Nevada SBDC releases COVID-19 economic impact data

RENO, Nevada – The Nevada Small Business Development Center recently released its quarterly economic impact numbers, demonstrating the amount of work done to bolster and support Nevada small businesses during the COVID-19 health crisis. Since late March 2020, the Nevada SBDC counseled 1,635 small business owners that needed assistance in navigating the CARES Act disaster assistance funding, learning new skills related to disaster preparedness and resiliency, and pivoting existing business models. Together, these businesses support 8,882 full and part-time jobs within the state of Nevada. These businesses received $14.8 million in capital funding related to disaster assistance through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program, Economic Injury Disaster Loan and other disaster assistance programs. The Nevada SBDC also assisted more than 1,200 small business clients through their COVID-19 business crisis call center, established at the end of March. 

The Nevada SBDC shifted focus to disaster assistance and recovery after the initial mandated statewide shutdown of non-essential businesses in March. They built a Small Business Disaster Resiliency Guide complete with recovery procurement lists, guides to PPP and EIDL funding and industry specific reopening guidelines. The Nevada SBDC also created extensive training programs to assist small business owners in moving operations to virtual platforms, cyber security training, how to best retain customers and sustain revenues and much more. The Nevada SBDC provides no-cost, confidential business advising via 14 locations throughout the state of Nevada.

Small business owners in need of professional business counseling can sign-up for advising at nevadasbdc.org. CAPTION – The Nevada SBDC has been gifting small businesses with ‘Nevada’ branded PPE, supplied by the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, in an effort to ease the difficulty of reopening.