Frankenmuth

I t's no surprise that 2020 was a really tough year for businesses in Michigan. Some were shut down completely, others had to quickly adapt to work-from- home scenarios, and those deemed "essential" had totally different challenges. In some cases, being overwhelmed with new work. There was wide-spread change and it was difficult, regardless of the industry. On a positive note, it's been remarkable how quickly so many businesses have adapted, and perhaps even improved, in some ways. It was an especially tough year for those in the tourism industry as the movement of people was halted. It was a shock for our City since our local economy is greatly driven by visitor spending. However, there are many unique factors that help keep Frankenmuth strong despite the challenges of the 2020 pandemic and we are excited to share some of those positive thoughts along with an optimistic look at what's ahead. The Chamber represents over 350 businesses, and our relationships with our members help direct our actions on their behalf. We get frequent updates and insight from many of them. Some perspectives might surprise you. I recently had a couple of conversations with friends that have not been directly impacted, like our restaurants. They have emphatically asked, "Why aren't we doing more to fight this?" referring to the tight restrictions on the restaurants. It's been said many times that we're a community that comes together. And when we feel like our favorite places aren't being treated fairly, we are ready to support and defend them. The compassion and loyalty is awesome. Yet, despite our desires to help or fight, sometimes the best thing we can do is lay low and support each other in quiet, or strategically cautious, ways. Most importantly, we seek to support our businesses in the ways they desire. Though their strategies may not be widely understood, at the end of the day, it's about what's best for them. We are happy to see some of the restrictions lifting, and our businesses are prepared to continue to provide a safe and welcoming environment for all guests and employees. Our events now have additional confidence in planning as well. I've been reminded time and again throughout the last year why so many of our businesses are successful. It has brought me great inspiration. My observations are simple. Some of our largest and most impacted businesses have faith. Most businesses in Frankenmuth are locally owned and operated, so they are committed to their investments and community. They are strong-willed entrepreneurs who lean on their faith and they stand, ready to work hard, to evolve and overcome any challenge. We have compassionate business owners who care deeply about their employees, and focus on those that help to make them successful. Some businesses had to lay off hundreds of employees and we are happy to report that many of them are back or hiring again. When things were locked down before Christmas and I spoke with some of our business owners about how they were doing, their first concern was always for their employees. They were confident their business would be alright, because of that faith and tenacity I referred to, but they were worried about their people and their families. Our business owners are smart and didn't just sit back waiting for the pandemic to pass. They got to work. Not only preparing to adjust, but planning to improve. There were many lessons learned over the last year, and we feel blessed to be able to see building renovations happening instead of businesses closing. Some expansion plans may have been delayed, but are now forging ahead. As we look back at business in the past year, I'm so proud of how all Frankenmuth businesses handled the pandemic in the way that worked best for them. There was no road map or What is your outlook for 2021? "I think 2021 is going to be a complete excitement BOMB! I personally believe we are on the tail-end of this, I think we need to start looking at it like that as well, and start getting people excited to be around people again. In our [staff] meetings, we have always announced the weather in percent of Sun instead of rain. We now talk COVID numbers in percent of chance to not test positive. It makes a huge difference in the mental aspect of our glasses being half full!" – Zak McClellan Looking Forward: 2021 Business Outlook B Y J A M I E F U R B U S H 16

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