Business After Harvey initiative helps small business recover from hurricane disaster
Mar 5, 2018
Six months after the devastation of Hurricane Harvey in greater Houston and surrounding areas, many small businesses are still struggling to become operational again. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 40 percent of small businesses that experience a disaster do not recover. In response to the destruction resulting from Hurricane Harvey, Houston Community College and the Houston MBDA Business Center (Minority Business Development Agency) announce the Business After Harvey program, an initiative that aims to equip small business owners with opportunities, training, and information to rebuild.
Business After Harvey connects business owners with opportunities to bid on contracts, receive strategic consulting, and secure funding. Businesses are advised on strategies for pursuing government and private sector contracts. The program also assists businesses in securing capital with low or zero interest loans of up to $25,000 through a partnership with LiftFund, a nonprofit organization that helps finance small businesses and startups.
“We are a conduit to connect people with money,” said Program Director Chris Bilton. “If your business was disrupted in any manner, whether from flooding, loss of use or loss of income, we want to connect you to financing to get your company back up and running the way it was prior to Harvey. Small businesses are essential to the vitality of any community, so it is imperative we get businesses affected by Harvey back on track so local economies can continue to flourish.”
Currently, Business After Harvey serves the greater Houston area, but the program may expand by partnering with other organizations to help business owners in places such as Beaumont, Corpus Christi, and other surrounding areas. The program is funded by a grant through the Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency. For more information, call 713-718-8974 or visit businessafterharvey.com.
ABOUT HOUSTON MBDA
The Houston MBDA Business Center is operated by Houston Community College. The program is funded, in part, by the U.S. Department of Commerce through the Minority Business Development Agency and has been hosted at Houston Community College since September 2013. MBDA Business Centers are staffed by business specialists who help minority businesses access procurement opportunities, new markets, and capital.