Coronavirus

November 12, 2020

As of the Metro/Davidson County Mayor’s press conference this morning, Nashville is staying in Phase 3. We are continuing to follow the Mayor’s Roadmap to Reopening and Health Department requirements to help keep you and the EC community safe.

FOR GOOD HEALTH – EC Priority Safety Protocols:

  • Wear Masks (Required by City ordinance,) especially when in the proximity of others and always in common areas.
  • Maintain a minimum of 6 ft. Social distancing in offices, meeting rooms, work space and common areas.
  • Disinfect the surface you touch and breathe on such as the copiers, common areas and work space, and meeting rooms.
  • Adhere to room capacity limits, including meeting rooms and offices.

Stay home if you are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms: Fever of 100.4 Fahrenheit or higher in the preceding 48 hours, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell.

If you have experienced symptoms or been exposed:

If you’ve been in the building within 72 hours of experiencing symptoms or being diagnosed please notify [email protected], (615) 584-8741. It’s not required, but very much appreciated. Your personal information will be respected and confidential to the EC HR operations staff.

How we’re keeping you safe:

  • Disinfectant and hand sanitizer throughout the building.
  • Daily professional disinfectant cleaning.
  • Disinfecting surface wipe downs throughout the day.
  • Staff temperature checks and extra safety requirements.
  • Protocols are in place to manage the communication, cleaning, and building operations if an exposure or potential exposure is identified

Metro is also encouraging caution with family gatherings over the holidays, continuing vigilance with masks and social distancing in the workplace and public, and taking advantage of the flu shot availability.

September 1, 2020

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and the Department of Revenue have announced a new digital eligibility tool that will help business owners determine if their business may be eligible for a Tennessee Business Relief Program payment. 

Those who qualify for the Tennessee Business Relief Program must confirm their information with the Department of Revenue by September 25, 2020 to receive a relief payment between $2,500 and $30,000 in no-cost funds from the state.

Businesses can confirm their eligibility at businessrelief.tn.gov and learn more at tn.gov/revenue.

 June 15, 2020

We continue to follow Mayor Cooper’s Roadmap for Reopening plan. 

The EC is now open:

  • Business Hours: Monday – Thursday, 8a – 5p / Friday, 8a – 4p 

FOR GOOD HEALTH:

  • Everyone will be required to wear masks and social distance per Metro/Davidson Country protocols when on site. BYOM (Bring Your Own Mask).
  • Use the provided disinfectants to wipe down common equipment and areas you use.
  • Stay home if you are experiencing any of the COVID-19 symptoms: Fever of 100.4 Fahrenheit or higher in preceding 48 hours, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell

IF YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS:

If you’ve been in the building within 72 hours of experiencing symptoms or being diagnosed please notify [email protected], (615) 584-8741. It’s not required, but very much appreciated. Your personal information will be respected and confidential to EC HR-related operations staff.

HOW WE’RE KEEPING YOU SAFE:

  • EC Employees will continue to work from home with minimal staff onsite. Onsite staff will self-screen for symptoms and perform a temperature check upon arrival.
  • Activity is limited to the Red Bicycle and co-work areas of the building.  The seating has been reduced and arranged to enable social distancing.
  • Wearing a mask and social distancing are required for anyone in the building.
  • Friendly reminder signs are placed throughout the facility about masks, symptoms, and social distancing.
  • Meeting rooms and common areas have designated capacity limits to enable social distancing.
  • Cleaning products and hand sanitizers are readily available throughout all common areas.
  • The building will be cleaned every weeknight by a contracted third-party cleaning service and EC team members will clean door handles, coworking tables, and meeting rooms throughout the day
  • Additional safety precautions including a plexiglass divider on the front desk are in place.
  • Our onsite team is trained on these procedures.
  • For contract tracing purposes, we’re collecting contact information for EC customers, staff, and guests on-premises.
  • Protocols are in place to manage the communication, cleaning, and building operations if COVID-19 exposure or potential exposure is identified.

May 11, 2020

The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce has announced a series of webinars to help businesses reopening as part of the Mayor’s Phase 1 plan. They include:

  • Restaurant Tips for Reopening
  • Business Re-Entry
  • The Role of Business in Non-Resurgence of COVID-19
  • and more

Visit their events page here to see the full list and RSVP.

May 8, 2020

The EC is reopening on Monday, May 11! We are following Mayor Cooper’s Roadmap for Reopening Phase 1 plan. 

HOW REOPENING WILL WORK IN PHASE 1:

  • Phase I Business Hours: Monday – Thursday, 8a – 5p / Friday, 8a – 4p 
    • Only the Cowork/Cafe side of the building will be open.
    • To enable proper cleaning, Incubate member access will follow this schedule and NOT have 24/7 building access.
  • Please enter through the cafe doors and check in with an EC staff person at the temporary front desk. You will be required to read off your parking validation number and to leave your contact information.
  • Lockbox holders can pick up their mail at the front desk in the cafe during business hours.  
  • EC Employees will continue to work from home with minimal staff onsite.

FOR GOOD HEALTH:

  • Everyone will be required to wear masks and social distance per CDC guidelines when on site. BYOM (Bring Your Own Mask).
  • Use the provided disinfectants to wipe down common equipment and areas you use.
  • Stay home if you are experiencing any of the COVID-19 symptoms outlined below.  
  • Fever of 100.4 Fahrenheit or higher in preceding 48 hours
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Chills
  • Repeated shaking with chills
  • Muscle pain
  • Headache
  • Sore throat
  • New loss of taste or smell

IF YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS:

If you’ve been in the building within 48 hours of experiencing symptoms or being diagnosed please notify [email protected], (615) 873-1257. It’s not required, but very much appreciated. Your personal information will be respected and confidential to EC HR-related operations staff.

We’d like to hear your questions and concerns 

Submit your questions on how to reopen your business. We’ll tailor our upcoming events to meet your needs.

Visit this website to look at Metro’s toolkit for businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Here’s a few helpful tips:

Need a mask? Here’s where to find one.

Need a thermometer? We recommend this one.

HOW WE’RE KEEPING YOU SAFE:

  • EC Employees will continue to work from home with minimal staff onsite. Onsite staff will self-screen for symptoms and perform a temperature check upon arrival.
  • Activity is limited to the Red Bicycle and co-work areas of the building.  The seating has been reduced and arranged to enable social distancing.
  • Wearing a mask and social distancing are required for anyone in the building.
  • Friendly reminder signs are placed throughout the facility about masks, symptoms, and social distancing.
  • Meeting rooms and common areas have designated capacity limits to enable social distancing.
  • Cleaning products and hand sanitizers are readily available throughout all common areas.
  • The building will be cleaned every weeknight by a contracted third-party cleaning service and EC team members will clean door handles, coworking tables, and meeting rooms throughout the day
  • Additional safety precautions including a plexiglass divider on the front desk are in place.
  • Our onsite team is trained on these procedures.
  • For contract tracing purposes, we’re collecting contact information for EC customers, staff, and guests on-premises.
  • Protocols are in place to manage the communication, cleaning, and building operations if COVID-19 exposure or potential exposure is identified.

May 7, 2020

EC Members, 

Like you, we’re eager to reopen our workspace and get back to normal. For entrepreneurs and small businesses, we want to provide specific resources supporting Mayor Cooper’s Roadmap for Reopening Plan. With Phase I approaching, we’d like to hear your questions and concerns about keeping your employees and customers safe.  

We want to hear from you. Submit your questions on how to reopen your business. We’ll tailor our upcoming events to meet your needs.

Let’s support each other as we fight this virus together. 

– EC Team

Visit this website to look at Metro’s toolkit for businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s a few helpful tips:

Need a mask? Here’s where to find one.

Need a thermometer? We recommend this one.

May 5, 2020

EC Members, 

Hope you’re all safe from last night’s storm. We have a few staff with power outages, but all are safe here. Let me know how you’re doing. 

We’re eager to see you in person. While surrounding counties may be opening, Davidson County is still closed and we’re following Mayor Cooper’s Roadmap for Reopening Plan. Our goal is to open the building during Phase I with extra precautions in place to help keep all of us safe.  

You are important to us. As we’re entering a new month of virtual programming, we’re committed to making the content relevant and actionable. Feedback and ideas are welcome.

We want to hear from you. Stay connected on our upcoming events and let’s support each other as we fight this virus together. –

EC Team

Visit this website to look at Metro’s toolkit for businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

March 27, 2020

The EC’s mission is to connect entrepreneurs to the critical resources needed to make their businesses as successful as possible. With COVID-19 here, we’re going to continue to deliver on our mission while also keeping you safe. Over the coming weeks as we adjust to being a “virtual first” community, we’re rolling out new structures and tools to deliver the support you need right now. These tools and structures are all part of what we’re calling Entrepreneur WrapAround 2020, a multi-pronged approach to keep our members informed, supported as entrepreneurs and as individuals, all while we learn how to be a connected and a thriving virtual community.

Click here for more details.

March 22, 2020

In response to the city-wide direction from Mayor John Cooper that enacts a “safer at home” order, the EC facility will be closing the facility starting Monday, March 21st.  We hope that the pandemic is under control and our doors re-open with everyone back inside the facility on Monday, April 6th.

An EC staff member will be on site today for anyone that needs to pick up mail or other items. If you wish, call ahead (615-873-1257) to confirm you have mail prior to coming in today between 3-6 pm. 

We will work with the United States Post Office tomorrow to determine the best way to ensure mail delivery over these next two weeks and will let you know the solution as soon as possible.

As stated last week, the EC is now a Virtual First Organization and our team is working tirelessly to create and implement programming for our community. The virtual programs last week were well attended and received–this week we will begin expanding. Information on these programs will be forthcoming.

Thank you for understanding and your support through these times. We will continue to do all we can to bring valuable resources to each of you.

March 13, 2020

Due to the Federal COVID-19 Task Force asking that we do our effort to reduce the health crisis curve and the Mayor’s statement today asking for employers to have people work from home, we have made the decision that the majority of the EC team will work from home starting Monday, March 16th. 

Here’s what you need to know:

  • Access to the building. You will continue to have access to the building. This will be the case unless you hear differently. We will work to give you as much notice as possible.
  • Lockbox precautions. For those with a lockbox, due to the uncertainty we recommend that all packages, especially those essential to keeping your business running, be sent to your home address for the foreseeable future. If we need to close the building all USPS, Fed Ex and UPS delivery services to the facility will be paused until we are able to reopen
  • Anyone with concerns or questions about COVID-19 can call the Tennessee Coronavirus Public Information Line at 877-857-2945.  The information line is available every day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Central.
  • Knowledge is key. Refer to the CDC for risk factors and isolation.

Keeping all of you safe is our top priority. In addition, we want to provide critical resources that may help you work/manage virtually. During this time, we too, will be working to find new ways to work and communicate with you.

As a Google for Startups Tech Hub, we have access to tools and resources to help you work remotely.   

Additionally, we recommend checking out the following resources to get yourself prepared for the interruptions that might come our way in the coming weeks:

Other tools:

  • SBA to Provide Disaster Assistance Loans for Small Businesses Impacted by Coronavirus
    • SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans offer up to $2 million in assistance for a small business. These loans can provide vital economic support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing.
  • SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan Worksheets
    • New federal legislation and appropriations has opened up the possibility for small businesses to receive assistance for economic loss due to COVID-19.  Details of eligibility and administration of this assistance from SBA are still being addressed by the SBA. However, some information from the traditional SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program will still apply for COVID-19.

Stay healthy, Nashville!

March 12, 2020:

For all entrepreneurs and businesses in our network, here’s what you need to know.

  • We’ll continue to monitor the situation with the outbreak of COVID-19 in Middle Tennessee. 
  • We are taking extra precautions in sanitizing our building and making adjustments in our programming to ensure the safety of the EC team, our community partners and program participants. Entrepreneurs – Your case manager or program coordinator will reach out with more details if scheduled curriculum and/or events are affected over the coming weeks. 

As the situation with COVID-19 continues to change, here are some resources to keep you informed. 

Stay strong, Nashville!

 

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