Small business Source: Dan Burton, Unsplash
CORE OBJECTIVE 1: ALIGN WORKFORCE, EDUCATION, EMPLOYERS, AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP PRIORITIZING AND STRENGTHENING SMALL BUSINESSES THROUGH DIFFICULT TIMES The COVID-19 pandemic has made things undeniably tough for small businesses. As restrictions caused uncertainty, many small businesses switched into survival mode and are still reeling. Across the U.S., it is estimated that more than 160,000 small businesses have permanently closed since the start of the pandemic and it may be years before the economic impacts are fully understood. Those affects have been felt close to home in our own Westmoreland County communities. According to a survey conducted by the Greensburg-based nonprofit, Greensburg Community Development Corporation, 97% of local business respondents reported a decrease in sales since the spring 2020 shutdown, and roughly two-thirds reported that they believe their business will be at risk of permanently closing. In response to impacts on small businesses caused by the pandemic, Westmoreland County, in conjunction with the Economic Growth Connection (EGC), distributed more than $6 million federal CARES Act funds, made available through the PA Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) COVID-19 County Relief Block Grant Program, to small businesses in Westmoreland County through the county’s Small Business Support Grant Program. As a leading private nonprofit economic development corporation that works to develop business opportunities and financing to create, support, and retain quality jobs and companies throughout Westmoreland and the region, EGC provided much needed professional administrative oversight and coordination to review hundreds of small business grant applications for the program. According to Jim Smith, Executive Director of the Economic Growth Connection, “Businesses are hurting through all of the restrictions and shutdowns which has resulted in a loss of business. This also means that their finances have been seriously hit. As an economic development corporation tasked with supporting small businesses, jumping in to help distribute these critical funds was an easy decision to make.” The first-come, first-served program doled out funds up to $25,000, or 25% of calculated revenue loss related to COVID-19 impacts and/or pandemic related expenses, per business. Across the two rounds of funding, 380 small business grants totalling $6.38 million were distributed. In ad-
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dition to assisting small businesses, the program also distributed funds to nonprofits experiencing impacts due to COVID-19, resulting in over 130 grants totalling $1.87 million distributed to nonprofits across the two rounds of funding. “When we think about the restaurants, businesses, and organizations we love to go to, we may not always think about how that place of business is the life or livelihood of the people who work there. Supporting businesses through this difficult time is supporting their livelihoods,” said Smith. In addition to the Small Businesses Support Grant Program, EGC helped administer and distribute other funds to businesses through the PA DCED COVID-19 Working Capital Access Program totalling $3.7 million and through the Economic Growth Connection Recovery Grant Program, which was funded by a $250,000 grant from the R.K. Mellon Foundation. To help track success stories and promote local businesses working to keep their doors open and lights on, EGC developed the #KeepTheLightsOn social media campaign. Complete with video interviews with local business owners that have received funding assistance, according to Smith, the campaign serves as a way to give small businesses recognition for “weathering the storm.” “We created the #KeepTheLightsOn campaign to help our local businesses get their name out there and to let their customers know that they are still there.” He continued, “Instead of going to a chain restaurant or businesses, why not choose to support our local small businesses?” Looking ahead, EGC plans to support small businesses, specifically those in the hospitality-related industry, by administering the COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Recovery Program (CHIRP). Funded by PA DCED’s COVID-19 County Relief Block Grant Program, CHIRP will distribute grants in $5,000 increments up to $20,000 to restaurants, bars, inns, and other businesses negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. To learn more about the Economic Growth Connection’s efforts to support small businesses, including the CHIRP program, visit https://egcw. org/.
