NE Iowa small business owners are getting help from a local telephone hotline

"Economic development isn't just about bringing in new businesses, it's about making sure our local (businesses have) what is needed to succeed."

That's the message from Winneshiek County Development and Tourism Executive Director Stephanie Fromm, explaining why her agency has launched the local Small Business Helpline by teaming up with Northeast Iowa Community College, Greater Dubuque Development Corporation (GDDC), Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and the East Central Iowa Intergovernmental Association.

Since launching the Business Helpline on March 25th, the program has helped more than 200 businesses by answering questions and guiding them to the programs which are the most relevant to their business and can supply help from federal, state or local funding programs. The phone line, (563) 588-3350, is staffed between 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.  Business owners can also email sbhelpline@nicc.edu.

Many new resources are now available for ALL businesses with less than 500 employees:

●Payment Protection Program (PPP) loans provide cash-flow assistance through 100 percent federally-guaranteed loans to employers who maintain their payroll during this emergency.

●Small Business Debt Relief Program provides immediate relief to small businesses with non-disaster Small Business Administration (SBA) loans; in particular 7(a), 504, and microloans.

●Economic Injury Disaster Loans & Emergency Economic Injury Grants (EIDL) provide an emergency advance of up to $10,000 to small businesses and private non-profits harmed by COVID-19 within three days of applying for an SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL).

●Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) assists certain employers in providing their employees with paid sick leave or expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19.

Says Northeast Iowa RC&D Business Development Planner Josh Dansdill, "I think it has provided an incredible opportunity for small business owners to speak with an actual person, vent their frustration, tell their story, and overall feel like their voice is being heard. We are all overwhelmed by the situation COVID-19 is causing locally, nationally, and worldwide but being allowed to tell their story for just a few minutes can actually make a difference."