Significant national media attention has focused in the last week on a slew of right-wing protests, in states like Ohio, Idaho, and Michigan (among others), demanding that the country reopen in the midst of the worst pandemic in modern history. But we should understand what forces are driving these protests, and how they differ radically from demonstrations organized by individuals on the front-lines of the Covid-19 crisis who are engaged in their own progressive rebellion against corporate power and neoliberal politics.

To be clear, these recent right-wing demonstrations are largely a reiteration of old populist campaigns in support of limited government rhetoric and free market politics. They provide cover for reactionary efforts to enhance corporate power and profits via massive business bailouts during times of crisis, coupled with opposition to policies with the potential to benefit the many. The emerging right-wing protest narrative is a repetition of protest narratives about citizen empowerment that draw momentum from the saturation coverage that was afforded to the Tea Party movement and the Trump rebellion.

First things first. The economic and health-related protests that have occurred across the country are motivated by very real concerns for the lives of those on the frontlines of this crisis. The worker walkouts at Instacart, Amazon, and Whole Foods are driven by two primary concerns: a lack of sanitation and safety in workplaces amidst facilities with Covid-19 outbreaks, and the lack of adequate compensation (hazard pay) for working-class and working poor Americans who are risking their lives to provide vital goods and services to the public.

The protests and demonstrations that health care workers have engaged in across the country are motivated by a lack of access to adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) for medical professionals, who are the worst exposed in fighting the Covid-19 outbreak, and who have received little to no support from the Trump administration in terms of providing for potentially life-saving medical equipment.

Those engaged in rent strike activism throughout the country are demanding political action and rent moratoriums out of a direct concern with being evicted, through no fault of their own, in a time of rapidly rising unemployment, and when millions of Americans worry about not being able to pay for basic necessities such as food and shelter. All of the above motivations are substantively different from what were seeing in protests demanding to reopen states and end stay-at-home orders.

News outlets like the New York Times are repeating clichs about how right-wing shutdown protests are another manifestation of working-class resentment against the system. For example, the paper speculated on April 17 about Trumps efforts to foment dissent among Republicans in states with shutdown orders: openly supporting those who challenge the stay-at-home orders could help the president re-energize the coalition of conservative Republicans and working-class populists who agree with the anti-government sentiment that helped power Mr. Trumps election victory in 2016. This narrative persists, despite a comprehensive review of the research on Trumpism demonstrating that his working-class base was never financially insecure, and is not motivated by concerns with poverty and economic vulnerabilities.

The Guardian and Associated Press have now published detailed profiles on the political actors involved in these protests. These news outfits have spotlighted three types of groups at the forefront of the campaign to reopen American states: 1. Astroturf national pro-business groups, including Freedom Works and Americans for Prosperity; 2. Radical quasi-fascist and white nationalist groups, including the Proud Boys and militia activists; and 3. Conservative-Republican citizens groups that are primarily concerned with enhancing corporate power and promoting small government principles, rather than with helping those suffering most from Covid-19. I provide a detailed investigation of the groups below.

Astroturf National Groups

Faux citizens groups have been active for decades hoping to build support for a pro-business political agenda. For example, Americans for Prosperity (AFP) and Freedom Works both played instrumental roles in the Tea Party rebellion of the late 2000s and early 2010s. But as Ive documented at length, the Tea Party was an anemic movement. There was little evidence of active mobilization across the nation in local chapters, even at the height of the movement in 2010. Rather, pro-business groups like AFP and Freedom Works, operating under the billionaire Koch activist umbrella, were the primary face of a movement with goals of promoting free market politics and corporate power, and limiting potential government efforts to combat poverty and inequality.

Now these groups are leading the reopen America movement. AFPs motivations are clearly profit-related, as the group explicitly draws on concerns with lost economic activity, which are its primary motivation for trying to end state stay-at-home orders. As AFP argued in a recent press release: rather than blanket shutdowns, the government should allow businesses to continue to adapt and innovate to produce the goods and services Americans need, while continuing to do everything they can to protect the public health. Notice that concerns with public health were cited as secondary to profit interests, in AFPs own words.

As another Koch-network plutocratic business group, Freedom Works has adopted a similar approach. Its website laments state shutdown orders, which it argues contradict longstanding conservative principles of profit-making and limited government. Freedom of assembly, they argue, has been under attack due to the shelter-in-place orders. Weve essentially seen civil and economic liberties suspended in response to Covid-19. As Freedom Works argues: States must begin to reopen their economies and this disregard for civil liberties must end. One thing past crises have taught us is that when government whether its federal or state exerts new powers, its very difficult to wrestle them away. Its a question that comes up after every crisis, but some have wondered what America will look like after Covid-19.

That these groups have become some of the most visible political actors in the reopen America movement speaks poorly of these protests as a representation of citizen-based grassroots empowerment. AFP and Freedom Works have one primary goal: creating a suitable political environment thats conducive to private investment, profits, and unrestricted corporate power. By their own admission, they are not seeking to represent the interests of Americans including health care workers and low-paid service workers who are being hardest hit by the Covid-19 crisis.

Reactionary State Citizens Groups

Operating as an appendage to the larger plutocratic movement to reopen state economies are highly visible right-wing citizens groups. These groups are comprised of residents of the individual states affected by the stay-at-home orders. But their fringe views about reopening the economy, which are not shared by the vast majority of Americans (Republican or Democratic), are being strongly amplified by the heavy news coverage devoted to these protests. And these groups are primarily speaking on behalf of wealthy business interests, not the public, considering that the Covid-19 crisis will intensify if states reopen with a business-as-usual approach.

Among the groups most active in the push to reopen states, as the Guardian and AP report, are the Idaho Freedom Foundation, the Michigan Freedom Fund, and the Michigan Conservative Coalition, among others. These groups, like AFP and Freedom Works, value economic profits, growth, and a free market personal freedom agenda over concerns with public health and safety. In its press release against Idahos initial three-week stay-at-home order, Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF) lambasted the shutdown as imposing counterproductive government burdens that hurt individual rights and hamper economic growth. Residents of Idaho were being forced to surrender their freedom for the notion of security. Among the main points of protest against the shutdown, IFF includes that it was too sudden, too vague, too sweeping, that it overrides local control, and that it offers no exit strategy. Notice that concerns with the public health, with the dangers faced by health care workers, and with the rising desperation of poorer Americans who have been worst hit by Covid-19, are nowhere to be seen in this list of grievances. Rather, IFFs interests lie elsewhere, as seen in this declaration of principles, which is attached to its protest letter about Idahos Covid-19 shutdown: free market principles work and have served our state and country well. We maintain that our God-given rights, protected under the state and U.S. Constitutions, matter especially during a crisis.

The politics of other business-front citizens groups match those of IFF. The Michigan Freedom Fund (MFF) announces as part of its mission statement that it fights to champion conservative policies on behalf of Michigan taxpayers. We are committed to the principles of limited government, transparency in government, and the freedoms found in the Constitution. As related to Covid-19, the group has served as a sounding board for reactionary activists who were involved in the spearheading of the recent protests in Michigan, labeled Operation Gridlock, against Governor Gretchen Whitmers stay-at-home order. In a new interview posted on MFFs website, Operation Gridlock organizer and Michigan Conservative Coalition Chairwoman Meshawn Maddock explained the motivations behind her protest effort, which sought to spotlight Michigans managed economic disaster. The word managed is revealing, not only because it conspiratorially implies that the state governor is actively working toward destroying the states economy, but also because it runs contrary to widespread recognition among economic experts that, without stay-at-home orders that are needed to get the Covid-19 crisis under control, a return to normal economic activities is effectively impossible.

As a self-described small business owner, Maddock is motivated by concerns with the costs that the Michigan shut-down has imposed on economic activities, and the alleged threat it poses to personal freedoms the freedom to move around freely, for example, rather than the freedom not to contract or infect others with Covid-19. She attacks Governor Whitmer for putting a boot on the head of Michigan residents and for engaging in tyranny by restrict[ing] the movement of healthy people in the state. And her attacks on Whitmers shut down order are clearly not informed by any careful reading of the guidelines being issued by medical experts and the CDC. This much is apparent from her attack against medical professionals tracking the rapid spread of the virus, and her statement that it is not worth shutting down our economy based on a line graph. Rather than public health, Maddock is primarily concerned with the effect of the shutdown on business, as reflected in her warning that businesses right now are being bankrupted by bureaucrats here in Michigan.

As an outgrowth of Maddocks agenda, the Michigan Conservative Coalition (MCC) also operates as a pro-business group that opposes the state shutdown. MCC declares in its mission statement support for the principles that our Founding Fathers had laid out in the Constitution, and for shaping policy by helping to elect more conservatives to local elected positions and to the Michigan legislature, while openly allying with groups like Michigan Trump Republicans, who bill themselves as Trump loving Americans who are sick and tired of the political establishment and the political machine that is solely focused on tearing down our President and his agenda. MCCs own advertisement for Operation Gridlock targets Governor Whitmer for driving the state out of business, while spotlighting concerns with economic health, as related to local businesses which are going broke due to the shutdown. Governor Whitmer, MCC announces, is practicing tyranny via her radical and progressive agenda against the people (Covid-19 mitigation efforts are now apparently a radical-progressive agenda), and in blatant violation of state residents constitutional rights. Notice, again, that the primary concerns MCC lists emphasize business profiteering and highly abstract concerns with personal freedoms, based in right-wing principles of limited government.

White Nationalists and Militia Groups

A final front in the reopen America movement includes reactionary fringe groups committed to a variety of causes that are widely shunned by the vast majority of Americans. In Michigan, these include the Michigan Proud Boys and the Michigan Liberty Militia. There is little evidence that right-wing extremist groups are driven by concerns with economic insecurity. As Ive shown in previous research that draws on national polling data, self-described supporters of the alt-right white nationalist cause are not more likely to be economically insecure in their backgrounds, so income insecurity is not driving their political agenda. Rather, I show that these individuals are piped into radical right-wing media echo chambers, which appear to be the primary force that is fueling and reinforcing their extremism.

There is little reason most Americans should take the quasi-fascistic agendas of these fringe groups seriously, particularly in a time of public health crisis. As reports of the Proud Boys have documented, the group is an openly white nationalist/white supremacist force, notorious for its Islamophobic, racist, and misogynistic rhetoric. The group reinforced its fascist politics in Michigan, as news reporting documented their role in ambulance-blocking and shutting down other traffic in the states capitol of Lansing in protest of the states shutdown order. Similarly, the Michigan Liberty Militia is also an extremist group that, according to its own Facebook page, is primarily committed to protecting the unimpeded American right to assault weapons, amidst other positions including the promotion of xenophobia and racism, and support for violent rebellion and vigilante actions against government.

The rapidly rising salience of right-wing protests fits an established pattern that has played out repeatedly over the last decade in the U.S. news media: radically exaggerate the significance of the protests of a very small number of people, who reflect extremist and pro-business opinions that are rejected by most Americans, but who claim to speak in the name of the people. This narrative has been quite harmful to American political discourse, because it obscures the role that pro-business faux citizens groups have played in creating the false impression of a mass uprising against the status quo. The overlap of these right-wing protests with the Covid-19 economic crisis means that many journalists are likely to embrace the lazy argument that economic insecurity fosters right-wing political values. But as the review above suggests, the groups that are leading this small protest movement are not organizing in the name of the vulnerable, poor, or disadvantaged. Theyre mobilizing in favor of elitist principles of profit-making and corporate power, while embracing extremely general philosophical rhetoric about the need for small government and liberty. They do not represent the interests of the large majority of Americans, who embrace state-wide shutdowns to curtail the spread of Covid-19, and who are calling for massive federal intervention to provide financial assistance to Americans due to the Covid-19 crisis. Recognition of the fringe nature of these protests is vital moving forward, as we hear a constant drumbeat from the reactionary right about how Americans want free market and limited government responses to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Coronavirus and Rightwing Rebellion: Retreading a Tired Narrative - CounterPunch

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla., April 22, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ --Thelma L. Williams "Abercrumbia" is a minister, teacher, prayer warrior, and Bible study teacher, who is retired after serving twenty-four years in the US Air Force, the Air Force Reserves, and the Air National Guard. She has published her latest book "Entering into His Oneness": a deeply personal memoir of her spiritual journey toward a closer relationship with God.

Thelma L. Williams wrote the book, "Entering into His Oneness" one day after experiencing a closet conversation with the Holy Spirit. She cried out her soul unto the Lord and asked Him this question, "Lord, how can I know you in the power of your resurrection according to Philippians 3:10?" She had felt years of suffering from the enemy's strongholds, and now after total deliverance, she writes this book, "Entering into His Oneness" to share with her readers how she overcame later obstacles in life.

Thelma believes in unity and sound doctrine. It is what she wants her readers to experience from her book. She says it is like having manna from heaven, and the people who eat (read) will sustain nourishment from His Word, so they can be purposeful as God is edified. She is purposefully equipped with the necessary power, gifts, and calling for a victorious life. Thelma has encouraged many by sharing her testimony. She now wants to share with everyone who will read her book that they, too, can enter into His Oneness and become one with God and obtain His wealth, strength and empowerment, but more importantly, they can discover God's wonderful and perfect plan for their life in this present season. It is incredible and exciting, and it will transform one's life.

Thelma writes, "You, too, may know God in this extraordinary power. You can truly understand how God causes us to forget those things that are behind and move toward His glorious Oneness and pass it on to others. God's blessings are constantly flowing for all who are under His covenant and His Oneness. May all be blessed who read this book and enter into His Oneness." Published by Page Publishing, Thelma L. Williams "Abercrumbia"'s thought-provoking book is an invaluable resource for spiritual contemplation. Readers who wish to experience this engaging work can purchase"Entering into His Oneness" at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors' books, including distribution in the world's largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Page's accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues to focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.

SOURCE Page Publishing

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Author Thelma L. Williams's new book "Entering into His Oneness" is a devotional text exploring the role of faith in her life and her...

Princess Hend Faisal Al Qassemi ---Hend as she reminds an interviewer (Hind) means India--- has certainly got India on her toes with a series of tweets that has had powerful businessmen in the UAE scrambling to delete hateful tweets, even as she reminds us of Gandhi, and the power of love. She has got the twitter industry that dominates social media in this part of the world on attention, with the normally aggressive trolls holding theirbreath.

For Qassemi, from the UAE royal stock, is one of the several members of the Arab elite and intellectuals who have taken to Twitter to remind India of her democratic credentials, and warn those indulging in hate speech and threats against the Indian Muslims. But this is not the only reason for the pause, as Qassemi herself is a well known figure in international circles, a recognised name in the fashion industry with her House of Hend, a big name in the magazine world as the editor of Velvet, a Royal herself who was married into royalty until she separated with quiet dignity, an author with short stories in the Black Box of Arabia in her kitty.

Wearing a hijab she is a champion of womens empowerment, bold in her speech, and firm in her views. Her interviews in the past reveal her passion for equality, but not in the strict feminist kind wherein she sees a balanced role for both men and women. She quotes Margaret Thatcher to say that if you want to solve a problem give it for discussion to the men, and for action to the women. She rules the fashion industry without giving up the hijab, but the covers of Velvet do not compromise with the elements that make it a recognised magazine in the exclusive and top end of haute couture.

And yet she does not appear to be a woman of contradiction, secure in herself as her rise in the industry, and her endless interests and passions show. She comes from a family where her mother--Royalty of course---went on to become the principal of a school and her father a medical doctor, moved to establish a chain of hospitals. So as she has told interviewers in the past, she comes from a working family, where her parents were co-dependent on each other, and worked together to create an environment where the girl felt empowered and not discriminated. Interestingly, she got her business flair from her grandmother who was widowed at 19 years with two daughters, started a business and taught herself over the years. Qassemi recalls somewhere that she remembers hearing her grandmother pronouncing words and teaching herself at the age of 50 years, a no mean feat that.

She is bright and fashionable, high end of course but with a passion that is visible on her social media pages and her interviews and speeches across the world. A proud Emirati, she harps on love and peace and humanity even as she rubs shoulders naturally with the top end of nations across the world. She professes a love for India, and as she says in one of her more recent tweets she cannot keep away from Bollywood and cheese naan. In school she had friends from India as well as across the globe, has visited the country, seems to have an insight into its working and yet is not hesitant to say that hate speech will not be tolerated or accepted. That her views have backing from the top is clear from the quiet acceptance of her views within the UAE, and that as other intellectuals joining her in the campaign have pointed out the staggering numbers of Indians working in the Gulf itself should be a reminder of possible consequences. At the same time she takes care to point out in a tweet that the laws against this apply equally to nationals and those working in the UAE.

Princess Hend Al Qassimi @LadyVelvet_HFQ

UAE law applies on nationals and non-nationals in terms of hate speech.

Her The Biack Book of Arabia should have been controversial but was not. As she tells an interviewer, she has been fortunate as while she is drowned in messages very few are negative. The book is a compilation of short stories and as she says in an interview around its release, well, in the black box are all the secrets, the untold stories, the facts. So that why I called my debut The Black Book of Arabia. Theres no fanfare, theyre often just the result of hearing these incredible, sometimes secret, tales and wanting to tell them straight. And she has done that and in the process made it clear to the world that Arab women are not to be trampled upon, they are not submissive, but in their sorrow there is also empowerment.

Born in 1984, Qassemi has established herself as a woman of substance, out there in the world with dignity, and not one to be messed around with. She was married into the royal family, separated with dignity, has a son and is said to be now fighting for his custody. Hers too is a personal tale of some struggle, but one that she has very consciously and deliberately kept out of the public view. She does not come through as bitter in her writings, or her interviews, but positive about moving ahead with the emancipation of women her theme. Those who know her respect her, find her very interesting and firm in her views. A painter, an architect, a writer, a fashion designer, a business woman there is little that she has not dabbled with.

So when Qassemi speaks she is heard. She says it as it is and her decision to warn those using Arab soil to mount a hate campaign is not meaningless. She has virtually led the latest Twitter charge against hate speech and action and without being soppy laid out a bottom line through her tweets. One, that hate is unacceptable, two, that India should remember Gandhi, three, that the UAE will exhibit zero tolerance for such posts from within their region, four, that she loves India and will continue to do so. She takes care not to exult when tweets are deleted and instead tweets, The UAE and India are old friends, the few ignorant extremists will not affect relations between the two rising nations. Let us be an example of love instead of hate. Why demolish what you can build. Besides, I like my Bollywood movies and cheese naan too much to stay away.

She was in India last February (cover photograph) zipping through Chennai in an autorickshaw after inaugurating pilots in hijab' service where women and transgenders join the men to drive this public transport across the city. Her visit did not make the headlines outside the city but the Womens pride icon on the M Auto Pride application that she launched. clearly fits in with her larger commitments.

A Princess to watch out for.

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A Princess to Watch Out For - The Citizen

Since 2006, Rubina Nafees Fatimas Hyderabad-based organisation, SAFA, has helped thousands of women earn livelihoods through skill training. It has empowered several others with guidance on health, hygiene and low-cost nutrition. This year, they have a bigger challenge at handtheyre working with daily wagers and migrant communities and ensuring their safety and survival.

In partnership with Youth Feed India, a citizens group tackling hunger and food wastage, SAFA is working across multiple cities including Hyderabad, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Delhi and Gurugram, to distribute dry ration packs to daily wagers, sex workers and transgender communities. Till date, they have distributed 48,000 relief kits across India, which have helped 2,40,000 individuals. Their work has found support in tennis player Sania Mirza, who helped them raise Rs 1.25 crore in funds in March. Apart from personal donations and fundraising, theyve also set up a petition with the government and other grant bodies. By the end of April, the organisation aims to raise Rs 5 crore, that would provide ration packs for five lakh people.

Nafees Fatima is cognizant of the fact that the issues on the ground will not end with the pandemic. We are working with daily wagersthe fruit vendors and tea sellers. Their one source of income has now closed down. Most of these families are already in debt not from banks or nationalised institutions, but petty money lenders who charge interest as high as 40 per cent. She continues, Just a couple of days ago, I heard about an autorickshaw driver who said he had to start driving again or he wont have money to buy petrol. Thats how bad it is.

While relief work is taking place at the NGO and government levels, many of these individuals dont have the means to access it. 30 per cent of the urban poor dont have a Jan Dhan account, through which the PM National Relief Fund is being distributed. Most of the migrant worker population isnt even documented. We are running surveys in all our communities to help them get linked to the account and avail the benefits of government schemes, she says.

What brings Nafees Fatima closer to the cause is the fact that a large part of this urban poor population affected in Hyderabad are the women and their families associated with SAFA. The organisation works towards the socio-economic empowerment of women and education of the girl child, whilst retaining the cultural fabric of the communities it is working in, according to their literature. The bit at the end is very important, stresses Nafees Fatima. Her father served in the Indian Army and she grew up in an extremely secular kind of an atmosphere, travelling across the country due to the postings.

But in male-dominated communities the organisation works in, trying to change existing structures and values could mean the end of their work there. Its slow and challenging work. For all the stories of women she's been able to empower, Nafees Fatima recalls a girl, who she supported since she was in fourth grade, was sold off by her mother into a physically and sexually abusive marriage. With some help, she eventually walked out of the marriage, got a divorce, and now at 25, works as a receptionist at a prominent hotel. But I couldnt stop the marriage from happening or her being sold off. Shes been my success, but its also a story of my failure, she says.

The pandemic, she believes, will likely cause an uptick in the cases of sex trafficking, especially in high-risk single women communitiesdivorced and abandoned women with children, who will end up in sex trade for lack of resources. SAFA is looking at a small capital infusion that will help them start afresh post the crisis. For this, theyve set up a sustenance fund of Rs 5,000 for three months, along with the ration kit.

The job is not easy, but Nafees Fatima finds strength in core family tenets. I grew up with four sisters, and for women to be empowered was a top priority in my family. I was very influenced by my grandfather. He was the kind of person whod say, Dont go for weddings, but if someones sick in the family, you must visit them. That has really stayed with me; that you need to be there for people who need your help.

As we self-isolate with our pantries stocked with essentials and little luxuries and wonder what well buy first when things get back to normal, it pays to bear in mind that for some, normal wont look anything like ours. Rubina Nafees Fatima knows this and will be there to help those who need it the most.

Vogue Warriors shines the spotlight on the women at the medical frontlines and essential servicesdoctors, nurses, scientists, innovatorsalongside behind-the-scene heroes working tirelessly to help us through the ongoing pandemic.

Vogue Warriors: Meet the 38-year-old mother who founded the community-driven Caremongers India

Meet the Vogue Warriors: The 3 women of science behind Indias first COVID-19 testing kits

Vogue Warriors: Meet the real heroes behind-the-scenes and on-the-frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic

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Vogue Warriors: Meet the social entrepreneur who is mobilising resources for the most vulnerable during the COVID-19 crisis - VOGUE India

Industry consultant Bob Tullio (www.tullioB2B.com) is a content specialist who advises operators in the convenience services industry on how to build a successful business from the ground up.

By mid-March, operators of all sizes in every part of country felt liketheir businesses had been pushed off a cliff. The fall was both quick and unexpected. There was little time to grieve the loss of prosperity. For the true entrepreneurs in our industry, it was time to act.

Having personally experienced the business impact of riots, earthquakes, 9/11, wildfires, the dotcom bust and the Great Recession, cost cutting is job #1 and raising capital is job #2 when facing a major business crisis. In this unusual health related crisis, ensuring the safety of employees and clients jumped right to the top of the list.

As New York based Judson Kleinman points out, theres never been anything like theCOVID-19 crisis in any of our lifetimes. Compared to other catastrophes that impacted our business, nothing ever happened so fast, so deeply, with so much deterioration, virtually overnight. Everything stopped everywhere, and unlike 9/11 and Hurricane Sandy, the condition is ongoing. There is no quick recovery, said Kleinman, CEO of Corporate Essentials.

Having experienced the brutal punch of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Rob Jessup, now branch manager of First Choice Coffee Service in Washington, D.C., notes that every branch is on their own in a global crisis. With Katrina, we could at least look to other unaffected branches to help us and help support the company, said Jessup, who has about 20% of clients still open for business.

With the immediate needs of clients under control, Jessup and his team are focusing on revamping routes for greater efficiency, riding with route drivers to improve their skills and focusing on sales training for account executives. We are doing a lot of planning, trying to anticipate the changing needs of our clients once they start coming back to the office, he said.

Clearly, the safety of our team members, our customers and their familiesthat's our top priority, said Arthur Siller, VP ofoperationsandbusinessdevelopment at Avanti Markets Northwest. We took a very proactive approach acting on that and communicating that message to our clients.

Our first approach was reaching out to our clients with an official letter explaining what steps we were taking internally and what steps and procedures we were taking in their specific location to ensure safety and sanitization,he remarked. We even posted our specific procedures at the locations we are serving. We want clients to know they can trust us and that our standards, which we consider excellent, will be maintained at an even higher level.

Siller said his company has developed training programs, is practicing strict sanitization procedures, has placed restrictions on business travel, is emphasizing social distancing and anyone who is showing symptoms of any kind must stay at home, he added. Another step we've takenwe've had our suppliers provide a letter outlining what procedures they are taking to ensure the safety of their products and ultimately the safety of our employees and our clients.

For C.J. Recher and his team at Five Star FoodService in Chattanooga, Tenn., the focus is on transparency both externally and internally.

Weve put out multiple memos and updates to both our employees and our customers, said Recher, who noted that Five Star created a COVID-19response page on their website with company updates, links and information from NAMA, the CDC andstatehealthdepartments. Weve communicated all updates on social media as well specifically letting our customers know were an essential business and still here to serve them now more than ever.

Recher found that his clients reacted positively to their proactive approach. Our clients are appreciative that we are here to support their business and their hardworking people through these challenging times, he said. Lots of goodwill and loyalty is being built."

Siller has seen a similar experience with his clients. As a result of being so transparent, our clients are more trusting of our service and they are very thankful in many cases that we have taken such a proactive approach, he said.

Every operatorwhowas interviewed agreed that the need for their services is particularly intensified in businesses that are open right now. For those customers that are still open and coming to the office, we've in some ways become their only source of food and beverage during working hours, saidSiller.Stores are closed, restaurants are closed, they are not leaving the office and not everyone can afford to have food delivered every meal.

In many ways, it is exciting as a manager to help navigate your company through a challenge like this, said Jessup. We are going to adapt to client needs. If they feel better with a different type of equipmentbrewer or waterwe will get it for them, because they need to feel safe.

For Kleinman, it is another chapter in his entrepreneurial journey. Im optimistic. We have overcome challenges before,he said. When you have a good team of people around you, that helps. Unfortunately, some operators will not survive. At the same time, this crisis will make us operate more efficiently and we will see some new revenue opportunities emerge.

Industry consultant Bob Tullio (www.tullioB2B.com) is a content specialist who advises operators in the convenience services industry on how to build a successful business from the ground up. As he is a recognized industry expert in business development and sales, NAMA hired him to write and narrate the new online course,Selling Convenience Services,which is now available. Use discount code B2B10 for an instant discount and for free access to upcoming Q & A Webinars from Tullio in the coming months.Here is a free sample of the course.

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Operators Show Strength And Initiative In The Face Of COVID-19 - VendingMarketWatch

Most salespeople believe they are ethical and committed to customer success. Our mantra: Treat customers like you would like to be treated. If we could, wed brush our teeth thrice daily with these words.

Unfortunately, companies worshipping at the Maximize Shareholder Value altar have trashed and trampled this ideal. Wells Fargo, VW, and Purdue Pharma come to mind. Theyre not alone. If ex-CEOs John Stumpf (Wells), Martin Winterkorn (VW), and Richard Sackler (Purdue) rightfully earned anything, its widespread scorn. For salespeople, this is vindicating. Too often, CXOs sow stakeholder harm from headquarters, while the frontline sales force does the dirty work out in the field. Expectedly, the salesperson is the first target for customer rage.

The first car dealership in the US opened in 1898. Were early car sales reps sleazy and aggressive? Or did they become that way through circumstance? Nobody today wags a shaming finger at former industry executives whose sales strategies created that ugly archetype. The result of saturating territories with dealerships and forcing the owners to accept quotas of slow-selling vehicles to get the hot selling ones. When people opine cruddy car buying experiences, look no further than the CXOs of the major auto manufacturers as the visionary architects for everything wrong in buyer-seller engagement. And like a stain that wont wash out, its lasted into 2020.

Stereotyping has a benefit, however. Casting salespeople in any industry as slick and manipulative means that our minds dont get encumbered processing deeper understanding. In fact, the putative pushy sales rep is more an artifact of his environment, and less a reflection on his personal character. Contrary to what many believe, greedy ostentatious people are not inherently drawn to the sales profession. Nor do they flock to car selling in particular. Show me a manipulative, aggressive, or unethical sales behavior, and Ill show you a training program that encouraged it, a pay plan that motivated it, a manager that demanded it, and a company that accepted it. Unless we enjoy hearing others rant about slimy salespeople, we must stop blaming the victim, and fix what truly needs fixing.

Importantly, not every revenue scandal involves the sales force. Enrons scheme began in the CFOs office. VWs emissions-cheating scheme was hatched deep in the bowels of its engineering department. Turing Pharmaceuticals predatory price gouging was the brainchild of its profit-obsessed CEO, Martin Shkreli. In 2018, he was sentenced to seven years in prison.

But all too frequently, we find Sales close to the epicenter of ethical havoc, the linchpin in the sharp-fanged mechanism for repeatable, scalable deceit. That wouldnt happen if the sales force werent attractive for exploitation.

Five key reasons:

1. The sales force holds a unique position of trust with a companys customers. The easiest way to begin a scam is to usurp existing trust.

2. Most sales forces have variable compensation based on revenue attainment. Pay-for-performance significantly influences behavior.

3. Draconian penalties for under-performance. In many organizations, quota shortfalls can result in termination.

4. Sales culture stifles dissent, and champions conformity. Those who voice ethical concerns are often maligned as whiners or not team players.

5. Sales roles have become de-skilled through Artificial Intelligence, making salespeople easier to replace.

Among the recent cases where the sales force was caught in a customer scandal:

AmEx Staff Misled Small-Business Owners to Boost Card Sign-Ups

High-flying Medical Firm, a Help to Wounded Veterans, Falls to Earth

American Express Gave Small Businesses One Rate, then Secretly Raised it

Deceptive Sales Tactics Secretly Recorded

Although each of these scandals involved the sales force, the genesis of their eventual resolution defies the ugly stereotype attributed to salespeople. Instead, what connects these stories is that each incident was exposed by a salesperson calling out management abuse- not the other way around.

Its tragic to learn that in at least three of the cases, it was the sales rep who was fired for taking a principled stand, and not someone higher in the organization. In the instance of the AmEx credit card deceit, When human-resources staff reached out to the employees manager, he denied the saleswomans allegations and said she was underperforming. The employee later left the company. The manager was later promoted. Whoever said righteousness will always prevail never worked in Sales.

What can companies do to protect customers, other stakeholders, and themselves?

1. Establish the right culture and model ethical behavior. CXOs must talk the talk, and walk the walk.

2. Hire for the right sales attributes. Stop relying on what was your biggest sale? and how much did you W-2 last year? as proxies for selling talent. Instead or in addition ask the candidate to describe an personal ethical selling dilemma, how he or she managed it, and whether the outcome was fair.

3. Embed ethics training into professional development programs, and foster discussion about it in internal meetings. That should include guiding staff into how to raise issues and advocate for themselves when they feel uncomfortable about a strategy, tactic, process, or policy.

4. Establish formal mechanisms for reporting, documenting, and mitigating ethical matters in the workplace.

5. Above all, make it safe for employees to speak and exercise their values. Employees who fear retaliation for speaking up when something feels wrong are unlikely to do so. That is a risk that no company can afford.

When it comes to getting dragged into committing scams, salespeople are sitting ducks for management manipulation. Its appalling that sales training companies havent moved to protect salespeople the very group they purportedly serve. Why havent they embedded content to help salespeople and their managers navigate moral ambiguity in customer engagements? Why dont their course materials offer business development staff guidance to advocate for themselves whenever their values and instincts about the right thing to do are confronted?

Instead, they send legions of trainees into the workplace who appear adept at closing the deal but are woefully unprepared to stand up to an unscrupulous boss. I surveyed the websites of three prominent training companies Sandler, Richardson, and Janek and found ethics unaddressed across the board. Businesses might get a revenue lift from their training, but I wonder whether customers might be paying a price for the love sales training companies lavish on the top line of the income statement.

Treating customers like you would like to be treated and focusing on revenue are not incongruent goals. If you need to learn how to do both, ask a salesperson. They know how.

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Why Good Salespeople Do Bad Things. And How They Can Avoid Going Astray - Customer Think

Barry Lynch: looking forward to seeing some progressive three-year-olds he bought

Tattersalls

County Cork-basedbloodstock agent and breeder Barry Lynchtells us about how he is managing both personally and professionally with theEurope-wide lockdown to halt the spread of the coronavirus

How is life ticking over for you at the moment?

Despite the world coming to a standstill life has been ticking over nicely. My family have stayed healthy and the weather has been kind to us in the last month.

I've had a few nice foals and some of our mares are covered again. Generally speaking we've just been trying to keep as busy and prepared as possible for when racing and sales kick off again.

With no racing or sales in Europe at present, your scope to do business must be limited. What are you doing instead?

Business has been challenging but I'm still working on buying horses privately and I've been keeping in touch with clients and trainers.

I've managed to pick up several breeding prospects and horses in training but it has been difficult and the logistics of doing business are greatly hampered.

I'm also making sure that the admin, accounts, website and so on are up to date as I'm hopeful that when racing restarts we'll see plenty of trade.

All the sale companies have been working tirelessly to re-arrange the sale dates, schedules and locations. Hopefully, I'll be able to support the sales by buying some good two-year-olds in training when the market opens up.

What's your view on online sales, if they had to happen in Europe this year?

Inglis Easter earlier this month showed that online sales are workable and if they do happen in Europe this year I'll be doing my best to take part.

It's important for agents that we're able to see the horses in the flesh to get a feel for them, but if we can manage that somehow, coupled with all the other information that we're able to attain online breeze videos, conformation photos and vet information I feel it would be a suitable remedy to overcome the coronavirus restrictions.

More importantly, for sales to restart we need racing to restart. Without racing it will be very hard to make the sales work.

Are you keeping in contact with clients and trainers?

I'm still in contact with trainers, to check in with how clients' horses are working, and then informing clients about their progress. I'll also be making tentative enquiries with clients about getting involved in the breeze-up sales.

Do you think there will be any positives to come out of the crisis eventually?

I thought is was very innovative of Arqana and Goffs UK to join forces by staging their breeze-up sales together in Ireland. It showed that our industry is willing to pull together for the greater good when our backs are up against the wall.

They're giving the breeze-up consignors a solid opportunity to provide a good sale. We're going to see a focus on online bidding, and more internet data such as videos, photos and measurements, which are all good steps in improving the selling of horses in future whether the coronavirus is here or not.

In difficult times it's often hard to see the outcome as positive but the racing industry has overcome lots of obstacles and recessions in the past. It can bounce back as quickly as it dips.

On a personal level, how are you keeping yourself busy during lockdown?

I have a few mares that I own in partnership with my father. We've been busy covering and making sure the foals are progressing well.

Outside of work, I got back running and spending some quality time with my family. It's a big change from previous years as I would normally have been travelling for work in late February and March.

Any film, TV or book recommendations to share to get through home confinement?

Peaky Blinders is always a good watch, but the kids seem to take over the TV so Fireman Sam, Peppa Pig and Paw Patrol have been the staple through lockdown!

A book I can recommend is As The Crow Flies by Jeffrey Archer. Its a fascinating story with multiple twists and turns.

What are you most looking forward to when racing returns?

Racing cannot come back soon enough. There are several progressive three-year-olds I've bought who could have a good year ahead in Bodyline (with Sir Mark Prescott), Animal Instinct (with Sir Mark again), Schroders Mistake (with Ken Condon) and Elusive King (another with Ken).

I'm also excited by the two-year-olds I bought as yearlings who are due to run, including a Kingman colt out of Merry Jaunt with Sir Mark, a Starspangledbanner filly out of Condensed in training with Joseph OBrien and a fast Territories colt with Michael Dods all good examples.

It will be great getting back on the sales and racing scene, where I have some great friends and colleagues. We'll be able to leave this pandemic behind us and have a much better appreciation for racing having been starved of it for such a long while.

Readmore Life in Lockdown Q&As with industry figures

Tim Lane: 'Working with horses does you the world of good in these times'

Jerry Horan: 'My sister butchered my haircut. I think it was payback'

Violet Hesketh and Mimi Wadham: 'Social distancing isn't hard - just lonely!'

Henry Beeby: 'Nick Nugent and I have entered a beard growing competition'

Charles O'Neill: 'ITM will be ready to go when the markets open up again'

Freddy Powell: 'We're improving our online sale platform in case it's needed'

Bumble Mitchell: 'Online sales could be tricky for outlying studs like mine'

David Stack: 'I had to give a garda a lesson about the birds and the bees'

Colm Sharkey: 'I've been torturing myself trying to sort out my golf swing'

Rachael Gowland: 'I didn't realise how much I loved racing until I couldn't go'

Sam Hoskins: 'I've been listening to endless Cold War podcasts on my tractor'

Niamh Spiller: 'Video calls are very important to keep everyone motivated'

Jamie Lloyd:'Staff have had all their own gear labelled, even wheelbarrows'

Michel Orlandi: 'The stallions are flying and that gives me great hope'

Richard Venn: 'The French are in a good position to get back racing sooner'

Tim Kent: 'It's difficult to plan when we don't know when racing will resume'

Russell Ferris: 'Weatherbys had contingency plans that we activated at once'

Grant and Tom Pritchard-Gordon: 'Inglis Easter has kept us busy since January'

Peter Hockenhull: 'The social side of meeting and chatting to breeders is gone'

Polly Bonnor: 'We've fulfilled every feed order, including all our exports'

Richard Lancaster: 'We're fortunate that some Shadwell staff live on site'

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Barry Lynch: 'The industry has often bounced back as quickly as it dipped' - Racing Post

L to R: Joseph Huling, Keith Kramlich (Photos: Takeuchi-U.S.)

Takeuchi-U.S. promoted two employees in its organization: Keith Kramlich takes over as national product and training manager, while Joseph Huling fills Kramlichs previous role as national service and warranty manager, effective immediately.

For Kramlich, this is his second promotion since he was hired in 2016 as a regional service manager. In his new position as national product and training manager, his main responsibility is overseeing product development, which includes supervising, managing and developing the product and training department.

Additionally, he will support corporate sales efforts by establishing business partnerships with dealers and distributors to provide exceptional product, training and support for them and their customers who have purchased or use Takeuchi products.

Huling was promoted from his previous position as the northeast regional service manager, which he held since he started at Takeuchi in late 2017. As national service and warranty manager, his main responsibilities include managing Takeuchi regional service managers to ensure they are providing service support in their respective regions, reviewing all warranty claims and providing final approval. Additionally, Huling will monitor failure trends to expedite solutions and calculate and review warranty costs, developing plans to reduce costs.

Kramlich has a degree in specialized diesel technology and applied service management from Wyoming Technical Institute. Huling has a bachelors degree in business administration and management from Brenau University.

The Andersons added Clint Formby to its Plant Nutrient Group to serve as territory manager for the professional turf business.

Formby will manage the distribution of The Andersons turf and ornamental products in the south-central region of the U.S.

Formby has more than 15 years of experience in the lawn and landscaping industry. He comes to The Andersons from SePRO, and he has held management positions with Native Texas Nursery and Regal Chemical Company, serving nursery, sports turf and landscape markets throughout Texas.

Formby earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas.

Ruppert Landscape made four personnel moves in the companys landscape construction division.

Jim Tuzzolino has been promoted to the position of division regional vice president.

He has more than 20 years of experience in the landscape construction industry and has been with Ruppert for almost 15 years. He first joined the company as an intern while attending SUNY Cobleskill, where he earned a bachelors degree in wildlife management. He has held many positions during his Ruppert career including production manager in the Maryland branch, operations manager in both Maryland and Virginia and most recently as branch manager in Virginia.

In his new role, he will support landscape construction division operations, specifically overseeing the Virginia and North Carolina branches, working closely with those teams to ensure continued improvement and success.

Mike Ryan has been promoted to fill the role of branch manager in the Virginia landscape construction branch.

He has more than 20 years of industry experience and holds a bachelors degree in horticulture from Virginia Tech. He joined Ruppert in 2015 as production manager in Virginia and was quickly promoted when the position of operations manager became available only a year later.

In his new role, he will oversee all landscape construction operations in the companys Virginia branch, which covers projects primarily in the Northern Virginia and D.C. markets. His responsibilities include planning, budgeting and personnel development within his region as well as ensuring customer satisfaction.

Brad Matthews has been promoted to fill the role of operations manager in the Virginia landscape construction branch.

He has been with Ruppert for more than 15 years, having joined the company straight out of Mississippi State University where he studied construction management. Since then, he has held almost every position on the landscape production side of the business, most recently as project manager.

Anne Kawecki has been tasked with taking on the role of business development manager in the Virginia landscape construction branch.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Marymount University and was an interior designer and co-owner of a vintage and repurposed home furnishings store in Southern Maryland before joining the companys Virginia branch in early 2019 as an assistant project manager.

The Manufacturing Institute named Lorraine Amesbury Holder, vice president of operations for Stihl, as an honoree for its 2020 STEP Ahead Awards.

Prior to her promotion to vice president of operations in 2018, Holder served as the director of manufacturing for Stihl for 10 years. She is passionate about skilled trades and educating others about the viable opportunities available in the industry.

The eighth annual STEP Ahead Awards recognizes women in science, technology, engineering and production who exemplify leadership within the manufacturing industry.

Husqvarna appointed Robert M. McCutcheon as president of North America for Husqvarna Division, effective June 1.

Prior to joining Husqvarna North America, McCutcheon served as president and managing director of the Americas for Britax Child Safety in Fort Mill, S.C. Bringing more than 23 years of experience and expertise in consumer products, he has led successful business growth initiatives through innovation, marketing and operational excellence. McCutcheons background includes positions with Conagra Brands, Walmart and Britax.

McCutcheon is succeeding Earl Bennett who served the company both as legal counsel and president of the North American division. He has been instrumental in building a strong organizational and business platform for the future growth of Husqvarna in North America.

Kyle Renninger will join Anuvia Plant Nutrients as CFO.

In his new position, Renninger will be a senior executive responsible for managing financial actions and planning and analyzing the companys financial status. As Anuvia CFO, Renninger will use his skills in finance to advance market growth of Anuvias innovative, biobased and sustainable products, including SymTRX for agriculture.

Renninger brings 15 years of experience in his career leading the financial analysis and planning for global agricultural businesses. Most recently, Renninger worked as CFO for Arysta LifeScience Corp., overseeing the North America, Australia and New Zealand business units. During his time with Arysta, Renninger served as marketing manager for U.S. Herbicides, financial planning and analysis manager, manager of sales and operations analysis and reporting, senior financial analyst and cost accountant/cost analyst. His background also includes various cost accounting and manufacturing analysis positions for IBM.

Renninger holds a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from Penn State University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Campbell University. He is also a Certified Management Accountant (CMA).

Sennebogen appointed Greg Roberts as tree care manager for the manufacturers new line of tree care handling machines.

As tree care manager, Roberts undertakes the responsibility for growing and managing the companys tree care division including the Sennebogen 718 and 738 tree handlers. His role will be to deliver field-based customer service including application support to end users, dealer development, sales training and product demonstration.

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People on the Move: Promotions and hirings from Takeuchi-US, The Andersons and more - Landscape Management magazine

Ajoy Chawla, CEO of the jewellery division at Titan, tells Samreen Ahmad that the company is gearing up to train nearly 25,000 people in Titan's ecosystem in two weeks to restart post-lockdown work.

Titans jewellery division, which accounts for about 80 per cent of the companys total revenue, reported a dip of 5 per cent in revenue in March because of the Covid-19 lockdown. The company is now preparing to roll out a digital initiative for customers who want to buy gold during Akshaya Tritiya, which is around the corner. Ajoy Chawla, chief executive officer (CEO) of the jewellery division at Titan, tells Samreen Ahmad that the company is gearing up to train nearly 25,000 people in Titans ecosystem in two weeks to restart post-lockdown work. Edited excerpts:

What are Titans plans for Akshaya Tritiya, which will occur during lockdown this year?

Akshaya Tritiya is the second most important event for us in terms of sales after Dhanteras. We reached out to our customers who are typically Akshaya Tritiya buyers and found out that 54 per cent of them actually want to buy during the occasion even if it is a token purchase. Since gold appreciates in value, people are also seeing wisdom in hedging and parking money in gold as a safe haven. The business community is positive towards it. Even the salaried class is beginning to see gold as an interesting asset class.

ALSO READ: Coronavirus LIVE: WHO says worst is still ahead; Mumbai cases top 3,000

So, what offers will be rolled out for these customers?

This time its going to be an e-Akshaya Tritiya as the stores are shut till May 3. Our central warehouse is in Hosur and unless we reach our warehouse we will not be able to commence deliveries. However, we have opened online to book orders and will take 100 per cent advance from customers and deliver to them whenever we can at the earliest. We are giving up to 25 per cent off on making charges on gold as well as studded jewellery. We are also running a gold coin scheme which enables customers to lock in and protect the current gold rate. If one wants to buy 25 grams worth of gold, he can buy in the form of gold coins today. These gold coins can be redeemed against future jewellery purchase any time up to November 30. The making charges on gold coins that we charge upfront now will be set off against the making charges of the jewellery that they buy later. We have also put together a back-end team, which is in touch with customers. Buyers can finalise a product and the moment our staff are allowed to go into stores, our sales executives will try on the jewellery for the buyer using a video based approach. Also, if you pick a product but on physical receipt it doesnt work out, then you can exchange it till June end.

How is the company coping with the slump in demand?

Jewellery demand will not be as badly hit as other discretionary products such as garments and shoes as it appreciates in value. Every consumer facing company is going through a tough time. Our sales lost during the lockdown period will not come back. There will be deferred demand for wedding buys as customers will delay wedding purchases to may be the second or third quarter. There is also pent-up demand, which happens during birthdays and anniversaries. No one can predict how this will play.

ALSO READ: Top automakers delay resuming production over dealers' inability to sell

How are you ensuring that Titans 10,000-strong karigar community is taken care of during these times of crisis?

We have ensured that they are getting cash flow support even though many of them operate on a variable basis. But currently, theres no work. So, they are being supported directly or indirectly by us. Food is being ensured wherever possible. For those who need cash support, it is being provided. This support will continue for a few months till the flow of work begins.

How are you deploying work from home for such a large number of employees?

Its a great opportunity to sharpen the saw. The retail staff are undergoing sales training, product training, and participating in innovation workshops. We are also doing health and wellness sessions with them. Every manager is in touch with his or her team on a daily basis even if it's an informal virtual chai pe charcha. Our karigars have been involved in design competitions. At the senior level, executives are conducting webinars and learning from around the world on how we need to be prepared besides looking at the financials.

Is Titan gearing up for a restart post lockdown?

We are in the process of rolling out a comprehensive training programme for two weeks starting Monday for 25,000 people who are a part of Titans ecosystem. Every karigar, support staff, vendor, security staff, housekeeping, franchisee staff, sales people and cashier will undergo this training. We are looking at changing layouts in stores to avoid crowding. There will be a shift system for staff to see there is no crowding. We are also working on adequate safety material availability, including reusable masks, thermal scanners, gloves and sanitisers.

Will launch of new collections be affected this year?

One of the drivers for sales is design and new collections. And that will not be compromised as it is a pillar of the Tanishq brand. Certainly, our launch calendar will get deferred and we are reworking it. But it's important to build desire for the customer with new collections.

Is the company going to cut salaries of staff?

We have not taken any call on that front. We have ensured that all the people in our ecosystem get their salaries.

First Published: Mon, April 20 2020. 22:44 IST

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Titans jewellery division to roll out digital initiative for clients: CEO - Business Standard

A TEESSIDE business which employs 15 people was one of the first in the country to receive a government coronavirus support loan.

HTES Ltd,which specialises in training and assessment services to engineering and construction industries, said it had seen a 'significant drop' in sales following the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Hartlepool-based firm had applied for thecoronavirus business interruptionloan aftercompany directorBrian Goodlad said sales had dropped by75 percent as a result.

But confirming HTES had been one of the first to get the loan, Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said he was "pleased" that emergency loans had started to arrive.

He said: Businesses across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool are facing unprecedented uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic, but I am pleased that these emergency loans are starting to arrive to businesses in my region.

"It is important in this time of national crisis that firms in every corner of the country get the valuable support they need, and fast.

The government has really stepped up to the plate when it comes to support for small and medium sized businesses.

"This is a really difficult time for everyone and people are understandably concerned, but the support is available to help firms get through this pandemic with as minimal impact as possible."

Brian Goodlad, director of HTES said: We have seen a significant drop in sales following the start of the coronavirus outbreak.

"The support provided by Business Enterprise Fund provides a boost to our cashflow which ensures certainty and stability in very difficult circumstances.

It is an important lifeline that will help us survive and safeguard 15 full and part-time jobs.

It comes asChancellor Rishi Sunak confirmed more than 90 million of loans to nearly 1,000 small and medium sized firms hadbeen approved under the governments Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Schemesince launchinglast week.

Today, The Northern Echo was told employers had claimed for 67,000 jobs in just 30 minutes of the new furlough scheme going live online.

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Hartlepool firm among first to get 60k loan from government - The Northern Echo