The head of the U.S. Small Business Administration and member of President Biden’s cabinet, Isabel Casillas Guzman, paid a trip to the Upstate Oct. 8.
She stopped at Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery to discuss the effects on small businesses in the wake of Hurricane Helene. The cafe suffered flood damage and three days without power. As the days went on, team members were touched by the help they received from the community as they rebuilt from the losses. Despite the loss, the co-owners expressed gratitude that their business was not damaged further, noting that some of their vendors located in Western North Carolina lost everything.
Guzman toured the grocery with co-owners Jac Oliver and Mary Walsh, even buying some of the grocery’s beloved stecca bread. Oliver and Walsh said they were honored by Guzman’s visit, finding it helpful to be informed about federal resources available.
“We’ve been working nonstop to get things back on the shelf,” Walsh said. “And so we’ve only gotten to sit down at a computer like two days ago, so even them telling us what resources are available and how they work is a huge deal.”
Both Walsh and Oliver encouraged the community to shop local as the area recovers.
Resources for small businesses
“I want South Carolinians to know that the SBA is on the ground, scaling to make sure that we can support you,” Guzman said.
Resources are available online and by phone, but the Small Business Administration has also set up the Business Recovery Center at NEXT Innovation Center, 411 University Ridge in Greenville. The office is set up for assistance to small-business owners in applying for disaster loan assistance. The satellite office is expected to be open until Nov. 29, the deadline to apply for physical relief. Small businesses can apply for economic relief until June 2025.
The SBA does not offer grants but offers low-interest loans for businesses seeking relief following the hurricane. According to Guzman, interest on SBA small business loans can be as low as 4%. The administration offers loans with 30-year terms.
Guzman added that the SBA also offers loans to homeowners and renters whose homes were damaged by natural disaster, as well as business and personal belonging loans.
“The small business can’t recover if their employees haven’t recovered, if their customers haven’t recovered,” she said.
Currently funding is available for the community, but Guzman did emphasize that funding will deplete quickly, echoing Biden’s Oct. 4 letter to Congress.
“We’ve been flagging this for months that the SBA needed its funding for the year, and we’re requesting dollars,” she said. “But [we] just want to assure everybody to keep on coming to SBA. We are going to be here to support you through the navigation of this program.”
Related: How you can help: Ways to donate, volunteer after Hurricane Helene
