News and Events in Flat Rock, Michigan
Flat Rock Opened Two New Businesses in July. Bare Aesthetics has been a dream coming true for Chelsea Haupricht.
To learn more about her story Click Here.
The second business is For the Love Bakeshop & Café. It is a vibrant new bakery café is at the corner of Telegraph Rd and East Huron River Dr, next door to Bare Aesthetics. They are the latest on a growing list of eateries and small businesses revitalizing the downtown Flat Rock community.
For more information about For The Love Click Here.
You can win a gift card in the Support Local Flat Rock Program, created by the Flat Rock Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and supported by Flat Rock Our Hometown. This is an incentive program is for customers of Flat Rock businesses. You can win one of 10 $25 gift cards every week during the months of June and July.
HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS
When you make a purchase at one of the Downtown Flat Rock stores of $10 or more, you will be eligible to enter the drawing by printing your name and phone number on the back of your receipt. Your receipt will become the drawing ticket. You can then place your receipt into the drawing pail near the register or give them to the cashier who will enter your receipt into the drawing.
If a Flat Rock business is not listed or isn’t participating, you can still enter the drawing by dropping your receipt with your name and phone number at the Biggby Coffee on Telegraph Road in Flat Rock.
You have to purchase your item the week of the drawing and all receipts will be destroyed after the drawing. The drawing is open to anyone 18 and older. You can only win one prize per month.
Eleven winners will be announced every Friday (the 11th prize will be a car wash from Cobra One in Flat Rock) and posted on the Flat Rock DDA and Flat Rock Our Hometown Facebook pages.
Winners can pick up their gift cards at Flat Rock City Hall during normal business hours. A MASK IS REQUIRED TO ENTER CITY HALL
Winners must pick up their prize within a week of the drawing. Those not picked up will be re-entered into the contest.
(Any business within the City Limits of Flat Rock and registered with the city of Flat Rock can collect receipts from customers to submit into the contest. If you are interested please contact Diane at Biggby Coffee.)
Participating Flat Rock Businesses
You can find the list of Current Shop Local – Shop Flat Rock Promotion Winners and other stats on the DDA facebook page.
Notice; Due to COVID-19 and state regulations, some businesses may be closed until restrictions are lifted.
Michigan Small Business Relief Program will provide up to $20 million in grants and loans to Michigan’s small businesses impacted by COVID-19 outbreak
LANSING, Mich. – Economic assistance for small businesses around Michigan that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 virus gained approval from the Michigan Strategic Fund, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced today.
“We understand small businesses across our state are facing unprecedented challenges as we take every step possible to mitigate the spread of coronavirus,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “Through decisive actions like those taken today by the MSF Board to authorize relief for small businesses throughout Michigan, we are leveraging every resource available to support our businesses, communities and entrepreneurs around the state impacted by this outbreak.”
The Michigan Small Business Relief Program approved today authorizes the MEDC provide up to $20 million in support for small businesses. The funding is divided between $10 million in small business grants and $10 million in small business loans to support businesses facing drastic reductions in cash flow and the continued support of their workforce. Click Here for that site.
The $10 million in grant funding will be provided to local or nonprofit economic development organizations throughout the state to provide grants up to $10,000 each to support certain small businesses that have realized a significant financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 virus. CLICK HERE for this info.
In order to qualify for grant support, businesses must meet the following criteria:
* The company is in an industry outlined in Executive Order 2020-9, or any subsequent Executive Order of similar intent (“EO”), or demonstrates it is otherwise affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as meeting additional criteria;
* The company has 50 employees or fewer;
* The company needs working capital to support payroll expenses, rent, mortgage payments, utility expenses, or other similar expenses that occur in the ordinary course of business; and
* The company is able to demonstrate an income loss as a result of the EO, or the COVID-19 outbreak.
For State of Michigan information on this CLICK HERE.
Additionally, the program will authorize the MEDC to provide up to $10 million for small business loans to one or more Community Development Financial Institutions (“CDFI”) or a licensed SBA not-for-profit institutions (“Eligible SBA Non-Profit”), or directly from the MSF to eligible borrowers to be used to provide low-interest loans with flexible repayment terms to support certain small businesses statewide that have realized a significant financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. Loans to eligible borrowers must be $50,000 or more and are capped at $200,000. For State of Michigan non-profit loans CLICK HERE.
In order to qualify for loan support, businesses must meet the following criteria:
* The company is in an industry outlined in Executive Order 2020-9 (“EO”), or demonstrates it is otherwise affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, or is a company that provides goods and services to companies to the aforementioned;
* The company has fewer than 100 employees;
* The company needs working capital to support payroll expenses, rent, mortgage payments, utility expenses, or other similar expenses that occur in the ordinary course of business;
* The company can demonstrate that it is unable to access credit through alternative sources;
* The company can demonstrate an income loss of as a result of Executive Order 2020-9.
The MEDC anticipates that at least 1,100 businesses across the state will benefit from this program.
The Michigan Small Business Relief Program will be a top priority for the MEDC, with funds being available no later than April 1, 2020. Loan and grant proceeds under the Michigan Small Business Relief Program may be used for working capital to support payroll expenses, rent, mortgage payments, utility expenses, or other similar expenses that occur in the ordinary course of business. Through this program, in combination with other programs and services, the state will ensure economic support is available to Michigan’s small businesses to overcome anticipated loss of revenue as a result of the COVID-19 virus through both grant and loan opportunities.
“With the outbreak of COVID-19, many small businesses are faced with significant economic impacts, including challenges with cash flow and resources to support their workforce,” said MEDC CEO Mark A. Burton. “The Michigan Small Business Relief program will provide immediate assistance to the small businesses around the state who are facing revenue loss as a result of tough, but necessary steps that have been taken to mitigate the spread of the virus.”
The Michigan Small Business Relief Program (CLICK HERE) is the latest effort of MEDC to support Michigan businesses as they are impacted by COVID-19. MEDC has just launched a new free, statewide online procurement platform
for buyers and suppliers of critical health and human services across a broad range of categories to minimize the impact of the virus in the state. The platform will allow health and human service providers in need of critical supplies to connect with suppliers of vital goods and services. (Procedure Platform information CLICK HERE)
It also builds Governor Whitmer’s application for a U.S. Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) declaration to ensure federal economic support is available to Michigan businesses. Earlier this month, Congress passed legislation making $1 billion available to the SBA to provide low-interest loans to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and nonprofits that have suffered substantial economic losses due to the COVID-19 outbreak. These loans offer up to $2 million in assistance to support businesses with any temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing due to the outbreak, and will have a significant regional impact for communities across the state as the COVID-19 situation evolves. (Small Business Disaster Loan information CLICK HERE)
For more resources for small businesses in Michigan impacted by COVID-19 (CLICK HERE)
About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development with the focus on growing Michigan’s economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, CLICK HERE . For Pure Michigan® tourism information
Join the conversation on: MEDC Facebook
Join on Instagram at MEDC Instagram
Join on Twitter MDEC
And on LinkedIn
Michigan Economic Development Corporation,
300 N. Washington Sq.,
Lansing, Michigan 48913
Mark your calendar for the 2020 Flat Rock Expo at the FR Community Center. The event will be Thursday March 19th from 1-4 PM at the Stone Creek Banquet Center located inside the FR Community Center 1 Maguire Ave. This is a Dine/Shop Local event is where all of your favorite local businesses will be. You can sample local restaurant food and drinks, enter in FREE drawings from the DDA and businesses, get coupons and more. This event is open to Everyone. At the Expo you can also meet greet with our new mayor and other city and school officials.
So stop by and Sample some Great Free food and meet your friends and neighbors at this years Business Forum and Expo.
Flat Rock DDA and Our Hometown Flat Rock are Promoting Dine\Shop Local bringing local businesses together in a public forum at the Stone Creek Banquet Hall in the Flat Rock Community center at 1 Maguire Ave in Flat Rock Michigan.
At this Forum/Expo you can showcase your business and products. The cost to your business is minimal. You will get table space at the forum to show your product/s, hand out samples, hand out coupons and conduct drawings etc.
The forum is open to the public from 1-4pm March 19th. Business set up time is prior to start time. Click on the forms below either food or product business for more information.
Flat Rock businesses will have until February 29th to have the information submitted, after that time we will open it up to other area businesses.
For the public there will be FREE food samples along with business raffles and drawings from businesses and the DDA. You and the public will also have an opportunity to meet our new mayor and superintendent of schools.
The Forum will be FREE for the public.