Springfield Business Journal_2020-04-06

SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL · 21 APRIL 6-12, 2020 NEWS I magine you’re at the grocery store and you’ve placed all the needed items in your cart. You stroll toward the checkout aisle and notice floor markers directing you to stop. It’s an unusual distance, at least 6 feet from the shopper in front of you who’s stopped at their own colorful sticker on the floor. Look- ing farther, they’re a good 6 feet from the person ahead of them paying the cashier. Now, you notice something between the cus- tomer and the cashier. It’s plexiglass. This is the new normal. For now. The coronavi- rus normal. That shopping scene is an account from con- sumers in Illinois. Our neighbors to the east have moved past the now-familiar posted signs telling shoppers to “please limit your purchase to quanti- ties of two.” Not fully in Missouri. But it sure seems to be ar- riving next at businesses near us. The question is when. Granted, confirmed COVID-19 cases are dra- matically higher in Illinois – and California, Mich- igan and New Jersey. Those states are among the highest nationwide, each reporting 7,000 or more confirmed cases to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. New York is well ahead of all states with a staggering 84,700 confirmed cas- es, as of April 2. In Missouri, confirmed cases topped 1,000 at the end of March, according to the CDC. Hence the plexiglass partitions designed to pro- tect cashiers from the virus-containing droplets during their work shifts. I’m told MaMa Jean’s Natural Foods Market already has installed them locally. This is a good example of businesses leading the way to protect their workforces. Governors have led the way in at least 38 states, as of press time, by issuing statewide orders for the public to stay at home except for the necessities of food, health care, fresh air and some jobs. Not in Missouri. According to New York Times reporting as of April 2, the Show-Me State and six others were without a statewide directive but had jurisdictions within them issuing such orders. Groups in Missouri are getting antsy as the num- bers continue to climb. CDC officials said April 2 the nation had 4,513 deaths from COVID-19 – more than the number of lives lost in the 9/11 attacks. Among those urging Gov. Mike Parson to set state- wide restrictions are the Missouri Foundation for Health and the Greene County Democrats. Parson has been saying all the right things in his daily press briefings – on economic recovery, iden- tifying alternative care sites and closing some state parks. But the statewide mandate has been miss- ing, at least through April 2. Comparing data from the CDC and the Times, 1,000 confirmed cases seems to be a trigger for these governors. States slightly above 1,000 cas- es that have called the stay-at-home orders are Ar- izona, 1,413 cases; North Carolina, 1,857; Virginia, 1,706; and Wisconsin, 1,550, as of April 2. But not in all cases: Texas, with its 3,997 con- firmed cases, has yet to issue one. The governor has left it up to local officials, and that is covering millions of people. But everyone should be cov- ered. Missouri should be next to order a stay-at-home edict. Our state had 1,581 confirmed cases by the CDC as of April 2. Two more state s joined the stay-at-home ranks that day: Nevada and its 1,279 confirmed cases, as well as Tennessee, 2,240 cases. I hope (and suspect) as you’re reading this Par- son has made the same decision. This highly contagious virus is reshaping the way we do life – right now, whether we like it or not. We’re all making changes in business to accommo- date and push through. Let’s do the same as a state and protect all kinds of people and interests. Springfield Business Journal Editor Eric Olson can be reached at eolson@sbj.net. OPINION Missouri should be next to issue stay-at-home statewide Send letters and comments to sbj@sbj.net I wrote this love letter to tradespeople nearly 20 years ago. Over the last few weeks, I have fallen even deeper in love with the men and women who work the front lines as drain cleaners, plumbers, septic pros, electricians, HVAC technicians and all those who serve and protect us. As the COVID-19 virus spreads, most of us have had to stay in. They go out. I am overwhelmed with gratitude for our techs and all our essential work- ers. Thank you for your service. Here’s the letter from July 2001. It first appeared in Plumbing & Mechanical Magazine, and it has the same meaning today. Have I Told You Lately? Tradespeople are more in touch with the truth than other people. They are a no-nonsense group. They know that the electrical current is there, or it’s not. The burner fires up, or it doesn’t. It’s plumb, or it’s out of plumb. They identify quali- ty by performance. Tradespeople understand the material universe and the way things work. That un- derstanding is becoming in- creasingly rare. Dear tradespeople, have I told you lately that I love you? All hail the electricians! You are lightning wranglers! You channel raw en- ergy into orderly lines of controlled power, from just enough to energize a night light to more than enough to illuminate New York City. The internet is an amazing feat of technology, and it’s driven by electricity. Even the wireless world is sparked by finely tuned connecting dots of electricity. Electri- cians routinely handle enough power to blast a man into outer space, or into the next life, and deliver it in just-right doses. Three cheers for the heating and cooling profes- sionals. My friends, you create weather! You deliver cool breezes inside when the temperatures soar outside. You keep folks toasty in the winter. You screen the air to remove dust and pollen to keep us from sneezing. Too much moisture in the air? Not enough? You can fix that! And hurray for the plumbing and drain and sewer pros. Consider our collective daily contributions to the plumbing system. Where does it all go? Plumbers and drain and sewer pros make it disappear! Like magic. Isn’t that incredible? Dear plumbers, you are heroes. And not just for clearing the inevitably clogged pipes on the day af- ter Thanksgiving. In the aftermath of a natural or manmade disaster, what is the No. 1 necessity? Wa- ter. Water to drink. Water to wash away the threat of disease. After an earthquake, tornado or even af- ter a flood, you restore the water and waste sys- tems. The plumbers hand it off to the drain clean- ers. They handle septage, which is dangerous stuff. Chock-full of more diseases than doctors could ever cure. And they move it along, using crazy cool equipment for clearing, jetting and managing the drain lines. Ultimately, they hand it off to the septic scions and waste eliminators. Isn’t it amazing how they can incorporate the nastiest waste into our earth in friendly, fertile ways? They finish the water cycle and turn bad water into good again, using the filter of Mother Earth. They turn wine into water. Isn’t that a miracle? “Just a plumber?” It’s like saying, “I’m just an as- tronaut” or “I’m just a miracle worker.” I’m in awe of the skills and talents you possess. I’m dazzled by the good work that you perform. How few people can do what you can do! Have you told them lately? Take a moment and recognize tradespeople for the great work that they do. Point out the ways they are making life better for all of us. When a job is well done, look him or her in the eye, and say so. Tell them you love them. And say, “Thank you.” Ellen Rohr is an author and business consultant offering profit-building tips, trending business blogs and online workshops at EllenRohr.com. Her books include “Where Did the Money Go?” and “The Bare Bones Weekend Biz Plan.” She can be reached at ellen@ellenrohr.com. Tradespeople unsung heroes in times of crisis BARE BONES BUSINESS Ellen Rohr As the COVID-19 virus spreads, most of us have had to stay in. Tradespeople go out. EYES & EARS Eric Olson