By Kurtis Minder, CEO, GroupSense
​
During the pandemic a parallel threat began permeating, driven partially by COVID itself. Ransomware attacks have increased exponentially over the last year and a half, impacting businesses of every size and profile. Yet, many companies believe it won’t happen to their business. For every Colonial Pipeline on the news there are thousands of small-to-medium enterprises impacted. Many of these go unreported.

By Laura Headrick, Events Manager, Arlington Chamber of Commerce

How fortunate I was to start my professional journey at the Arlington Chamber of Commerce on the same day as the July Business After Business. As I looked around the event, I saw a cheerful crowd, smiling and enjoying spirited conversations. It left me no doubt that I was joining a welcoming organization that put on terrific events. 

By Alessandra Hashemi, Owner & CEO, Good Sweat Studio & Hillary Aguilar, Support Staff Member, Good Sweat Studio

It’s very basic science that the more you move, the more your body releases endorphins and serotonin, which are the chemical messengers to help put you in a better mood. Throughout this global pandemic, we are all expected to operate as normal at home, at work, and in life. These expectations have shifted our way of living, which can take a huge toll on everyone’s mind, body, and spirit.
​
You are not alone if you are facing challenges! As a business owner, entrepreneur, mother, and wife, I always remind myself that it’s about progress, not perfection, when it comes to my own physical and mental wellbeing. The importance of mental health can not be understated at this moment and not enough is being done to make space for folks to take care of their mental health. Being in the fitness world, some may assume it’s all about external aesthetics, but it truly all comes from within first.

By Olivia McKay, Operations Manager, Arlington Chamber of Commerce

The Arlington Chamber is proud to announce the relaunch of our new, easy to use Job Board. Posting your open positions to the Chamber Job Board is one of the many benefits of Chamber membership.
​
Members can post an open position for 30, 60, or 90 days for free. Employers can take their job posting to the next level with Featured Posts. Featured Posts are promoted at the top of the Job Board page and published to the Google Jobs Network, expanding your potential applicant pool even further.  

By Nichole Priddy, Director of Military Health, DTS
​
Providing support for the federal government can create stress. For those who provide that support, their missions are complex. Adrenaline-fueled. Life or death. Not the stuff you’d talk about at a party, even if you could talk about it, which they can’t. Yet each morning they awake and tackle a new day. We know how they stay in “fighting form.” Building resiliency is a mixture of science and psychology, but mostly it comes down to practice. And with the right approach, anyone can do it.
 
What’s so special about resiliency? Fifty years of research shows it increases confidence and productivity while reducing negative incidents—like accidents, mistakes, and outbursts. These are the traits that parent encourage in their children and that any employer would want in their workforce.

By Jennifer Mulchandani, CEO & Founder, Arlington Strategy

“Is it better to do nothing if you can’t afford to go big?”

“Can you use social media effectively with a limited amount of time or money?” 

These are typical questions that small businesses ask as they learn how to develop and deploy their own digital marketing programs. I love that people are at least thinking about these questions and are willing to show vulnerability in seeking the answers.

It used to be that marketing required big dollars – ads in newspapers, direct mail, billboards, and radio. But the presence of social media has made marketing accessible to everyone! 

By Charles Denney, President, Potomac and Chesapeake Cycling

​The past 15 months have brought about a wide range of change to our lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Much of this change has been unwelcome and turned much of our daily lives upside down. As more people are being vaccinated every day and new cases of COVID continue to decrease we are starting to return our pre-pandemic worlds, including returning to offices for many who have been working from home since March 2020. Putting aside a general discussion of the pros and cons of remote versus in-office work environments, the move back to in-office work, whether full-time or hybrid, is an opportunity to make changes to our previous routines and include physical activity into our daily lives. Walking and biking are easy and relatively inexpensive means to do this.

By Evelyn Powers, Founder, Design Powers

Web accessibility means that your site is able to fundamentally function for all different kinds of online audiences; no matter the circumstances. No one deserves to be inadvertently discriminated against.
 
For a web page to be deemed accessible, there is an abundance of boxes that need to be checked in order to be compliant with the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines).

By Thomas Fitzpatrick, Communications Coordinator, Arlington Chamber of Commerce
​
Being the child of a Marine, I have lived in many places, but I can proudly say I am a native Virginian.  I graduated James Madison University in 2017 with a degree in Public Relations and Journalism. My career goals centered around working in design, communications, and photography. The Chamber’s open position for a Communications Coordinator hit all these checks and many more. From my research, the Chamber was similar to previous places I worked for, and I knew the Chamber was a place I would thrive in. On a sunny February morning, I got the lucky call from Kate while I was out walking my miniature dachshund Tank with my mom.