Springfield Business Journal_2020-04-06

SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL · 3 APRIL 6-12, 2020 NEWS IN THIS ISSUE Terry Edwards is five years into running his own security services company – and he’s not looking back. PAGE 6 Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Springfield Public Schools found innovative ways to meet students’ education and nutrition nee ds. PAGE 9 Vol. 40 No. 37 Editor Eric Olson calls on Gov. Mike Parson to issue stay-at-home order statewide. OPINION PAGE 21 Some businesses won’t be able to come back, consumer behaviors will change and we’re going to be in a new economy after this. —John Everett, Legacy Bank & Trust Co, on the impact of COVID-19 on local businesses PAGE 25 QUOTE OF THE WEEK SBJ, H2R to send 2nd economic survey COVID-19 triggers need for a fresh outlook on business’ future by Mike Cullinan · mcullinan@sbj.net As people navigate the uncertain path forward in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, a new economic survey seeks to capture its ongoing impact to the busi- ness community. The online study is an adden- dum to SBJ Publishing Inc.’s 2020 Economic Growth Sur- vey, which was conducted Feb. 12-March 1. The new digital survey is planned to be distrib- uted via email to Springfield Business Journal subscribers the week of April 6. SBJ is again partnering with H2R Market Research to con- duct and analyze the second survey, as the parties did last year when the growth survey debuted. Another survey this year wasn’t planned, but CO- VID-19 changed that, said Springfield Business Jour- nal Publisher Jennifer Jackson. “Since there are changes happening on a daily basis, we expect this second survey to be a checkpoint in time,” she said, add- ing a third survey is also in the works for May. “At the very least, we wanted to check in … and ask if current circumstances have changed their outlook on business for the year.”  Jackson said because COVID-19’s im- pact is so widespread, it didn’t make sense to use the first survey’s results from March alone. The growth survey’s purpose is to gar- ner company leaders’ insights into staff- ing, capital, office space and workforce trends, as well as measure and identify business trends. A central piece of the 2019 survey was the creation of the first local business con- fidence index. Fresh data Data from all three 2020 surveys will likely play a role in forums later this year, Jack- son said. While Ozarks Tech- nical Community College has agreed to host the summer fo- rums, the logistics and dates are subject to change, given uncertainties due to coronavi- rus restrictions. H2R President Jill Renner said in order to keep the data as fresh as possible, the turnaround time for participants to reply is just seven days. The organizers have a baseline target of 600 responses. Results from the virus-related surveys should help determine what changes businesses are making, both short- and long-term, that could change the business landscape, she said. “We need to, for lack of a better term, take the temperature of businesses and Do you WFH? Those with experience say communication tools and security measures are keys to working from home by Kathryn Hardison · khardison@sbj.net Working from home has become the new normal for many businesses as city and state governments continue to call for social dis- tancing amid the coronavirus pandemic.  But moving to a remote setting takes planning and dedication from staff mem- bers, business owners say, and there may still be issues that arise while adjusting to a new normal. According to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 7% of workers in the United States have routine access to telework, and those who do tend to be executives and highly paid white-collar professionals.  As many more begin to make the shift to working from home, local employers and managers say communication tools, such as video software, have been key.  BKD LLP’s national office and southern Missouri prac- tice in Springfield shifted to a telecommuting setting in mid-March, said local man- aging partner Gary Schafer. “Some 40% of our Spring- field employees worked outside of the office already,” Schafer said. “We definitely had to innovate as we went. We spent about a week as a firm really focusing on See WFH on page 19 provided by BKD LLP VIRTUAL MEETINGS In a March 30 meeting via Zoom, BKD human resources managers nationwide meet to address coronavirus-related company processes. See SURVEY on page 7 Jennifer Jackson: Second survey will be a snapshot in time amid the COVID-19 crisis.