Author Archives: Craig Backus

Small Business Saturday – November 26

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Saturday, November 26, 2022, is Small Business Saturday – a day to celebrate and support small businesses and all they do for their communities. This year, we know that small businesses need our support now more than ever as they navigate, retool, and pivot from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Please join SBA and organizations across the country in supporting your local small businesses by shopping at a small business.

Founded by American Express in 2010 and officially cosponsored by SBA since 2011, Small Business Saturday has become an important part of small businesses’ busiest shopping season. Reported projected spending among U.S. consumers who shopped at independent retailers and restaurants on Small Business Saturday reached an estimated $23.3 billion according to the 2021 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey commissioned by American Express.

The highly successful team of SBA, Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), and American Express will be kicking off the 2022 holiday season by encouraging consumers to support our nation’s nearly 32 million independent businesses this Small Business Saturday and all holiday season long.

Attention Restaurant Members:  Vital SBA Information from the National Restaurant Association

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Sean Kennedy of the National Restaurant Association provided the Chamber with vital information for our members who operate restaurants or bars and might be eligible for the Small Business Administration’s new Restaurant Revitalization Fund which begins the application process Monday, May 3.
This program targets relief to restaurants and bars adversely impacted by Covid-19.  To qualify a place of business has to be primarily a restaurant or bar.  Venues, where food or beverages are incidental to the primary mission, will not qualify.  The Small Business Administration has details of the program on their website.  The SBA also has a document explaining the program available as a download.  Click Here to access that document.

You can apply through SBA-recognized Point of Sale (POS) vendors or directly with the SBA.  Participating POS providers include Square, Toast, Clover, NCR Corporation (Aloha). If you are working with Square or Toast, you do not need to register on the SBA application portal.

CLICK HERE to access the application portal that goes live this Monday, May 3, at 12:00 EST.  There is a 21-day priority period for some applications.  Even if you do not qualify for the 21-day priority period, you should submit your grant application as early as possible.

For more information, you can access the National Restaurant Association’s website at www.restaurant.org.  You can also access their frequently asked questions page by clicking this link.

Position Statements for the 2021 Texas Legislative Session

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Our Mission: Advancing Business, Strengthening Community

Our Key Strategies:

  • Grow our Members’ Businesses
  • Foster Economic Prosperity
  • Amplify the Voice of Business
  • Develop the Community’s Future

The 1,200 representatives of community leaders, member businesses, and organizations that are the Hurst Euless Bedford Chamber of Commerce have joined together to speak to our local legislative representatives with one voice. Our vision is for legislation that will result in the greatest economic and community prosperity in Hurst Euless Bedford, Tarrant County, the North Texas Region, and the State of Texas. Our agenda seeks the continuation of the economic success our state and region currently enjoy by creating sound policies that ensure we have the necessary tools, talent, infrastructure, and healthcare systems for economic and community prosperity.

Critical Priorities for the 87th Texas Legislature

• Keep all current economic development tools including reauthorization of Chapter 313 and funding the Governor’s, Enterprise Fund.
• Fund and protect HB3 making only minor tweaks necessary to correct unintended consequences in the original drafting of the legislation.
• Maintain the funding from Propositions 1 and 7 and explore creative financing methods including expanded public-private partnerships to leverage state investment in critical transportation infrastructure.
• Maximize federal funds to expand healthcare coverage and access through both the public and private market, including the use of Medicaid 1115 waivers and Local Provider Participation Funds.

Detailed Legislative Agenda for the 87th Texas Legislature

Economic Development

  1. Support the reauthorization of Chapter 313 of the Tax Code for 10 years with minor improvements that allow independent school districts to participate in economic development incentives.
  2. Support funding of the Governor’s Enterprise Fund and other economic development tools now available.
  3. Support economic development incentives that produce high paying jobs in high-poverty zip codes in Texas.
  4. Support continued use of eminent domain to facilitate construction of highways, rail, pipelines, electric transmission lines, etc.

Workforce and Talent Development

  1. Support appropriating funds for retraining of displaced workers using a combination of community colleges, workforce boards, and private employers.
  2. Support legislation that ensures there is no discrimination in Texas on the basis of race, religion, national origin, or gender identity.
  3. Support returning military professional access to comparable state licenses with minimal retraining and cost.
  4. Support funding quality, affordable daycare to increase workforce participation.

Public Education

  1. Support continued funding of HB3 with minor tweaks necessary to remedy unintended consequences of the original legislation.
  2. Support expansion of broadband to ensure all students in Texas have equal access to education.
  3. Support allocation of emergency funds to public education to make the adjustments required by the global pandemic.
  4. Support elimination of unfunded mandates placed on public education.

Higher Education

  1. Support appropriating funds for the formulas from the 86th Legislature before other funding priorities. 
  2. Support funding the Governor’s University Research Initiative (GURI) and the Core Research Fund (CRF).  
  3. Support rigorous dual credit courses, early college high schools, and advanced placement testing to reduce the number of credit hours that must be completed after high school to make college more affordable. 

Healthcare

  1. Support maximizing federal matching funds to extend healthcare coverage and access to working poor, self-employed, and uninsured Texans through both the public and private market.
  2. Support funding additional physician residency slots and the Professional Nursing Shortage Reduction Fund. 
  3. Support additional funding for inpatient, outpatient, and community-based behavioral health services and for Mental Health Professionals in the public education setting.
  4. Support making permanent the relaxing of the scope of practice and telehealth restrictions made during the Covid-19 pandemic consistent with safe, effective patient care.

Infrastructure

  1. Support continued use of all dedicated Proposition 1 and 7 funds for transportation infrastructure. 
  2. Support innovative financing plans including expanded use of Public-Private Partnerships to leverage state funds for transportation infrastructure. 
  3. Support creation of a state plan for the expansion of broadband to every county in Texas providing affordable basic access for distance learning and telemedicine. 
  4. Support tolled managed lanes being added to existing public highways where the number of free lanes remains the same after completion. 
  5. Support measures to protect the Texas electrical grid.