Help local businesses survive the pandemic crisis & be ready to recover
AS SEEN IN THE RED ROCK NEWS
April 3, 2020
Awaiting arrival of emergency federal funding for Sedona’s economy, the Chamber of Commerce is pulling out all the stops to help local businesses – and the thousands of individuals and family members who depend on them – survive the pandemic crisis and be ready to recover once necessary safety-related restrictions are removed.
We issue regular bulletins to our partners crammed with resources to help them and their employees. These include a direct link to the SBA Emergency Loan Application site and a primer on how to complete the application. Last week, we co-hosted an online seminar on navigating the complexities and provisions of the SBA loans.
The loans can have a powerful impact. Up to $2 million is available per business at 3.75 percent interest, no payments are required for one year and businesses may have up to 30 years to repay, with no prepayment penalty. We are strongly encouraging businesses to consider applying.
We have distributed links to new US Department of Labor guidance on paid sick leave and expanded FMLA leave under new legislation approved by Congress and signed by President Trump.
We have connected workers with the State of Arizona unemployment application process and resources for finding local jobs through the Northern Arizona Council of Governments and yavapaiatwork.org.
To help businesses stay in operation, we are managing a new web page listing all local restaurants -whether they are Chamber partners or not – that offer home delivery, pickup and drive through service at sedonachamber.com. We also launched new web pages on both vistsedona.com and sedonachamber.com promoting businesses who have online stores or who are offering special discounts and coupons.
To help you stay current on local businesses, we have a “Status of Businesses and Attractions” page on sedonachamber.com that is regularly updated. We also recently launched #SedonaStrong on Facebook so people can share how to help.
We are continually sharing information with our Congressional leaders and Governor Ducey, the City of Sedona, Yavapai and Coconino County governments, Northern Arizona Healthcare, the Verde Valley Regional Economic Organization, Yavapai College, the Small Business Administration, the Centers for Disease Control, the US Travel Association and many more.
Our amazing Sedona nonprofits are deeply affected by the economic slowdown. They are also eligible for SBA Emergency Loans and we are helping by providing the same resources and support we provide our business community. The Arizona Community Foundation has started a COVID 19 Community Response Fund to help nonprofits carry out critical community services, and we are promoting their effort. You can help at azfoundation.org.
We were early supporters of the US Travel Association’s decision to lobby Congress for $250 billion in direct aid to tourism and travel-related businesses and we continue to support the USTA effort to provide direct relief.
There is an immense amount of work to do in helping Sedona businesses, employees, families and residents get through the coronavirus pandemic with health and finances intact. From the highest levels of government to each household in America, everyone has a role to play. You can be sure we at the Chamber are carrying out our role with diligence and energy.
–Jennifer Wesselhoff, President/CEO