Hans Hippert, owner of JoJo’s Jerky, is pictured Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020, at the store’s 3310 S. Jones Blvd. location. He is a frequent user of services provided by the Latin Chamber of Commerce. From attending seminars to simply getting moral support as the adverse economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic continue, Hippert says the offerings are helping to re-energize his business.
Friday, Jan. 1, 2021 | 2 a.m.
Peter Guzman is president of the Latin Chamber of Commerce in Las Vegas.
Peter Guzman has navigated a business through an economic crisis before.
When the recession of the late 2010s hit, his Las Vegas real estate company shifted from selling luxury homes and commercial buildings to mostly handling short sales and foreclosures. Real estate felt slightly different, but his business remained profitable by adapting in a shaken climate.
He also remembers making adjustments during smaller downturns, such as those caused by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the Oct. 1, 2017, mass shooting on the Strip.
Guzman, the president of the Latin Chamber of Commerce, has used some of those personal experiences in mentoring the owners of businesses affiliated with the chamber as they navigate the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
With hopes that the pandemic’s grip on the global economy will lessen as more and more people are vaccinated, one of his overriding messages heading into 2021 is to be creative in finding ways to sell your product. Most important, he urges, is to stay positive.
He delivers that message of positivity frequently to members — often in the chamber’s monthly newsletter, or in a simple text message.
“Hope is the cure to a lot of cancers in society,” Guzman said. “It’s a powerful thing to send out a message about staying positive. I’ve gotten phone calls saying, ‘Hey, man, I saw one of your videos or read one of your messages, and wanted to let you know it was powerful to me. It has me believing.’ ”
Hans Hippert, owner of JoJo’s Jerky, leaned on the chamber for information to survive the pandemic. Whether it was seeking clarity on the application process for federal aid, learning about grant opportunities for local small businesses, or getting simple moral support, he was frequently in contact.
“Peter has been like a brother to me. You always want to surround yourself with positive people, and he is one of those guys,” Hippert said.
One of chamber’s points of emphasis during the pandemic, and especially going into 2021, is getting information to members so they have the tools to survive. It goes beyond applying for grants.
Guzman encouraged Hippert and other business owners to attend Avanzar (advance in Spanish), a series of seminars funded by Wells Fargo to help Latino small-business owners improve their footing. The Latin chamber invites non-Latino owned businesses such as Hippert’s to join their ranks because they can hire Latinos.
Every Tuesday, Hippert and his wife would attend the workshop, knowing they needed to find a solution to slowed walk-up traffic at their Container Park location downtown. It’s only open Fridays-Sundays. They also operate a store in the Dragon Gateway Plaza in Spring Valley.
Wells Fargo brought different experts to share tricks of the trade, encouraging owners to think outside of the box because traditional methods of doing business were changing — and changing forever. Not only did those experts offer suggestions on how to enhance operations, they showed specific ways to accomplish the task. And, like the chamber, the seminars acted as another, much-needed support system.
“Our old model wasn’t going to work anymore. People just weren’t knocking on our door to buy jerky,” Hippert said. “It was a mind-blowing experience that changed our business and reenergized us.”
The Avanzar sessions helped Hippert determine it was time to expand the services at JoJo’s Jerky, and in January they’ll start cutting grass-raised beef from a local rancher. They also thinned out their jerky and sauce product line, sticking to items that were more simple to produce and popular with customers.
“It’s all about how can we be in the trenches for our members,” said Guzman, who estimates the chamber has been in communication with 90% of its 1,600 or so members.
It’s the same narrative at other chambers of commerce across Southern Nevada as the calendar flips to a new year.
Officials with the Henderson Chamber of Commerce have also been aggressive in dispersing information about financial aid for struggling business. Take the Henderson Restaurant Recovery Grant, which awarded up to $10,000 to 100 business affected by the pandemic.
“We are a trusted source of information,” said Scott Muelrath, the president and CEO of the Henderson chamber. “... We were able to contact members and nonmembers and say, ‘Hey, go apply. This is another round of funding for restaurants.’ ”
Muelrath stresses to members that for as difficult as the pandemic has been there will be plenty of opportunities in the new year, especially with development in west Henderson near the Raiders training complex. Machine tool builder Haas Automation plans to build on 279 acres and Universal Health Services (operators of Henderson Hospital) has plans for a campus on 40 acres.
Scott Muelrath, CEO of the Henderson Chamber of Commerce, stands in front of the Las Vegas Raiders practice facility Jan. 23 in Henderson.
They’ll need local help with construction, architecture and more, Muelrath said.
“The takeaway is there still are businesses coming to town,” he said. “One of the key roles of the chamber is to connect small business to larger groups investing in Southern Nevada to assist in connecting the dots with those projects.”
The chamber leaders stress for business owners to continue to be flexible in managing the ever-changing regulations dictated by the pandemic. At a moment’s notice, the pandemic has provided plenty of curveballs — such as restaurant capacities changing, or delays in unemployment benefits for employees.
Those problems won’t magically disappear, although there’s renewed hope the end is near.
“(The return) won’t be a flip of the switch. That’s for sure,” Muelrath said. “When Jan. 1 is here, it just won’t turn on. We’ll have to be patient. I suspect the recovery will happen at a quick pace once we get the vaccine out to the community. By the March-April window, we’ll see some significant economic activity.”
Added Hippert, “We are very optimistic about the future and that’s something not everyone can say.”
