Page 36 - BusinessWest July 6, 2020

View from Main Street
Here and Elsewhere, Business Confidence Depends on Health Data
DBy Joseph Bednar
iana Szynal is encouraged by
what she sees on Main Street in
Greenfield as restaurants and retail continue to emerge from months of closed doors.
“I certainly see people making the changes they need to make,” she said, referring to Gov. Charlie Baker’s guidance for how — and at what capacity — to open
“Certainly it seems like businesses are open — like restaurants with outdoor seating or limited indoor seating — and I think there are people really wanting to get out there, but some people aren’t ready yet.”
businesses safely. “We’ve seen these busi- ness making the effort to reopen and get
their staffs back to work and welcome back their customers.”
But no one is fooling themselves into believing everyone is ready to go out again, said Szynal, executive director of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce.
“Certainly it seems like businesses are open — like restaurants with outdoor seat- ing or limited indoor seating — and I think there are people really wanting to get out there, but some people aren’t ready yet,” she told BusinessWest.
“Realistically, things have slowed down, but I feel a very resilient spirit here,” she continued. “People in Franklin County are tough. And you see that not only in Green- field’s downtown, but the area as a whole — downtown Deerfield, downtown Shel- burne ... I think you’re going to see them bounce back for sure.”
What will make the difference, she and other economic leaders increasingly say, is consumer confidence, which is being driv- en right now almost exclusively by health concerns — and that’s a good thing, con- sidering that Massachusetts is one of the few states in the U.S. consistently reducing instances of COVID-19.
“For the typical consumer, making deci-
While economic activity is still slow, Diana Szynal says, she senses a resilient spirit in Franklin County.
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