Small-business grants available in Huron County

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine reminded Ohio business owners on Friday that there are grants available through the Ohio Department of Development for small to medium-sized businesses that are looking to recover from the pandemic. There has been $310 million set aside to aid these businesses across four grant programs. The programs are new businesses that opened in 2020, food and beverage establishments, entertainment venues and lodging venues. The total money for the grants was originally just $155 million, announced in June, but has since been doubled thanks to the fiscal year budget being approved by the Ohio General Assembly and Gov. DeWine on July 1. Each program has funding set aside for each of the 88 counties in Ohio. If businesses in a county do not use the money set aside for that county by July 31, the remaining funds will be opened up to businesses statewide. "I strongly encourage Ohio's small and medium-sized business owners to apply for these grants," Gov. DeWine said. "Funding is set aside for businesses in all of Ohio's 88 counties and grants range from $10,000 to $30,000 apiece. As we continue our recovery from the pandemic, we want to give our local businesses this money to help them successfully move forward." Huron County Commissioner Skip Wilde shares DeWine's desires to see local businesses take advantage of the new funds. "We hope anyone that would be eligible would take advantage of that because the funds are from $10,000 to $30,000, that is a big deal for a small business," Wilde said. Information on program guidelines, terms and conditions and all documentation required for the programs can be found at BusinessHelp.Ohio.Gov. Applications will remain open until all funds have been exhausted. This isn't the first time since the pandemic hit last year that the state has doled out money to struggling businesses. The CARES act provided help to businesses specifically in Norwalk last year. "I think the government has been giving out quite a bit of money and so if they took advantage of it I would hope that some are in a much better place," Wilde said. Because of all of the money that has been given, many businesses are in need of more than just money. "Unfortunately, all of those grants don't necessarily give them employees and I still think there is an employee problem. Not enough employees. We see the businesses closing on different days and different hours," Wilde said. Ohio Small Business Development Centers and Ohio Minority Business Assistance Centers are staffed with advisors who can help businesses with the application process. To find out more about the qualifications for applications visit businesshelp.ohio.gov