Emerge Stronger

While we cannot change our current circumstances, we can work on a plan for what the future could be.  Our business community is not going to look the same as it did before.  We must put aside our sadness and answer this question:  How do we grow a more vibrant small business community in our region?  Let’s take this time to decide how we emerge from this crisis stronger.  Marinette/Menominee is depending on us.

There are resources that you can tap into, and you might be surprised at how creative our local institutions are willing to be.  Contact your banker first.  I was encouraged when I contacted mine.  Not only was she ready for my call (she called me first to be accurate), she had several ideas on how she could help.

Governors Whitmer and Evers have both received approval from the Small Business Administration for Economic Injury Disaster Loans.  This is a loan program you can apply for today.   Senator Baldwin is working right now to include a provision for loan forgiveness for these EIDL loans for the small businesses that are able to keep their employees working during this slowdown.

Our friends at inVenture North are hard at work on a suite of products (app, website, etc) that they are going to offer to businesses at no charge while we are in this crisis.  Their efforts will help us emerge poised to take new steps.

There is strength in numbers.  We need to lobby our city, county, state, and federal governments for relief to help us survive this crisis.  Let’s band together and share our best ideas, distill them into an action plan, and proceed forward.  We may not have financial resources right now, but many of us have extra time on our hands.  Let’s use it to move forward together.

Please reach out if you have questions or ideas.  We look forward to getting together when the circumstances permit.

Sincerely,
Kim Brooks
kkbrooks@bellsouth.net

Keith Killen
k-killen@outlook.com

Roberta Davis
Roberta.davis@inventurenorth.com