Recovery Center opens to help Collier County businesses hurt by Hurricane Irma

The Naples Accelerator has taken on a new job.

The accelerator —  normally focused on supporting young companies and startups — is now a Business Recovery Center too, lending a helping hand to businesses hurt by Hurricane Irma.

One of the new center's primary missions is to help businesses get short-term emergency loans, or bridge loans.

The bridge loan program, activated by Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday, made 90- to 180-day, interest-free loans available to small businesses that suffered physical or economic damage from Irma. The deadline to apply is Oct. 31. 

Representatives with Collier County's Office of Business & Economic Development and Florida Gulf Coast University's Small Business Development Center will be available to help walk businesses through the loan process and to determine the value and losses for businesses.

"People with pretty low credit scores that are in business, we can still help them," said Jace Kentner, the county's economic development director. "We do everything we can with our local loan review committee so they can stay in business and thrive."

Small-business owners with two to 100 employees can apply for up to a $25,000 loan. To qualify, a company must have been established before Sept. 4 and must prove injury from Irma.

For more information on the loans, visit floridadisasterloan.org.

"We're trying to reduce the impact of the hurricane's challenges by fast-tracking bridge loan funding for our small businesses' recovery," said Cathy Haworth, a Small Business Development Center certified business consultant who works at Florida Gulf Coast University and the Naples Accelerator.

While financial assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency is more focused on individuals, other federal programs may be available to help businesses get through these tough times, Kentner said. Through the recovery center, he hopes to share other important information with local companies, such as when they can expect debris pickups and when water restrictions will be lifted.

"We want to be a one-stop shop for folks, for our business community, so they are not wandering around" looking for information, Kentner said.

At 3 p.m. Tuesday the Business Recovery Center will do a live broadcast on Facebook.com/CollierEDO and a web conference on GoToMeeting at bit.ly/2wBgFya to share information and answer questions for businesses about Irma recovery. The events will be held weekly.

The Naples Accelerator is at 3510 Kraft Road, Suite 200, off Pine Ridge Road, near Interstate 75.

Here are some other resources for businesses and employees hurt by Irma shared by the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce:

The Florida Virtual Business Emergency Operations Center acts as an online clearinghouse for business information following Hurricane Irma. It can be found here: flvbeoc.org.

If your business has been damaged, you are encouraged to take the Business Damage Assessment, which will be shared across various state and local agencies and used to expedite disaster relief. Access the survey here: flvbeoc.org/index.php?action=bda.

The Disaster Unemployment Assistance program provides financial assistance to individuals whose employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted because of the storm. It's available to people who are not eligible for regular unemployment insurance benefits. More information can be found here: floridajobs.org/office-directory/division-of-workforce-services/reemployment-assistance-programs/disaster-unemployment-assistance. 

The Community Foundation of Collier County — along with the city of Naples, Collier County Emergency Management, Collier County Sheriff’s Office, Naples Police Department, Marco Island Police Department and the United Way of Collier County — has established the “Collier Comes Together Disaster Relief Fund.” The fund will provide assistance to victims of Hurricane Irma, and 100 percent of the donations collected will be distributed to victims and their families. For more information visit: cfcollier.org/collier-comes-together-disaster-relief-fund.