Against the Grain II
By Vaughn Wilson
As the owner of a Black business myself, I am certainly not talking about ALL Black businesses. However, the focus of these comments are businesses who are doing business off the record or just not handling the full scope of their businesses.
The U.S. Government just announced that they will be distributing $16 billion in grants in a program title Shuttered Venue Operations Grant (SVOG). Businesses who qualify for the grant can receive up to $10 million in funds to go towards their business. Even if the businesses have received PPP loans, it could pay off the loan and result in a distribution of the balance.
This particular program is for concert halls, clubs, promoters, agents, and bars. During the pandemic, these venues were forced to close and were the last sector of businesses allowed to resume. Even when the resumption occurred, the scope, capacity and rules for re-opening made the opportunity for revenue a shell of itself.
To qualify, businesses must have things in order. Businesses must have their taxes taken care of, their licenses updated and a Dunn & Bradstreet registration.
Too many Black businesses will scramble to pull all these required documents and registrations together. Too many will just miss free money that was set aside to as-sist businesses exactly like theirs. Sadly, all of the money will be distributed while some Black businesses never know about the opportunity.
Many of us have been taught great lessons from our elders. The notion of a good day’s work for a good day’s pay is not enough to be successful in business. Today, businesses cannot operate in a Black hole. Annually, grants, loan opportunities, and scholarships go unclaimed as Black people simply do not seek the assistance set forth for us to access.
The program rewards the patience of businesses who survived the shutdown. Businesses who qualify under the shuttered business grant program can earn up to 45-percent of gross revenues earned in 2019. Imagine if you had a business that grossed $100,000 in 2019 but couldn’t make money in 2020 because of the pandemic. You could receive a grant, not a loan, of $45,000!
Black businesses, we need to stop allowing opportunities like this slip away. This is in no way a handout; it is a helping hand. All businesses in the United States, regardless of race, are eligible for this grant. But the program has been set up with two billion dollars marked for businesses with under 50 employees on the front end so that small businesses, which most black venues will be classified, can have a fair opportunity to compete for the resources.
I urge every Black business to join up with your local chamber of commerce. In Tallahassee, along with the main area chamber of commerce, we have two thriving Black chambers of commerce. The Big Bend Minority Chamber of Commerce is led by Antonio Jefferson and they’ve already held a seminar on applying for the grant. The Capital City Chamber of Commerce is led by Katrina Tuggerson, a local business mogul who is well versed in helping small businesses.
Black businesses, it’s time to handle business.
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