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-Information courtesy the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce
The Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce is working together in partnership with Vance-Granville Community College, the Vance County Economic Development office, the Kerr Tar Council of Governments, the Henderson Downtown Development office, and others to equip our local business leaders with information and knowledge to weather the days ahead as we deal with the coronavirus outbreak.
Ideas to keep your business strong through Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis:
- Communicate with your customers – Call, email, and use social media posts to let them know your status and how you are doing business during this time. Ask them to share this with others. Also, email your post, link, or graphic with post copy to the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce at michele@hendersonvance.org.
- Consider ideas such as call-ahead (or online order, or via email) pickup services, delivery, take out, gift cards, encourage customers to reschedule instead of cancel, pre-payment of future services (deposit, subscription, membership), online orders, virtual services (consulting, training, problem-solving), etc.
- Brainstorm and collaborate with fellow small business owners to help each other with ideas and to increase each other’s visibility.
- Focus on purchasing local produce/meats to sustain local farmers and help with social distancing.
For Customers:
- Buy now to enjoy later. Much like produce, you can also get carry-out meals to enjoy in the comfort of your home, whether you eat it while it’s still hot or freeze it for later.
- Consider delivery from local stores where available.
- Buy gift cards. Purchasing a gift card to use at another time helps local businesses by putting cash in their hands to use now.
- Load up on entertainment on your devices and pull out the old board games to help distract your family and escape for a while.
Articles & Informative Links:
Coronavirus: 8 Things Your Small Business Needs to Do
US Small Business Administration – Guidance/Loan Information
Update: SBA has approved the request for North Carolina’s disaster declaration. Eligible applicants may now apply for economic injury disaster loans (EIDLs) as a result of the ongoing effects of COVID-19.
If you would like to contact the Small Business Center at Vance-Granville Community College – you can put in your search bar “VGCC Small Business Center” or you can call Sheri Jones, Center Director at 252-738-3240.
SBA disaster assistance customer service center. Call 1-800-659-2955 (TTY: 1-800-877-8339) or e-mail disastercustomerservice@sba.gov (link sends e-mail)
Kerr Tar Council of Governments Loan Programs – Diane Cox at 252-436-2040
VGCC Small Business Center:
Your local Vance-Granville Community College Small Business Center is hoping to be back in the classroom soon. In the meantime, please feel free to take advantage of webinars across our state network.
Click to see the schedule of upcoming webinars
Click for Electronic Request for One-on-one counseling via phone or email
WEBINAR Wed 3/25 2-3:30 p.m. Preparing Your Business for the Threat of the Coronavirus
Local Financial Institutions:
BB&T (now Truist Bank) – Gaylen Hackemack – 252-492-2181
Benchmark Community Bank – Curtis Tyndall – 252-436-0051
Carter Bank & Trust Bank – Shannon Lewis – 252-438-6222
Coastal Credit Union – Sandra Braswell – 800-868-4262
First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. – Bob Hubbard – 252-492-4145
Lendmark Financial – Becky Claiborne – 252-492-1166
State Employees Credit Union – Anna Lemert – 252-492-0168
Union Bank – Brad Baldwin – 252-430-0489
Woodforest National Bank – Jonathan Tyson – 252-430-8324
NC Works – Local Vance County agency that will assist you with issues affecting your workforce, lay-offs, hiring, etc. In Henderson, contact Jennifer Jones 252-438-6129 and in Oxford, contact Monica Satterwhite 919-693-2686.
Thread Capital (NC Rural Center) – contact 919-212-4943. Jonathan Brereton, Executive Director; Email: connect@threadcap.org; Website: https://www.threadcap.org/; Thread Capital was launched in 2018 by the NC Rural Center and continues to be an operating subsidiary of the Center to handle business loans.
Carolina Small Business Development Fund (formerly The Support Center) – (919) 803-1437; Website: https://carolinasmallbusiness.org/; Loan Products: https://carolinasmallbusiness.org/loans/loan-products/
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE – As an employer, you may be eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA). DUA is a federal program that provides temporary payments to people in a federally declared disaster area whose employment has been lost or interrupted as a direct result of the disaster. Business owners that are self-employed, a farmer, or a commercial fisherman, who is unemployed as a direct result of the disaster may be eligible. For more information go to https://des.nc.gov/; Phone: 888-737-0259.