Atlantic Chamber Welcomes Small Business COVID Support

New financial help for small businesses affected by COVID-19 will be a welcome relief to many business owners, according to one business organization.

The New Brunswick government announced Tuesday that it will begin offering non-repayable grants of up to $5,000 through Opportunities New Brunswick.

The grants will be available for small businesses impacted by the orange or red phase of pandemic recovery for at least one week between Oct. 10, 2020, and March 31, 2021.

Sheri Somerville, CEO of the Atlantic Chamber of Commerce, said business owners throughout the province are anxious to hear more details.

“Business continues to need assistance for the impacts caused,” said Somerville. “Simply just going back and forth, transitioning between the different levels, can be worrisome for some businesses.”

The new financial relief was announced the same day that the entire province moved back to the orange phase amid rising COVID-19 cases.

Somerville said while businesses are thankful for the overall government assistance to date, more could always be done to help them through the pandemic.

“There’s been certain groups and certain industries — tourism, retail, restaurants — that have been severely impacted by COVID and have been trying to make their comeback and figure out their ways to open up and operate safely,” she said.

Some demographic groups have also been more disproportionately affected by COVID-19, said Somerville, including youth, women, immigrants, those with low wages, and those with low education.

“While the support for their incomes does help, certainly there could always be more that could be done,” she said.

Somerville acknowledged she thinks there is a gap in terms of knowledge and awareness about available government programs. She said some business owners may also believe the process to get funding is more difficult than it actually is.

The Atlantic Chamber has heard from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, among others, that available supports are not being used, said Somerville.

“One aspect is to contact your local chamber,” she said. “Your chamber can direct you to the different sources of supports that are out there and the agencies that are working to deliver it.”

Somerville said while moving back and forth between recovery phases is worrisome for business, it is important for everyone to follow safety protocols so we can keep our case counts low.