US Small Business Administration Vermont It’s safe to say that the U.S. is in something of a small business era: According to Pew Research Center, 86% of Americans believe that small businesses are having a positive effect on the way things are going in the country. Retailers make up a significant portion of that figure. In fact, from 2021-2023, retail ranked as one of the top 10 sectors for total business applications. That makes now a great time to start your own retail operation if you’ve been on the fence about it.
In the spirit of Independent Retailer Month, the SBA is proud to share resources that aspiring entrepreneurs can utilize to claim their place in the independent retail community.
Read more→ Join the Small Business Boom This Independent Retailer Month | U.S. Small Business Administration (sba.gov).
Report Storm Damage
If your home, business, or nonprofit organization suffered damage from the most recent flooding on July 10, please report it to 211. You can do that by calling 211 or reporting it online. Here are links to the business damage form and the residential damage form.
To be clear, this is a data collection effort that provides the state with important intelligence to be able to respond to non-emergency. storm-related damages and allow us to keep track of cumulative damages needed when applying for federal disaster relief.
When documenting your damage, please write it down what you find and take photos of it. This will not only be helpful for reporting to 211, but it will also be helpful to you if you decide to make an insurance claim.
No damage is too small to report. It will all help the state of Vermont paint a picture of the devastation that will be used to apply for federal disaster relief.
Please note: 211 is not for reporting emergencies. If you are experiencing an emergency, please call 911.
Mental Health Support
Flooding is extremely traumatizing and for Vermonters who experienced losses in last summer’s floods, this event can be particularly difficult. Here is some advice from Vermont’s Mental Health Commissioner Emily Hawes:
- Stay informed, but limit news exposure. Take media breaks to protect your mental health.
- Rely only on trusted sources for information.
- Keep in regular contact with family and friends.
- Acknowledge your feelings. Anxiety, fear, and a sense of helplessness are natural.
- Prioritize self-care including getting enough rest.
If you need to talk to someone you can call access Starting Over Strong Vermont by calling 211. You can also call 988, the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which will connect you to someone locally.
In 2021, Congress enacted the bipartisan Corporate Transparency Act to curb illicit finance. This law requires many companies doing business in the United States to report information about who ultimately owns or controls them to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), which is part of the U.S. Treasury. FinCEN began accepting reports on January 1, 2024.
For new companies and startups: A reporting company created or registered in 2024 has 90 calendar days after receiving actual or public notice of the company’s creation or registration to file its initial report.
For existing companies: A reporting company created or registered to do business before 2024 has until January 1, 2025 to file its initial beneficial ownership information report.
Join SBA's Office of the National Ombudsman and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, for a webinar on July 24, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. ET to learn about Beneficial Ownership Information reporting requirements and how to file a report.
Register
Registration has opened for the 2024 Vermont Community Leadership Summit: Forge Forward, Thrive Together! The event will take place on Tuesday, August 6th at Vermont State University in Randolph, Vermont, and is hosted by the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD).
Join hundreds of community builders from across the state to build skills, capacity, and connections - and forge forward towards a thriving and resilient future for all. This year’s event offers a range of topics tailored to support people working on all aspects of local vitality and resilience - capacity, economic vitality, emergency preparedness, youth engagement, inclusion, and more. Attendees can participate in any session or follow optional “Participation Pathways” of Climate Resilience and Long-term Recovery; Youth Leadership and Engagement; or Understanding and Solving Our Persistent Challenges.
See the full agenda and sliding-scale registration (including signing up for lunch and accessibility accommodations) at vtrural.org/summit. All who are interested in supporting their community and the future of the state are welcome and encouraged to attend!
Date: 8/14/2024
Time: 10:00 AM - 11:00 PM (EDT)
Fee: No Fee
Point of Contact: Denise Nelson (802) 828-5237
Program Format: Online Meeting (Live)
Have you considered selling your goods or services to the government?
Join us for this short intro to the Vermont APEX Accelerator (formerly VT PTAC) program and learn how our experienced procurement counselors can assist your business to navigate the sometimes challenging processes of government contracting.
The Vermont APEX Accelerator is a government-funded program assisting Vermont businesses to pursue and perform government contracts with the Department of Defense, other federal agencies, state and local governments and with government prime contractors. Vermont APEX Accelerator provides a wide range of free services including individual counseling, proposal assistance, marketing opportunities, assistance with registration in contracting systems and government certification programs, training and networking events.
Event hosted by Vermont APEX Accelerator (Formerly VT PTAC). The APEX Accelerator is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the Department of Defense. It is also funded by the Vermont Department of Economic Development (DED), and it operates as a program within the DED.
The SBA is upgrading how our customers apply for and manage their federal contracting certifications beginning on August 1, 2024. Here’s what you need to know:
- Initial certification applications will not be accepted during the upgrade period.
- The upgraded system is expected to be available for new applications in early September.
- New and prospective applicants for federal small business certification are encouraged to wait until the upgrade is complete before applying.
- Most certified firms will not be impacted by the pause in applications.
- Firms needing to renew during the upgrade period will receive guidance from their certification program.
- Applications submitted before August 1, 2024 will continue to be processed during the upgrade period in the order received.
- If your firm is facing a deadline on a proposal that will be impacted by your certification status before August 1, 2024, please contact us at [email protected] and provide the contract number, agency, and bid due date.