Press Conference June 1st, 2021, 11:00 am EST; the world needs pandemic preparedness, sustainability, and universal safe business practices.
— Edward Henry
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, May 27, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ — Over the past year, SmALL businesses have felt helpless, hopeless, unsupported, and confused. Witnessing the pain and challenges felt and faced by honest, hardworking people in our communities, it became very clear we MUST take action. This sparked the inception of the organization called Social Distance Management (SDM).
Edward Henry Company (EHCO) has made the decision to give away all licensing rights and intellectual property of SDM, which includes Social Distance Advisory (SDA), Social Distance Compliance (SDC) systems, and research to SmALL Business is Essential (SBE).
SDM believes that all businesses need universal compliance measures to operate safely during a pandemic and other unprecedented times. By having access to these practical systems, SBE will have the resources it needs to develop the support for all businesses. ALL businesses are essential, and business continuity is the focus. Any opportunities managed from these systems will help all businesses secure and implement adequate steps to stay open, thrive, and have their voices heard.
The Journey of Social Distance Management
In March of 2020, EHCO started SDM with a mission to stand by businesses. Two months later, on May 11, 2020, with extensive research, collaboration and data collection, they released their first version of universal compliance standards.
Under SDM, sub-resources, including SDA and SDC systems, were established to display universal compliance guidelines and assess the threat levels in specific areas to protect the population. The idea to start SDM came from the utmost care about people and businesses, not from a political approach. Universal health measures and the life of our economy are not two isolated conversations. It is ONE conversation.
To contribute to the information gathered, in July of 2020, a Research Internship was formed to discover and outline details on various businesses in Canada and the United States. The outcome of the research included details which contributed to SDC, such as further development of safety protocols, requirements for operation, compliance measures, capacity limits, and PPE requirements. SDM used the data collection to create additional tools, such as self-assessment audits that provide a checklist for what businesses need to stay compliant and operate safely.
Taking its cue from other systems such as ISO, Homeland Security, The World Health Organization, and research from John Hopkins University, SDM developed its Advisory system. This system was developed with the intent to assist businesses and communities in preparing for crises and mitigating restrictions. “There needs to be accountability to the decisions that are being made that affect our small businesses,” said President of EHCO, Edward Henry.
The Advisory system narrows in on the WHO’s Pandemic Phases and the Homeland Security system and uses five levels of risk and threat: low, moderate, substantial, severe, and critical. The colours associated include green, blue, yellow, orange, and red. Each phase clearly defines which business practices, products, and services are considered essential and non-essential and the types of businesses permitted to open during each phase. Our Advisory system is currently in the process of implementing data from John Hopkins University, along with data collected by other reputable models.
Despite the aforementioned systems, resources, and much research to support our findings, ambiguous guidelines still remain. Therefore, businesses are left without genuine reasons as to why they cannot safely reopen and recover.
A Multi-faceted Problem Requires Innovative Solutions
Stand By SmALL Businesses and Our Communities
SmALL Business is Essential
After spending some time in the development phase, SDM ventured out and sought support from government officials and local politicians. After COUNTLESS meetings and constantly being redirected elsewhere, it was time to take drastic action. Edward Henry states, “Limited power is not an excuse for doing the right thing.” This year has been about a lot of the wrong things, and in the beginning, SDM was seen as a profit-making opportunity during a terrible situation. The lack of change cannot continue. Coming together as a collective unit is essential.
For sustainable change to happen, SDM’s resources need to be placed in the right hands. They need to be placed with an organization that isn’t narrow minded, but bilateral with its thinking so sectors, such as health and business can come together. SBE is a not-for-profit association that operates based on three core pillars: pandemic preparedness, sustainability, and safe business practices. SBE aims to collectively arm small businesses with the support, protection, and resources needed to operate safely while envisioning economic recovery and stability through business unity.
This pandemic is not just a small business problem; it’s a world problem. The government’s attempt to segregate businesses into non-essential and essential classifications created ambiguity. This ambiguity initiated the thought that, no, ALL businesses are essential. As EHCO releases all of its SDM systems, traffic, assessment, and auditing models to SBE, a new leadership position begins. SBE’s goals encompass the severity of the issue at hand, which is why there is no better person for the job than Steve Anderson. As a Social Entrepreneur, Olympic Gold Medal Coach, and Community Champion, Anderson takes over as President of the not-for-profit association SBE. Edward Henry states, “My choice to recruit Steve Anderson was because of his character, coaching background, competitive nature to overcome challenges, and his experience with a multi-faceted range of individuals.” Speaking to Anderson’s character, he doesn’t make excuses when doing the right thing. “Limited power is not an excuse for not doing the right thing.”
Along with Anderson’s motivating character, he is the first African American to coach an Olympic team in indoor or beach volleyball and the first to win an Olympic Gold Medal in either practice. Anderson is highly committed to being the driving force behind SBE to support ALL businesses. He, along with the efforts of SBE, will pave the way towards a better normal.
Our current actions reflect our future results. If we don’t continue putting in effort and showing our care for our businesses, we will continue losing pieces of our community and, in turn, our economy. Small businesses have experienced unfair measures and restrictions, putting them at risk for permanent closure. Continuous lockdowns are not a solution. “This current pandemic has cost over $20 trillion because we were not prepared,” said Edward Henry. The definition of insanity is to perform the same actions and expect different results. “We will do this over again if we don’t start changing the way we do things,” he added. The focus needs to be on Social Distance Compliance and universal protocols to preserve business continuity. If we want an improved normal, we need to stand by SmALL businesses and our communities. There is no better time than now to help businesses transition from lockdowns and longer than expected restrictions.
Register for Zoom Press Conference
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEsde2rrjorHNwu-EbLrWmGCD9RyAUk9WEb
Location 10 Sunray Street, Suite 23
Whitby, Ontario L1N 9B5
Limited Space for TV Media only, call contacts below to confirm or email info@edwardhenry.com
Contact:
Steve Anderson, President of SmALL Business is Essential
(416) 779-8884
steveanderson.gold@gmail.com
Edward Henry, President of Edward Henry Company
info@edwardhenry.com
(647) 725-7575
Edward Henry
Edward Henry Company
+1 647-725-7575
email us here
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