Resources to Fund & Support Small Businesses

by Melanie Griffin March 18, 2020

Full Disclosure: After carefully vetting monetary opportunities that allow Spread Your Sunshine, LLC to best serve its community with helpful and meaningful content in-line with our goals and mission, this post contains one or more affiliate links, meaning that Spread Your Sunshine, LLC will receive compensation for the posting of this article.

Today’s featured Spread Your Sunshine Trail Blazer, Working Women of Tampa Bay Founder Jessica Rivelli, totally inspired us with *all* that she is tirelessly doing to assist local businesses during these difficult times. If, after performing your business' break even analysis, you, too, need help, or want to save the local businesses that serve us so well all year long, read on for ways you can provide support or benefit from such efforts.

Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan: Small businesses can apply for this loan offered by the State of Florida through May 8, 2020 (assuming funds remain available). This one-year loan is offered to all small businesses established in Florida before March 9, 2020 that have suffered losses as a result of COVID-19. The loan is interest-free for one year, after which the interest is 12% per annum. Sole Proprietorships can receive up to $25,000 and businesses with 2 – 100 employees can receive up to $50,000. To find out more about this opportunity, click here.

Shumaker Legal Helpline for Small Businesses: If you need legal assistance applying for the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan, or have any additional questions about the business or governmental affairs issues you are facing during these uncertain times, call the free 24-hour/day hotline established by the law firm of Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP at (800) 427-1493 or visit the Shumaker COVID-19 Client Resource Center by clicking here.

Florida DEO Short-Time Compensation Program for Employers: The Short Time Compensation Program helps employers retain their workforce in times of temporary slowdown by encouraging work sharing as an alternative to layoff. To learn more about eligibility requirements and how to apply, click here.

Facebook Small Business Grants Program: Facebook is providing $100M in cash grants and ad credits for up to 30,000 eligible small businesses in over 30 countries where it operates to help with the cost of rent, operations, work force, and advertising. Further details will be released as they become available by clicking here.

Working Women of Tampa Bay Foundation Seed Money Grants: The Working Women of Tampa Bay Foundation (“WWTBF”) regularly funds “seed money” grants of $500 - $1,000 to female entrepreneurs in need of assistance in growing their business. To apply for such a grant, click here.

Additional COVID-19 Grants: This month, WWTBF is raising additional funds in support of businesses hurt by COVID-19. Monitor the same website listed above for additional details about such grants as they become available.

Zoom Webinars: WWTBF has further organized a series of Zoom webinars that can be attended for a $5.00 donation to WWTBF with the dual purpose of: (1) providing business owners with helpful information needed during this time; and (2) raising additional funds to help women small business owners recover from COVID-19. More information about these webinars is available by clicking here.

Kabbage Gift Cards: Sign your business up to sell gift certificates online with Kabbage Payments™. Kabbage charges a flat-rate 2.5% payment processing charge, but otherwise, there are no additional fees for this service. Once registered, businesses can send a custom link to their customers to allow purchasers to electronically buy such cards. This infuses businesses with cash when they need it and gives customers a chance to try out the businesses they are supporting later on (or immediately!). To register to sell gift cards or search to support registered businesses, click here.

Additional Ideas to Support Small Businesses: As highlighted in today’s Spread Your Sunshine Trail Blazer spotlight, WWTBF has organized a campaign to raise $5,000 to buy $5,000 worth of gift certificates from women-owned businesses to be raffled at future events to help female entrepreneurs thrive during this difficult time.

Contribute to the campaign organized by the WWTBF via paypal.me/wwfoundation or
Support even more local businesses by organizing your own similar campaign.

Diamond Banc: Sell or get a loan for jewelry, luxury watches, or designer handbags online or by shipping the item to the Diamond Banc with a pre-paid fully insured label. To learn more about this opportunity or start your request online, please click here.

Hopefully these ideas can help you fund or support small businesses. You know what, though? We want to help even more! If YOU have additional information to share with the SYS community, email Spread Your Sunshine Founder Melanie Griffin at melanie@spreadyoursunshine.com or message Spread Your Sunshine on Facebook or Instagram. Together, we can have the greatest impact on our communities and those whom we love most!