Rebuild VA – New Funding for Small Businesses

Good Afternoon Virginia Tourism Industry Partners,

We have exciting news to share with you. The Commonwealth is launching a new grant program for small businesses and nonprofits called Rebuild VA. The program will provide grants of up to 3 times the applicant’s average monthly eligible expenses up to a maximum award of $10,000. The application will become available on August 10, 2020.

These grants are aimed at assisting small businesses and nonprofits that have faced economic distress as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible entities include those in the following industry sectors: restaurant and beverage service, non-essential retail, exercise and fitness, personal care and personal grooming, entertainment and public amusement, private campgrounds, and overnight summer camps. If you are unsure if your business qualifies, please carefully read the criteria as laid out at the links below

This statewide program is capitalized with $70 million, which means the state will be able to assist approximately 7,000 businesses. Half of the proceeds will be directed toward small businesses and nonprofits located in economically disadvantaged areas, including ensuring adequate representation of women-owned and minority-owned businesses.

More details about the program, including eligibility criteria, may be found in in this flyer or by visiting https://www.governor.virginia.gov/rebuildva/. We hope that you will share this information widely with your networks.

 

 

Post-Crisis Leadership Certification

Dani and Bill obtained the Post-Crisis Leadership certification from the University of South Florida, Muma College of Business. The seven week course began May 20 and completed on July 1.

The Post-Crisis Leadership certification focused on navigating the transition from the current crisis to the new normal and how to recruit, organize, evaluate and lead a resilient team. The curriculum included leveraging key data, analytics and visualization, as well as how to assess risk and security during business continuity and recovery. In addition, the course emphasized the importance of effective supply chain communication and coordination and how to seize opportunities to give competitive advantages.

The course was attended by professionals from 80 countries and a wide-array of backgrounds, including the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, Disney, various NGB’s and DMO’s.