Montgomery’s elected and business leaders have launched the Recover Together Small Business HUB (Helping Business Unite), a free, one-stop clearinghouse to connect small and minority businesses to the resources and information they need as they emerge from the COVID-19 crisis.
This public-private collaboration is an early outcome of Mayor L. Steven Reed’s Economic Impact Task Force.
“From the very first meeting, task force members kept coming back to what was the most pressing need on everyone’s mind – finding ways to help local small businesses recover from the impacts of COVID-19 and be able to talk to someone locally that could point them in the right direction,” said Charles Jinright, Montgomery City Council president and chairman of the Economic Impact Task Force.
A communications, counseling and case management vehicle, the Recover Together Small Business HUB will provide a free clearinghouse service to help identify and prioritize small business requests, and connect those small businesses to the resources they need most.
“We will have a virtual helpdesk for small business, where our frontline HUB team members can triage incoming requests and then either handle that request immediately or connect that inquiry to a one-on-one counseling session targeted at their specific needs,” said Chamber Chairman Arthur DuCote. “In the upcoming weeks, our goal is to scale this program to reach as many small businesses in our community as possible, and to include even more resource partners.”
“Our local small businesses are the heart of our community, and they need to find one-on-one assistance to guide them right now and moving forward,” said Elton Dean, Montgomery County Commission chairman and task force co-chair. “A one-stop hub for small business was the kind of real relief local small businesses need.”
The Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, The City of Montgomery, Montgomery County Commission and the Small Business Development Center at Alabama State University are the founding partners of the new initiative.
“I want to thank the members of the Economic Impact Task Force for their leadership,” said Mayor Steven Reed. “It’s important that we help businesses get back on their feet, so they can be positioned to provide the vital services and products needed for our economic recovery.”
In addition to receiving requests for help, the HUB will be initiating community outreach to engage small and minority-owned businesses across Montgomery.
“Ongoing collaboration and engagement of our small business community through the Hub will be a powerful catalyst for economic growth and entrepreneurial support as we move from recovery into resiliency and beyond,” said Chamber Chairman DuCote.
Small businesses in need of assistance should call 334-226-7529. Organizations and companies interested in joining the Hub as a resource collaboration partner can contact the chamber at 334-834-5200.
Interested parties who complete and submit an online form will have a Hub specialist reach out to them within 24 hours. The chamber is creating a database of companies needing assistance and the Small Business HUB will maintain communication with them as the recovery process continues and new opportunities arise.
For more information about growing a business in Montgomery, visit the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce.
