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Resources and Funding Opportunities for Small Businesses

FREE Technical Assistance Support for Small Businesses Our organization, the Strafford Regional Planning Commission, has launched a new program to help small businesses recover from the economic impacts caused by COVID-19 by providing them with professional technical support in key areas of business operations. To do so, we have partnered with local private consultants that are working to provide technical assistance to small businesses in the following areas: Website Development Marketing and Advertising Graphic Design Audio Visual Support Generic IT Cybersecurity THIS SERVICE IS BEING OFFERED FREE OF CHARGE TO SMALL BUSINESSES. SRPC will cover the cost of up to 3 hours of services in any of the above-mentioned categories. Services will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis, so sign up soon! To request assistance for your business in any of these categories, you can sign up here.

National Association of Self-Employed Grant   The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping small business owners. They are currently awarding $4,000 growth grants to support business needs and access to capital. Uses include, but are not limited to, hiring and training employees, marketing, equipment, and software. One grant is awarded per month.   Eligibility: Grant applicants must be a NASE member. Members must be subscribed for at least 3 months before applying. Annual subscribers may apply immediately.    Deadline: Recipients will be announced quarterly. Applications received in July, August and September will be reviewed in October. See the full schedule for the rolling applications and more information here.

Regional Economic Development Center Grant   This award of $2,500 is for small business owners who have had a COVID-19 related loss or expense.   Eligibility:   Must employ 5 or fewer full-time or equivalent part-time employees, including the owner.   The household income of the applicant must be low to moderate-income.  Must not be located in the following communities: Dover, Rochester, Portsmouth, Manchester, and Nashua.  For more information or to apply, visit REDC online or e-mail Augustine Nyonzima, Technical Assistance Coordinator, at augustine@redc.com.

$3,000 CARES Grants for Small Businesses Located in Dover The City of Dover is using its Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and Community Development Block Grant money to help small business owners by providing working capital and assisting them in avoiding job loss caused by the pandemic. The $3,000 grants can be used to reimburse incurred business expenses or to offset a business disruption that occurred because of COVID-19. There are two types of grants available:  Microenterprise Business Assistance Grant, available to sole proprietorships and small for-profit businesses with five or fewer employees, including the owner(s). Small Business Assistance Grant, available to small for-profit businesses with 2-15 employees, including the owner(s). There are only 7 grants left and they operate on a first-come, first-serve basis so do not wait to submit your application! For more information on eligibility and grant requirements please visit the City of Dover's website or email Reid Amy, Deputy Director of Dover's Economic Development Department, at r.amy@dover.nh.gov.

Mini-Grants for Businesses in Farmington, New Durham, Middleton, and Milton! The Wentworth Economic Development Corporation (WEDCO) has 2 grants available for businesses located in Farmington, New Durham, Middleton, and Milton: #1 - Community Development Block Grant (CDBG-CV) - This grant can be applied towards equipment costs, operational expenses, working capital, and other business costs (such as rent, staffing, equipment purchases, utilities, and PPE). These $2,500 grants are meant to help microenterprises and start-ups offset costs associated with preparing for, responding to, or recovering from Covid-19. Eligibility: Businesses must be a for-profit entity with 5 or fewer employees, including the owner(s). Must be in operation or, if not in operation, must have an intent to open. Must be located in Farmington, New Durham, Middleton, or Milton. Meet the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) definition of low-to-moderate-income. (See the document - if the individual applying for the grant fits in the first three income categories: A, B, or C - they qualify.) Deadline: Grants are awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis. The program deadline is December 31, 2021. To apply, click here. #2 - Technical Assistance Grant Program - The goal of this program is to provide assistance for businesses and entrepreneurs in support of their start-up or existing businesses. These $2,500 grants can be used towards QuickBooks software, setup, training, support, website design and development, online marketing services, training, workshops, webinars, and more. Eligibility: Businesses must have 10 or fewer full-time employees Must be located in Farmington, New Durham, Middleton, or Milton. Technical Assistance Grants require a 15% cash match. Deadline: Grants are awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis. The program deadline is December 31, 2021. To apply, click here.

New Restaurant Hiring App   Fliptable is a restaurant staffing app that offers a contactless digital hiring platform for restaurant owners and jobseekers. It is designed to instantly find and connect jobseekers with relevant, open positions at restaurants within their desired area, while restaurant owners and hiring managers are matched with the best candidates for the job. The app is available to both iPhone and Android users.   Details: Participating restaurants get access to both a physical and digital custom Fliptable QR code that directs job seekers to open positions after scanning, giving businesses the opportunity to further support contactless hiring. To kick off the New Hampshire launch, Fliptable will give 25 jobseekers who apply via the app and are hired by a participating restaurant a $250 bonus after 15 days of employment. Additionally, anyone who downloads the app and completes a restaurant or job seeker profile will have a chance to win $1,000. The drawing closes on August 31.   To download the app, go to Google Play on your Android device or to the App Store on your iPhone and type in "Fliptable" in the search bar, or click here.

Grassroots Fund - "Grow Grant" The Grow Grant program is geared towards groups who have some experience implementing a project in their community and strive to create and maintain healthy, just, safe, and environmentally sustainable communities. These $1000 to $4000 grants are meant to support and enable groups to deepen their work. Grow Grants prioritize support for community groups who represent a broad range of voices in their community and who are not being reached by other funders.  Eligibility: The group is doing local, grassroots work in CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, or VT. The group is volunteer-driven or has no more than 2 full-time paid staff. The group has an annual operating budget of under $100,000. Note: the group does not need to have formal tax status or a fiscal sponsor. Deadline: September 21, 2021 To apply, click here. For questions, please reach out to Abby Burkland at abby@grassrootsfund.org.

Hot Tip: Fall Foliage Travel Packages and Promotions The Division of Travel & Tourism is seeking information on special promotions, offerings, and programming related to Fall. Examples include hotel packages, special events, and activities. Promote your business by sending the following information to Estlin.E.Loparto@livefree.nh.gov with "Fall Foliage Travel Packages and Promotions" in your subject line: Business Name: Website: Brief Description and Images Images Deadline is Friday, September 3rd, 2021 at 3:00 pm.

PPP Loan Forgiveness Portal is Open! The Small Business Administration (SBA) launched a streamlined application portal on August 4th, 2021 to allow borrowers who received Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans under $150,000 through participating lenders to apply for forgiveness directly through the SBA. Visit this application portal to submit your request for loan forgiveness if you have received PPP loans in the past.

Do You Have Business-Related Legal Questions? Look no Further than LRS! The NH Lawyer Referral Service provides guidance on selecting and hiring a qualified and conveniently located attorney for your business-related legal issues. There is no fee for the referral and attorneys agree not to charge more than $25 for the initial consultation of up to 30 minutes (if at all). If you require further legal service after the initial meeting, the fee arrangement is between you and the lawyer. Attorneys referred through LRS charge customary legal fees. If you cannot afford an attorney’s regular rate, you may qualify for a referral through the NH Modest Means Legal Program. For more information or to request a free referral, contact NH Lawyer Referral Service by clicking on this link.

How To Recruit and Retain Workers in a Tight Labor Market The pandemic has changed the way business owners attract and keep their workers. The old ways of hiring employees are no longer sufficient in keeping your business up and running. Read these helpful tips on how to survive in the post-pandemic world by creating a stronger business identity, optimizing your wages, and offering competitive bonuses that will work for both you and your employees.

Need a Place For Your Next Big Event? Carey Cottage is Available for Rent! Whether you are a for-profit or non-profit entity, you can now reserve space to host your next meeting, event, training session, retreat, or conference at the historic Carey Cottage in Portsmouth, right next to the beautiful Sagamore Creek. They offer fully furnished rooms with varying capacities. For more information or to reserve a room, contact GoodWork.

2021 NH Legislative Session - Bills That Impact Businesses   Learn about the bills that passed this year's legislative session and may concern or impact your business. The NH Business Review has prepared a list of bills that were passed and were signed into an effect by the governor.

Please reach out to us if you have any questions or need business-related support, and we will do our best to address your needs or connect you to the right resource! Sincerely, Natalie Moles Economic Recovery Coordinator 603-994-3500 ext. 113 nmoles@strafford.org Zuzana Duffy Economic Development Intern zduffy@strafford.org Strafford Regional Planning Commission 150 Wakefield Street, Suite 12 Rochester, NH 03867 www.strafford.org

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