During a recent visit to Northwest Arkansas, SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman met with local small business owners and community leaders to assess how federal aid packages were helping small business impacted by the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.
Administrator Guzman’s visit came at the invitation of U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Arkansas, and included stops in Benton and Washington counties. Meeting with business owners who are recipients of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF), Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG), and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Guzman noted that the state has received $3 billion in aid since the pandemic. Nationally, more than 101,000 restaurant owners received funds from the RRF.
From left to right, Mary Beth Brooks (ASBTDC), Isabel Casillas Guzman (SBA) and Rep. Steve Womack.
ASBTDC, UAF Director Mary Beth Brooks and several ASBTDC small business clients spoke to the group on relief efforts. “Our small businesses are the backbone of our local economy, and it was imperative that we accelerated efforts to assist local businesses and restaurants in the face of the pandemic,” said Brooks. “Financial aid packages like the RRF, SVOG and PPP were critical in keeping small business going for the last 18 months.”
Guzman also addressed the growing challenge of the Delta variant of COVID-19, stating that vaccination and the use of masks will be the most important tools in overcoming the pandemic and keeping the nation’s small businesses open and thriving.