The new Small Business Recovery Program of the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce has received a $100,000 boost from the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners.
Commissioner Steve Bradshaw requested the allocation that was approved by the commissioners on March 3.
“Thank you, Commissioner Bradshaw and DeKalb County for your continued support of the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce,” said Frankie Atwater Sr., president and CEO of the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce.
“We are very thankful for the opportunity to partner with your office and the county to initiate a program that will grow to provide the essentials critical to maintaining a small business in DeKalb County,” Atwater added. “By including the $100,000 allocation in the 2023 budget, our elected leaders are making a statement to the region that the success of our small business community is paramount to the economic vitality of DeKalb County.”
Bradshaw said, “I have long held the view that DeKalb County should provide some regular financial support to our Chamber of Commerce. When I chaired the COVID-19 Small Business Task Force, I recall that some CARES Act money was allocated to support some chamber programs during that time, and it made sense to me that sustainable funding from DeKalb County Government was needed to help our chamber support small businesses on behalf of the county.”
The funding will be used by the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce to help small businesses owners with the essentials critical to maintaining a small business in DeKalb.
Many of those businesses are in industries still recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the three-year disruption in the operational balance of conducting business, according to a DeKalb County statement.
Additional challenges are current inflation rates and the acquisition of affordable capital for ongoing business needs, the statement added.
These business industries would benefit from an opportunity to connect and access resources to help with resilience planning, contracting and workforce development, the statement said.
For more information, contact Robin Flieg at rlflieg@DeKalbCountyGa.gov.
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