Illinois Policymakers Should Support Small Businesses
The pandemic and COVID-19 mitigations began inflicting immense damage to small businesses in March 2020. Thousands of small businesses initially applied for Illinois Business Interruption Grants. While these grants helped some small businesses, approximately 80% of applicants were not awarded a grant.
Illinois then received over $8 billion in American Rescue Plan Act funds. However, only $250 million was allocated to the new grant program for struggling small businesses. These funds will likely be exhausted before many eligible businesses receive grants. With billions of ARPA funds remaining, policymakers should allocate an additional $300 million for grants to struggling small businesses.
Illinois politicians should finish what they started. They should replenish the Back to Business grant program and promptly get funds to struggling small businesses, some of whom have waited almost two years for a grant to help offset the damage caused by the pandemic and mitigations established to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Please fill out the call to action below and ask your legislators to support struggling small businesses. Thank you for supporting the small business community!
*CLOSED* the Cook County Small Business Source Grow Grant Program!
Apply for the Cook County Small Business Source Grow Grant Program! The SBAC advocates for the small business community in numerous ways, including by disseminating important information about programs that will support small businesses. The Cook County Small Business Source Grow Grant program will provide grants to certain small businesses still struggling to recover from the pandemic.…
We’ve been busy advocating for you!
We’ve been busy advocating for the small business comunity! It’s been a busy past few weeks for the SBAC. Our fight to revitalize local business districts continues fervently. We are committed to meeting our Illinois Alders individually to discuss our SBAC Agenda and how to build a better Illinois. Small businesses are the heart of…
August 17th, 2022 – Small Business Workshop – What to ask Before You Open Your Doors
August 17th, 2022 SBAC Empower, Groupon + the Greater Englewood Chamber Of Commerce present an open Q&A session to answer your questions on starting a business. Opening a business and have a question on business usage, zoning, banking, etc? Already have a business and have questions? Listen in, and our panelists will answer freely. With:…
