New funding program announced for companies who may have “fallen through the cracks”
Governor Sununu has announced a new funding program designed to assist companies hard hit by COVID-19, but who may have “fallen through the cracks” and not been eligible for other emergency funding programs offered by the state using federal CARES Act funds such as the Main Street Relief Fund, the Non-Profit Emergency Relief Fund, or the Self Employed Livelihood Fund.
The New Hampshire General Assistance & Preservation Fund (NH GAP Fund) will provide financial relief to New Hampshire businesses and nonprofit organizations impacted by COVID-19 but were unable to access support from other existing state and federal programs. The New Hampshire Business Finance Authority has been selected to administer the distribution of funding. The application period for this GAP Fund will run from July 21 – August 4, 2020.
Instructional webinars to review the NH GAP Fund application process are highly recommended to any prospective applicant and are available on the following dates (registration is required): July 24, 2020 at 10 AM and July 28 at 2:00 p.m. Follow this link to register (registration is free) for session one:
BFA GAP Fund Webinar – Session One
; Follow this link to register (registration is free) for session two:
BFA GAP Fund Webinar – Session Two
.
Nominations are now open for our
32nd Annual Dinner & Awards Celebration!
Nominate a fellow Chamber member business (or your own!) for the 2020 Annual Dinner and Awards Celebration to be held Monday, August 17th, outdoors on the beautiful grounds of Hampshire Hills. due to social distancing requirements, seating is limited, so don't delay! B
uy tix here.
Please tell us why the business or businesses you are nominating are deserving of the award. Categories and Guidelines are listed at the beginning of the survey. Good luck to all member businesses!
Other upcoming Chamber events in August
Please know, that we take the health and safety of our members seriously. It is our top priority. Therefore, please note that our upcoming events will be limited in number, require social distancing and other safety precautions. Please look under the individual event listing for details.
Eversource Encourages Customers to Evaluate Lowest-Cost Energy Supply Options
Please be advised of the lower energy service rate taking effect on August 1, 2020 for Eversource’s residential and small business customers. Most municipal accounts are on the small business rate. Typical exceptions are big high schools, waste water facilities and water treatment plants. Details here:
As part of its efforts to support customers facing financial hardship and other challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, Eversource is encouraging customers to closely manage their energy supply options so that they do not overpay an alternative supplier. In 2019, Eversource residential customers in NH who chose competitive suppliers paid on average $1.3 million more per month than the standard service for their electric generation. With their default energy service charge for residential customers decreasing in New Hampshire by 14.9 percent on August 1, they encourage all customers to evaluate their energy supply options to ensure that they’re paying the lowest possible cost. As a regulated delivery company, Eversource purchases electricity from suppliers and passes on the cost, with no profit added, directly to customers through its default energy service charge. Effective August 1, 2020, Eversource’s default energy service charge for its residential and small business customers will decrease from 8.306 cents per kilowatt-hour to 7.068 cents per kilowatt-hour. All customers also have the option to purchase electricity from competitive suppliers, whose prices have recently ranged in New Hampshire from six to 12 cents per kilowatt hour. Information about energy suppliers, their rates and offerings, as well as tips for choosing a supplier can be found on the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission’s website. As energy use can often increase during the hottest days of the year with people cooling homes and businesses with air conditioners, Eversource also reminds its customers that energy efficiency remains the single most effective way to take control of their year-round energy costs.. For energy efficiency tips and information about the many programs available to help lower energy use, Eversource customers can visit the
Save Money & Energy section of Eversource.com.
SCORE Workshops
How to Up Your Marketing Game at Tradeshows and Events
- DATE & TIME: July 21, 2020, 2:00pm EDT
- What goes into a good trade show booth and display? Business to Business Expos and other Trade or Event Gatherings are great places to market your business, whether you are a service provider or a business with products to sell. Learn what goes into making a good trade show booth, both in person or virtual. Register here
July 23, 2020, 8:15am EDT
In this third of the three online workshops for using FaceBook to grow your business, Christine Halvorson will explain how to use Facebook Advertising effectively and economically.
Register here
July 24, 2020, 8:00am EDT
Your Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Statement should be primary tools to help you manage your business.
Register here
NH SBDC Webinars
10:00 am to 11:00 am
- We will share the most up to date PPP forgiveness rules, in preparation for you filling out your PPP forgiveness application. Click here to register
10:00 am to 11:00 am
- We will discuss best practices for on-the-spot conflict resolution and how to help your employees keep calm during confrontations with customers.
10:00 am to 11:00 am
