How another grant to assist small businesses would impact Mid-Michigan
Applications are due April 1.
LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - The United States economy is growing faster than it has in the last 40 years.
But there are still businesses in Michigan struggling to recover from the pandemic, which is why the state is working on another round of grants to assist.
Read: $185M in grants available for Michigan businesses hurt by pandemic
Cravings Gourmet Popcorn, located on Turner Road, is a mainstay in Lansing’s Old Town. Owner Chad Jordan said previous grants help him survive and now he’s looking for help to get stronger.
“I’ve kind of run head-first into the new normal because it’s the new normal,” Jordan said.
He said the past two years were a roller coaster for small businesses. With unpredictable highs and lows, he said it’s hard to adjust to.
“You might see a dip in shopping patterns that are different than the previous year and the previous history in your business,” Jordan said. “You just can’t predict when these dips in traffic are going to come.”
That uncertainty isn’t the only thing challenging his business.
“I really think that figuring out how to adapt to the way that customers are now shopping is probably the biggest challenge when it comes to everything,” Jordan said.
He’s one of multiple business owners in Michigan that are hoping for more help from the state.
The Michigan House of Representatives passed a $185 million spending bill that would provide grants to place hurt by the pandemic -- everything from movie theaters to gyms.
Jordan said the grants won’t just help them survive, they’d help businesses evolve to prepare for the next downturn.
“I think that the grants really give an opportunity to reinvent or retool the business,” Jordan said. “I think that gives business owners and opportunity to really think about they can do business potentially differently or to invest in technology to make the business run smoother.”
That’s the kind of spending many owners had to put off while they figured out how to keep the doors open.
“We ignored or put these things on the back burner because they weren’t as important before as they are today,” Jordan said. “But giving customers multiple ways to purchase -- whether its online or in store or curbside pick up -- those things are really important.”
The bill is still waiting for a vote in the senate.
Applications for those grants are due by April 1 and must be disbursed by July 1.
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