Negocios Now

www.negociosnow.com Diciembre 2020 3 L a Fundación McCormick ha proporcionado a la Fundación Comunitaria de La Villita una subvención de $600,000 para ayudar a los dueños de negocios afectados por la pandemia. Las empresas en La Villita que han estado en funcionamiento desde 2019 pueden recibir entre $1,000 - $3,000 del programa Camino a la Recuperación, y la asistencia de un consultor. "Son negocios que han funcio- nado de una manera tradicional", dice Javier Haro, un consultor del programa para restaurantes y nego- cios de alimentos. "No muchos están preparados para pedidos o entre- gas en línea, por lo que han tenido dificultades para adaptarse al nuevo clima", dice Haro. Para las empresas del centro comercial "Discount Mall" de La Villita, la disminución del tráfico peatonal del cual dependen, es un gran desafío, asegura Héctor Salda- ña, otro consultor del programa. Además de ayudar a administrar los fondos de las subvenciones, los consultores también trabajan con negocios en materia de capacitación en las áreas de contabilidad, opera- ciones, marketing y tecnología. "Estamos investigando cómo podemos posicionar mejor [a las empresas] no solo para esta subven- ción, sino también para futuras opor- tunidades de subvenciones y présta- mos bancarios", dice Haro. Saldaña anima a los dueños de negocios a que tomen cursos y conti- núen su educación utilizando fondos de subvenciones, si es posible. Kim Close, directora de programa- ción de la Fundación Comunitaria de La Villita, se desempeña como admi- nistradora de subvenciones y dice que hasta ahora el comité de subvenciones ha proporcionado a 23 empresas más de $63,000 de los fondos proporciona- dos por McCormick Foundation. En comparación con los códigos postales vecinos, las empresas de La Villita no se beneficiaron tanto de los préstamos PPP porque muchos no tienen cuenta bancarias, suelen operar en efectivo y presentan una brecha digital", agrega Close. El programa de subvenciones ayu- dará a las empresas que ya son resilien- tes a adaptarse y seguir prosperando. "Este es el momento de adaptarse e innovar ... porque son tiempos nue- vos", explica Haro. By Arianna Hermosillo B usinesses in La Villita that have been in operation sin- ce 2019 can receive $1,000 - $3,000 from the Road to Recovery program, along with assistance from a consultant. "These are businesses that did things traditionally," says Javier Haro, the consultant working with restaurants and food businesses. Not many were set up for online ordering or delivery, so they've had a hard time adapting to the new climate, Haro says. For businesses in Little Village's Discount Mall the drop in the foot traffic they rely on is a big challen- ge, says consultant Hector Saldaña. Some have invested in PPE and most are owner-operated with no employees to pay but without cus- tomers they're still struggling. Along with helping to manage grant funds, the consultants also analyze businesses in the areas of accounting, operations, marketing, and technology so they can get upgrades and training. "We're looking into how we can better position [businesses] not just for this grant, but for future grant opportunities as well as bank loans," Haro says. Saldaña encou- rages business owners to take courses and further their educa- tion using grant funds, if possible. Kim Close, Director of Program- ming at the Little Village Commu- nity Foundation, serves as the grant manager and says that so far the grant committee has provided 23 busines- ses with over $63,000 in grants. Compared to neighboring zip codes, Little Village businesses did not benefit as much from PPP loans because they're underbanked sole propiertorships operating as cash- only and on the short end of the digital divide, Close adds. Little Village is no stranger to lac- king resources, though. "Even when the city didn't want to invest [in] 26th Street, immigrant business owners were able to flourish and make it the second-highest revenue commercial strip in the city." Saldaña says. The grant program will help already-resilient businesses adjust and continue to thrive. "This is the time to adapt and innovate...because these are new times," Haro says. Road to Recovery Grant Program Supports Business in La Villita The McCormick Foundation has provided the Little Village Community Foundation with a $600,000 grant to aid business owners struggling due to the pandemic. The McCormick Foundation aporta $600,000 a Fundación de La Villita para ayudar a pequeños empresarios que luchan contra la pandemia. Little Village businesses can text "BECA" to 833-480-0339 or visit lvcfchicago.org/programs/road-to-recovery and click on "apply now" to be contacted and learn more. Las empresas de La Villita pueden enviar un mensaje de texto con "BECA" al 833-480-0339 o visitar lvcfchicago.org/programs/road-to-recovery y hacer click en "Apply Now" para ser contactados y obtener más información.

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