By Recker McDowell —
The Scottsdale Industrial Development Authority has expanded a COVID-19 small business grant program to $200,000. The Scottsdale IDA is offering $5,000 grants to small businesses who need help because of the Coronavirus and all its impacts. The IDA is working with the city of Scottsdale, Scottsdale Charros, Scottsdale Leadership, Experience Scottsdale and the Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce on the small business effort.
This is exactly what Scottsdale needs to be doing to help small businesses (including restaurants) survive the pandemic’s impacts.
Scottsdale needs to move aggressively to help small businesses and the hard-hit tourism and events industries. These are some of the key life bloods of the local economy and the city’s tax base. They have been devastated by COVID-19.
Many small businesses need financial lifelines to make it through the next few weeks. Businesses and jobs are at the tipping point of being lost. Some small businesses were turned down or have not yet received help from the U.S. Small Business Administration via the CARES Act.
The clock is ticking on those businesses and their employees. Some need immediate money to meet payrolls, pay rent and other expenses. They need it now.
The economy is looking like it will reopen soon. But even after more workplaces and businesses reopen, we are not sure how consumers, tourists and others will react and how long it might take things to resemble pre-COVID-19 conditions and behaviors.
The Scottsdale IDA grant program can help with that. It is for companies with less than 50 employees and is focused on helping small businesses in the health care, tourism and food and beverage industries.
This program is a good step. We just need to see additional aggressive actions from the city and the business community to help save jobs and small businesses.