By Shawn Spencer
It is a year into the pandemic. Businesses are open, then closed. Repeat. It’s not just our restaurants that are suffering, it is all-encompassing: service, retail, even our pet walking businesses. Not many people need their dog walked when they are working from home. So how do you re-brand your business? Some restaurants are selling family packages, meal plans and even “groceries.” What if you can’t re-brand? If you are in the service industry, doing hair and nails, you must ply your trade on the side, just to survive.
The Chamber of Commerce recently launched Operation Save Our Restaurants, a sponsor-based coupon designed to get more people to order takeout. Visit the Chamber’s website at www.monrovia.cc.com to register. Download the $10 coupon and use it at participating Monrovia restaurants. You, the customer, get the discount while the restaurant gets the full amount of the check. Thank you to the Chamber and local sponsors for the generous program.
What are some other ways we (Monrovia), can help small business? While the pandemic is a global issue, here are some ways other cities are assisting their local businesses:
- Create an in-depth online survey. Find out how your businesses are suffering. Find out where the need is greatest. Are they at risk of going out of business? What are they concerned about? Leave a portion open for comments, so that they can add other thoughts and/or concerns.
- Stop or defer some of the financial burdens placed on small business, such as fines, fees, business and occupational tax/payments, and interest and penalties on sales tax.
- Create a local relief fund. Redirect CDBG (Community Development Block Grant), funds to match grants awarded to small businesses and nonprofits by the state economic development agency, per business. Use city grant writers to obtain funds, then offer funds or zero interest loans to impacted businesses.
- Create an online portal for local businesses to receive up to date information on the pandemic, tools and resources, such as how to apply for various loans or loan forgiveness. Update it daily with relevant news from the city, the state and the health department.
During last week’s City Council meeting, the council discussed taking MOTAB (Monrovia Old Town Advisory Board) from five members to seven. The Board, comprised of Old Town merchants, is responsible for making recommendations to the City Council on all things Old Town: promotions, programs, projects and overall improvement. Expanding the Board will potentially allow the members to reach out to a broader number of business owners. MOTAB currently meets (via Zoom), on the second Tuesday of each month, at 9:30 a.m. I highly recommend all business owners or their representative, attend each meeting.
With no end date in sight, keep supporting our local businesses as much as you can. Remember, those businesses are comprised of more than just restaurants.
