Round two of the Gloucester Business Recovery Grant ends on Sunday, and round three begins on Sept. 1. Business owners have until Nov. 15 to take advantage of the grant program, which is funded by the U.S. Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Emergency Services Act.

The program provides grant money to businesses that were forced to close because of COVID-19. These funds can be used to refund qualifying expenditures such as personal protection equipment, sanitation supplies, software, and outdoor business operations.

At the June 16 meeting of the Gloucester Board of Supervisors, board members voted to allocate $500,000 to the business relief program, which is administered by the Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission. The
MPPDC has partnered with the counties of the Middle Peninsula to oversee the spending of CARES Act funds to ensure that federal guidelines for spending are followed.

According to the Gloucester County Economic Development Authority, the first round of the Business Recovery Program began on July 3 and ended on July 15. Businesses that applied in the first round received up to $5,000 in grant money. The second round, which ends on Aug. 30, increased the maximum amount of grant funding to $10,000. The third and final round of the program begins on Sept. 1 and will cover all eligible costs that were not covered in the first two rounds.

EDA director Sherry Spring said that since July 3 only 21 businesses have taken advantage of this program. To help bring those numbers up, the county is increasing its advertising efforts. She said that posters will be placed in banks and information will be mailed out to Gloucester businesses.

Spring said that she doesn’t want a single business to say, “I wasn’t aware.” She said that when the shutdowns began, she had calls and emails from businesses asking if there was a way for the county to help. While she was able to point them to smaller grants, there was nothing on the scale of the Business Recovery Program.

Since the program’s approval, Spring has been doing her part to inform whomever she can. She said that she’s been making phone calls to see if other businesses are interested. She’s heard from some who worry that they may not have enough time to apply or that it may be a difficult process. However, she has also heard the opposite from some of those who have been taking advantage of the program.

Blown Away Salon

Michelle Green of Blown Away Salon said that her business had to be shut down for two months, just weeks after opening its second location. The closure was a huge blow to the salon. She said that many of her employees were unable to file for unemployment because they’re freelancers. The pressure COVID-19 has put on the salon is increased by Green’s recent spinal surgery.

The EDA and Gloucester County Chamber of Commerce were key to the salon being able to avoid closing for good, said Green. She said the grants from the Business Recovery Program along with the Chamber’s gift certificate program allowed her salon to stay open and afford the personal protection equipment needed.

Green pointed out that it was nice to have real people there to reach out to for help. While applying, she said she called Spring to have one-on-one conversations to help with the application. She noted that once she had applied, she received the grant money quickly.

Green said she would advise all businesses to take advantage of the program, and for business owners not to be ashamed to accept the help. She said that if it wasn’t for the county’s help, both of the Blown Away Salon locations could have closed.

Under the Stars Farm

C.J. McDonald, owner of Under the Stars Farm, was another recipient of funds from the Business Recovery Program. The lavender farm experienced a huge blow to business when they were forced to cancel their First Bloom Festival in May. The festival was meant not only to be the farm’s first opening to the public, but also to provide a boost to its revenue.

McDonald said that the cancellation could have put them out of business, but they were able to shift and find ways to survive. She said they held drive-through lavender days at BridgePoint Church and eventually opened the farm to small groups by following Gov. Ralph Northam’s guidelines. However, she said that even operating on a small scale proved costly.

McDonald looked for ways to fund the amount of PPE, signage and outdoor equipment they needed to function. She said that she began to pay more attention to the emails she received from the EDA, looking for anything they could offer to help Under the Stars Farm.

McDonald applied for the first two rounds of the Business Recovery Program, and plans to apply for the third. She said that the application process for this grant was incredibly easy and fast when compared to others. It took her two weeks after applying in round one to receive the check, and only one week in round two.

“You don’t get it easier than this,” said McDonald, who knows firsthand how difficult grant application can be. She said that she has seen it take months just to talk to an actual person regarding grant applications. She is appreciative that in Gloucester, there are people there to, “jump through hoops for you.”

Newton’s Bus Service

Sabina Newton of Newton’s Bus Service was awarded the grant in the first round, and applied for round two of the program. Newton said that the company’s busiest time of year is between March and June. That’s when schools will rent buses for field trips and sporting events. The pandemic put a stop to that in 2020, and Newton said that they expect it to be another whole year before they’ll be traveling again.

When there is no income, it’s hard to afford the expensive equipment need to ensure the buses are safe and sanitized, said Newton. One purchase she cited was electrostatic sprayers. The sprayers get beneath the surface of the bus seats to sanitize, and since they’re so effective, they aren’t cheap.

Newton said that other than a loan they applied for when the pandemic started, they haven’t received any supportive funding other than what they’ve gotten from the Business Recovery Program.

She said the application for round two took her about 10 minutes to complete, and it was easy and straight forward. Spring was a big help to Newton through the process. Newton said that she glad to live in an area where people are looking out for each other.

Newton knows it will take time for people to want to travel via bus again, but that hasn’t stopped them from being prepared. They’re making the necessary steps to ensure their buses are safe and ready for when places open back up.

Eligibility

According to the EDA, in order for applicants to be eligible, they must have been open prior to the spread of COVID-19, and they must be dealing with the negative impacts from the closures it caused. They must also be up to date on their taxes and have a business license.

For more information about the program, visit gloucesterva.info or call the EDA office at 804-693-1414. Questions concerning the application process should be directed to MPPDC Executive Assistant Dawn Mantell by calling 804-758-2311 or email dmantell@mppdc.com.