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Reopening: Too early, or not soon enough?
UPDATED MAY 8 Gov. Ralph Northam is likely to loosen restrictions next Friday on “nonessential” businesses, allowing gyms, spas, theaters, dine-in restaurants and other enterprises to reopen after more than seven weeks, but feelings are mixed about the wisdom of this decision, given that Virginia saw a 36% increase in confir[...]
Task force mulls safety, economic concerns in reopening businesses
As the governor’s executive order shutting down all “nonessential” businesses is set to expire next Friday, a diverse group of two dozen Virginia business representatives is hard at work compiling ideas for how to reopen safely. The group — which includes officials from major employers Walmart and Amazon.com Inc., museum[...]
SW Va. businesses, officials urge Northam to reopen region
Southwest Virginia elected officials and business owners are ready to reopen for business, noting that the number of COVID-19 cases in their region is considerably lower than those found in the more populated regions of the state such as Northern Virginia and Central Virginia. “The [economic] effects of the COVID-19 pandem[...]
More small-business relief funds on the way
President Donald Trump on Friday signed a bill that allocates an additional $320 billion to the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) — and Virginia banks are poised to resume making loans and taking applications Monday. The SBA approved 1.7 million loans before the initial $349 billion small-business relief fund ran out after […]
The last shift
For many restaurant workers, their final shifts fell on Saturday, March 14. “We had kind of a weird weekend, and at Saturday night, it was so dead in there, we said, ‘Should we shut down?’” recalls Brandon Peck, bartender at The Jasper, a popular Richmond craft cocktail bar. “The governor had, that day, made a [&hellip[...]
Loudoun County announces $1M small-business relief fund
UPDATED FRIDAY, APRIL 24: The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors allocated an additional $250,000 to its existing $1 million COVID-19 Business Interruption Fund on Thursday, aimed at helping small businesses in the county that have been harmed by the COVID-19 crisis. The board allocated an extra $105,000 for businesses with 3-50 employees, $110,000 for businesses […]
Report: 78% of Va. restaurant workers have been laid off since March
More than 237,000 restaurant employees in Virginia have been laid off or furloughed since March — 78% of all workers who were employed in February, according to the National Restaurant Association, and the Virginia restaurant and food services industry stands to lose $1.3 billion in revenues for April. More than 8 million rest[...]
Walk this way
Virginia Business virtually sat down with Joshua Weinstein, founder of Norfolk Tour Co., which provides public and private tour services in downtown Norfolk and surrounding areas. This is part of an ongoing series of conversations with Virginians about how their work lives and businesses have changed during the pandemic. Virg[...]
Keeping clean
Virginia Business virtually sat down with Charlene Johnson, owner of Tysons Cleaning LLC, which provides commercial and residential cleaning services in Northern Virginia. This is part of an ongoing series of conversations with Virginians about how their work lives and businesses have changed during the pandemic. Virginia Busine[...]
Richmond EDA to offer no-interest loans to small businesses hurt by crisis
The Richmond Economic Development Authority announced Thursday it will begin offering no-interest loans up to $20,000 to small businesses harmed by the COVID-19 crisis. The Richmond EDA has made $1 million available for the relief fund, according to the city’s economic development director, Leonard Sledge. Businesses based within the city limits with fewer than 25 […]
Dining downturn
During the first week of Virginia’s coronavirus crisis, a timer went off every 30 minutes at Perch, the high-end Pacific Rim seafood restaurant in Richmond. It was time to wipe down all surfaces again. “We can control the inside, but we can’t control the outside,” says Mike Ledesma, executive chef and owner. The restau[...]
A multifaceted strategy
Catching the big one matters, but a lot of little successes can mean a lot, too. In Southwest Virginia, small triumphs have accumulated over the past year, in addition to larger announcements. Last April, Polycap LLC, a Toronto-based manufacturer of specialty caps and closures, announced it would invest $7.7 million in Lebanon[...]
