The program started accepting applications Aug. 1 and stopped accepting applications on Oct. 20. The development department had originally planned to accept applications until Oct. 30, but so many businesses applied for the grants that the funds ran out 10 days early, Henry said.
“We were able to help businesses that sorely needed this,” Henry said.
Kelley’s Café in Jamestown plans to use the grant to add outdoor seating and erect dividers inside the dining room, said Heather Henry, who’s father owns the Kelley’s.
“Right now we’re just making sure we can pay the bills and pay our employees, so getting this takes some stress away," she said. “We probably wouldn’t be able to plan to do that without this grant.”
Kelley’s Café, which employs about 15 people, also got Payroll Protection Program funds.
“We’re very fortunate that things like this were available,” Heather Henry said. “Our bartenders and waitstaff were really worried when we had to close the dining room.”
Bentino’s Pizza, which is across the street from Kelley’s Café, also got the small business grant from Greene County. Owner Jason Garringer said he found out about the grant from his friends across the street at Kelley’s.
Garringer said he doesn’t know yet how Bentino’s will use the grant, but said he was very thankful to get it.
“There’s certainly a lot of things on the table to worry about, but this definitely took some of the financial stress away,” Garringer said.
The program started with $500,000 and when the county got more coronavirus relief funds in September, they allocated another $500,000 for the small business grants. Greene County originally got $2.5 million in CARES Act funding from the state.
Miami Twp., Sugarcreek Twp. and Xenia Twp. all also pledged additional funds to the county to be dedicated towards a small business in each of those communities. Miami Twp. and Xenia Twp. pledged $10,000 each. Sugarcreek Twp. pledged $5,800.
Businesses with 50 or fewer employees could apply to be reimbursed for up to $10,000 in coronavirus-related costs, like sanitizing or personal protective equipment. Businesses also had to be a or-profit entity, have a physical storefront and be current on all federal, state and local taxes.
Henry said his staff of five was often able to get reimbursement checks out to businesses within two weeks.
Over $400,000 of the grant money went to businesses in Beavercreek. More than 40 businesses in Beavercreek applied for the small business grant. In Xenia, more than $184,000 was given to 21 businesses.
Fifteen Fairborn businesses received nearly $115,000 in small business grants. In Bellbrook 11 businesses were helped with abut $78,000.
Henry said many of the grants went toward a business’s rent, business insurance, personal protective equipment for staff or covered the costs of making changes to a space for social distancing.
Not all businesses had enough expenses to be reimbursed the full $10,000. Some declined to apply for the full amount.
“I think we can be really proud of our citizens in Greene County,” Henry said. “We had several businesses who didn’t apply for the full $10,000 because they wanted to make sure others in the community got taken care of too. Our citizens took care of each other.”
As the country and region continue to battle with the coronavirus, Henry said if more funds were allocated to his department for this purpose, they could get another small business grant program operational in a short time.
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