (North Essex Chamber being one of them) are urging employers to host on-site vaccine clinics for their employees and their families. Working with the NJ Department of health, we can work together to make this happen. READ MORE

As I write this, is it has been over 16 months since businesses were shut down due to the pandemic. Many businesses have returned but so many have closed permanently.

You can see signs of the economy returning to “normal.” There are fewer ‘for lease’ signs around commercial districts as new businesses open up. “Help wanted” signs are seen frequently in shop windows.

New Jersey businesses suffered severely from the pandemic but ultimately, it’s people who really paid the price. When businesses close, it’s the owner and the employees that are left without income. Businesses faced reductions in demand and disruptions in the supply chain. The situation highlighted the financial fragility of many businesses. Without a steady stream of revenue, businesses had only enough cash on hand to last a couple of months or a couple of weeks. The effects of all this linger on.

We must move forward. Our area’s economic health is dependent upon it, and our return to normalcy will not happen unless we work together to raise the vaccination rate.

Let’s get this done and get back to business as it once was.