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Asheville Grown Business Alliance -- Supporting local businesses and workers is one thing each of us can do right now. We’ve set up this page with resources, key information, creative initiatives and contacts.
For the most recent updates affecting our community please visit Buncombe County’s COVID-19 preparedness page.
The City of Asheville set up a Ready Team call center at 828-419-0095 or at ready@buncombecounty.org to help answer general questions related to COVID-19 in Buncombe County and direct you to the best resources available if we cannot answer your questions. In a partnership with United Way’s 211, the call center will have options for Spanish, Russian and multiple other languages
We support the American Sustainable Business Council‘s effort to Save our Economy Now. Please consider signing on and telling congress. It’s easy!
Virtual Town Halls
The City of Asheville and the Chamber have pulled together panelists to discuss important considerations and resources for businesses. view and register for Town Hall discussions >
Add your experience to the Chamber’s survey and review the ongoing results here >
Asheville Downtown Association Webinar
April 14, 10am (FREE)
Register here: COVID-19 and Business Interruptions: A Discussion on Key Issues for Business Owners
Our goal is to update this page as frequently as possible. If you have knowledge, answers or additional questions, please email franzi@ashevillegrown.com. Many thanks to all the folks who contributed!
Quick links to information in this document:
What can I do to help?
Our business is open / operating! Who can help us get the word out?
Unemployment Insurance
Business Insurance notes
Mortgage, lease, rent relief for Residents and Businesses
SBA & Mountain BizWorks Loan Information
Tax Information
General Business Assistance
Gig Workers Assistance
Restaurant Workers Assistance
Musicians, Artists and Event Producers Assistance
Hospitality Workers Assistance
Domestic Workers Assistance
Nonprofit Assistance
Childcare Assistance
Census Jobs
External links to helpful info:
CARES Act ($2.2T Stimulus package) (entire bill, our advisors are looking at it and we’ll update this site as soon as we have some distilled, accurate information)
Coronavirus Loan Options – PPP vs. EIDL comparison chart
Most comprehensive resource for small business owners we’ve seen from the Senate SBC
Mountain BizWorks’ has a good summary here >
Paycheck Protection Program (super helpful rundown for small businesses without the legalese)
Paid Sick Leave for small businesses (via IRS)
Employee Retention Credit (via IRS)
Families First Act
Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act
Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act
Employment Law Guidance
OneBuncombe Fund
Food trucks and temp. signage ease on restrictions (City of Asheville)
Coronavirus Información en Español (via Mountain BizWorks)
(via Hola Carolina)
If your business is operating these folks are helping to get the word out:
BizRadio Asheville is offering free commercial slots to local businesses. If you’re interested, just fill out this form.
Asheville Radio Group is currently giving local restaurants FREE “Takeout Shout-outs” on all 7 of our radio stations thru April. Contact Dawn Ceasman 828-210-8590. Visit them at: avlradio.com & the828.com
ASAP (farms, CSAs), AIR (Restaurants), Asheville Area Arts Council, Asheville Strong (gift cards), IAMAVL.com (music), Explore Asheville are all keeping and updating lists of business in operation.
If you’re an Asheville Grown member please consider updating your listing if you are offering takeout or delivery services, online purchasing, classes, workshops and / or gift cards and add any additional information people need to know to your description.
Simply login here >
Click the button that says “Edit”
Hit the NEXT button until you come to the Business Collections page (2nd to the last)
Select Takeout / Deliver, Online Purchasing / Workshops / Classes and / or Gift Cards
Click NEXT and UPDATE POST.
What are the best things I can do to support my community?
Engage in Creative Social Distancing, check out this great list of local things to do by our Asheville Area Arts Council
Buy GIFT CERTIFICATES (thanks for getting this incredible resource together so fast, AshevilleStrong!)
Have your GROCERIES delivered or drive by for pick-upMother Earth Food
French Broad Food Coop
West Village Market
Hopey & Co.
Asheville Craft Beverage
Patton Ave. Pet Co. (for your furry friends, too!)
Order TAKEOUT from local restaurantsKickback AVL
Asheville Independent Restaurant Association list
Explore Asheville list
Support our local pharmacies, they are here for you and have a wealth of information and supplies.Sona Pharmacy
Appalachian Specialty Pharmacy
Franny’s Farmacy
Support local FARMSCheck out this amazing list of local farmers offering CSA options, compiled and updated by ASAP here
Visit the FARMER’S MARKET at AB Tech on Saturdays (ASAP has done an amazing job of keeping this safe for everyone)
Support LOCAL MEDIA (they are losing critical advertising dollars and we don’t want our community to be without local media)Mountain Xpress
AshevilleFM
BPR
Urban News
Ashvegas
WRES
WPVM
Frequently updated list by Explore Asheville of local businesses’ offerings and additional resources here.
VOLUNTEER / CONTRIBUTE If you’re able to:BeLoved AshevilleFund for our Latinx Community (via BeLoved Asheville)
Manna Food Bank
Haywood Street Congregation
United Way of Asheville
Homeward Bound
Stream MOVIES from Grailhouse Moviehouse’s Sofa Cinema and the Fine Arts Theatre
Support local MUSICIAMAVL.com
below from the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce (see their website for updates and more resources)
Unemployment Insurance
EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 117 – North Carolina
In addition to ordering that restaurants end sit-down service and move to take-out or delivery only, it also expands access to unemployment insurance for workers affected by COVID-19 in any industry.
Removes the 1-week waiting period to apply for unemployment insurance;
Removes the requirement that an applicant must look for another job during this time;
Allows employees who lose their jobs or have hours reduced to apply for benefits;
Permits applicants to apply for benefits remotely by phone or online; and
Employers will not be held responsible for benefits paid as a direct result of COVID-19 claims.
below from Kathy Sheppard, Sheppard Insurance Group
Business Insurance
I wish I could give you some comforting news in regard to insurance coverage but unfortunately that is not the case. For the most part your various business insurance coverages will not respond to problems arising from COVID-19. With that said each person should contact their own agent or insurance company for definite confirmation based on their specific policies. I will address the most common types of coverage I have been asked about.
Loss of business income– This coverage is activated after direct physical loss to your business, such as after a fire, burst water pipe, windstorm, etc. As a rule, the existence of a communicable disease is not considered direct physical loss and as such there would be no trigger for the loss of income coverage.
Property coverage-You may have an exclusion in your policy under the property coverage for loss due to virus or bacteria.
Civil Authority- You may see a reference in your policy for loss of income after being ordered to cease operations by Civil Authority. However, even in that case there has to be a direct physical loss to your business for the coverage to respond.
General Liability- This is the coverage you would look to if someone claimed your business was the cause of their contracting COVID-19. Many, if not most, business policies include an exclusion for “Communicable Disease” that states in part the policy does not pay for bodily injury or property damage that arises out of the actual or alleged transmission of a communicable disease.
Workers Comp- As a rule an employee contracting the virus would not be considered a work-related injury but there could possibly be exceptions so any claim should be reported to your insurer to make that determination.
These basics are relevant to most small businesses such as retail shops, offices, restaurants, etc. which I assumed is the target audience for this particular discussion. None of this is a new reaction by insurance companies to this pandemic. These policy exclusions have been in force since long before COVID-19.
