UPDATED COVID-19 Business Resource Guide

Yancey County Economic Development Commission
Press Release
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
31 March 2020
 
 
UPDATED CORONAVIRUS RESOURCE GUIDE
COVID-19 Business Resources
 
 
As our community responds to COVID-19 our staff are monitoring the situation and working to bring you information and resources. Below you will find links to sources of information and resources specifically geared toward our business community as we move forward to deal with this crisis.
 
INFORMATION ON COVID-19
Latest information from the Federal Government and prevention tips for individuals and organizations can be found at the Center for Disease Control’s website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
 
Additional local news, resources, information and prevention tips may be found at Yancey County Government’s website: 
https://yanceycountync.gov/emergency-management-coronavirus-updates
 
 
BUSINESS RESOURCES
Essential Business Designation
Following the issuance of Governor Cooper’s Executive Order 121 placing the state under a stay-at-home directive and ordering the closure of non-essential businesses there may be questions from our business community regarding whether or not they are classified as essential businesses and if so how to obtain a waiver exempting their business from the order. 
For a list of those businesses deemed to be essential please refer to the full text of Governor Cooper’s Order which can be found at the following link:  https://files.nc.gov/governor/documents/files/EO121-Stay-at-Home-Order-3.pdf
Waivers for essential businesses are being processed through the North Carolina Department of Revenue.  An application for waiver for essential businesses may be found at the following link:  https://www.ncdor.gov/request-be-considered-essential-business
 
Funding Resources for Business:
The following list of resources are available to businesses in our community who may be negatively impacted by COVID-19 to help address or alleviate funding and/or cash flow concerns.
Following the passage of the CARES Act (the COVID-19 Stimulus Package) approved by Congress and signed by the President additional emergency lending for businesses will be available through the US Small Business Administration.  These loans will be made by banks who are approved SBA lenders.  For additional details on how to apply for these loans and the funding requirements feel free to contact:
Jamie L. McMahan, Director, Yancey County Economic Development Commission
(828) 682-7722 – Jamie.McMahan@yanceycountync.gov
Allen Cook, Director, Mayland Community College Small Business Center
(828) 766-1295 – acook@mayland.edu
 
Additional low-interest loan opportunities are available through the following lenders for appropriately qualified small businesses:
The May Coalition – http://www.maycoalition.org/services.html
Thread Capital (NC Rural Center) –https://www.threadcap.org/capital/
Self-Help Credit Union – https://www.self-help.org/business/loans/commercial-loans
Carolina Small Business Development Fund – https://carolinasmallbusiness.org/
NC Community Development Initiative – https://ncinitiative.org/
Funding to Assist Displaced Workers & for Nonprofits:
For employees of the restaurant/food service industry who have been laid off or furloughed assistance can be obtained from the NC Restaurant Workers Relief Fund at the following link: https://www.ncrestaurantrelief.com/ 
For local nonprofits who are working hard to meet the needs of our community during this time of crisis we want to make aware that the SBA lending program available to assist small businesses is also available to assist small non-profits with needed funding.  For more information contact:
Jamie L. McMahan, Director, Yancey County Economic Development Commission
(828) 682-7722 – Jamie.McMahan@yanceycountync.gov
Yancey County and the Town of Burnsville local governments in partnership with the Yancey Chamber and the Yancey County Economic Development Commission will be announcing in the coming days funding guidelines for the newly created Yancey County COVID-19 Response Fund administered by the Yancey Advancement Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) community development nonprofit affiliated with the Yancey County Economic Development Commission.  For those interested in donating to this effort to support local nonprofits you may donate online at the following websites: www.yanceycountync.gov, www.townofburnsville.org, www.yanceychamber.com, or by mailing a check made payable to the Yancey Advancement Foundation, Inc. to PO Box 246, Burnsville, NC 28714.