Our new Unity Member Little Piper Boutique recently opened their doors on West Osceola Parkway. This unique boutique is owned by sisters Megan Carrion and Morgan Phillips. Here Megan tells you about their shop in her own words:
My name is Megan Carrion I wanted to tell the story of our family-owned and operated business Little Piper Boutique. Last year my sister and I both found out we were pregnant together and only 7 weeks apart. This was my first child and her second. My sister is my best friend and to be pregnant with her was so exciting for us both. As we both progressed through our pregnancies the excitement only grew! We shortly found out we would both being having little girls. These would be the first two grand daughters and first daughter for my sister. We did our gender reveal parties and baby showers together.
Sadly, as we both reached the end of our pregnancies our worlds came crashing down on September 16. At this time my sister was 35 weeks pregnant and I was about 28 weeks pregnant. My sister hadn’t been feeling well that weekend, and wasn’t sure if she had felt her baby move. So, when she told me what was going on I told her to just go to the ER have them check and make sure everything is okay. I said, "Maybe you are going into early labor!" I had no idea the next phone call I would receive would bring me to my knees. She told me they couldn’t find the heartbeat and her baby had passed away. She was going into have a C-section so they could deliver Piper. So, on September 16 Piper was born sleeping and in the arms of Jesus.
We wanted to do something in memory of her, and that is how we came up with Little Piper Boutique. We are more than just a children’s boutique. In our boutique we have a memory wall to honor all babies that are born sleeping. We want to be an outlet and a safe place for women to come tell their stories, but also be a place they can shop for their other children or the children they plan to have. The amount of families that we have connected with already has been simply amazing! We have cried, hugged, laughed, and told stories with families we didn’t even know until they walked in our doors.
On September 24th the Parkways Business Council hosted a Return to Work Employer Preparedness livestream event. PBC Chairman Alex De Jorge spoke to Jaime Escobar and Carey Stephenson with ADP about some of the most common questions and concerns expressed by employers as their employees return to work on-site. You can view the entire conversation with Jaime and Carey at the bottom of the blog post, or skim through some of the main points of interest below.
First off, ADP shared with us their Return to Work Guide. This guide includes an FAQ for employers as they welcome their employees back to the office or work location.
The 3 Most Common Questions From Small Business Owners
Carey Stephenson of ADP outlined the three most common questions that ADP receives from their small business clients. See the brief outline below and view the video at the bottom of the page for more details including a Q&A session following the initial presentation.
1. How do I go about re-opening? What do I need to be aware of?
OSHA requires employers to provide a workplace free of any known hazards, and COVID-19 has been classified as a known hazard. Therefore, as an employer, you must show that you are taking steps to mitigate the hazard of COVID. These steps may include:
It is also important to visibly communicate that you have done these things.
2. What do I do if an employee tests positive for COVID-19?
Should one of your employees test positive, a great start is to refer to the FAQ on page 19 of ADP’s Return to Work Guide and the CDC website for detailed cleaning requirements, etc. Then, be sure to complete the following steps:
3. I’ve readied my work space, notified my employees of the steps I’ve taken, but what if an employee says they won’t return?
In prior situations, refusal to work would have been legitimate cause for termination, but in the case of COVID-19 the question of “why” the employee refuses to work is important. Situations in which an employee might refuse to work include:
Early voting for the 2020 election starts Monday, October 19 in Florida. That means, you can visit any Osceola County early voting location (if you are an Osceola County resident) and cast your ballot between now and Sunday, November 1. If you miss that window, you may vote within your local precinct on Tuesday, November 3. See below for some helpful links and info so you can educate yourself before you go and vote.
Osceola County Supervisor of Elections
For all things local elections, including how to locate your nearest polling location, be sure to visit VoteOsceola.com, the website of the Osceola County Supervisor of Elections. You can also check your voter status to make sure you are registered and eligible to vote in this election. If you did not register to vote in time, find out what you need to do to be eligible for the next election cycle. Perhaps you already voted by mail? The Osceola County Supervisor of Elections site also makes it possible to check the status of your Vote by Mail ballot.
The US Chamber of Commerce
The US Chamber of Commerce put together a comprehensive site to keep you up-to-date on elections around the country called VoteForJobs.com. Find out important election-related dates not just for Florida, but for all 50 states. You can sign up for election-related alerts via text message or email and access the US Chamber's Voter Action Toolkit. The US Chamber also issues a score for each sitting Congressman. You can find their scores on this site and even search by state, party, or chamber of Congress.
Meet Your Local Candidates!
During the August Primary, the Osceola County Chamber hosted a virtual straw poll. On our Virtual Straw Poll Site, you can learn about the local and state candidates via their own words. View candidate statement videos from candidates that remain in the races for St. Cloud City Council, Kissimmee City Commission, Osceola County Commission, Osceola County School Board, State Representative, State Senator, State Attorney, and more!
Constitutional Amendments
So, you may have seen the candidates out and about or on TV, or participated in our Virtual Straw Poll, and feel like you have a good grasp on who you want to vote for. But, did you know there are also six constitutional amendments on this fall's ballot? What are they about and how might their passage, or failure to pass, affect you and your business? Florida Tax Watch put together a comprehensive Voter Guide that carefully outlines these six amendments, including what your vote of "Yes" or "No" will mean, the arguments for and against, a fiscal impact statement of each proposed amendment, and Florida Tax Watch's personal assessment and recommendation.
As an added bonus, Florida Tax Watch President/CEO Dominic Calabro recently sat down for a conversation with Kissimmee/Osceola Chamber President/CEO John Newstreet for the Chamber's 15 Minutes Series on Facebook Live to further discuss these amendments. You can view that concise 20-minute video below.
We at the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber hope this list of links and tools will be helpful to you and your business as you make important decisions and vote this election year.
