KINGSTON, N.Y. – Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan announced today the expansion of the County’s Resilience Economic Plan for small businesses, including a collaboration that has more than doubled the capacity of the County’s Economic Development team. The expanded capacity, which will enable a 24-hour or less response time for business needs, is created through a partnership with the Mid-Hudson New York Small Business Development Center and the Ulster RESPOND team.
“For many small businesses, this winter will be a make or break moment. I want every single business owner to know that we have your back. Our expanded Resilience Economic Plan will enable us to support our businesses more quickly, and with a more extensive set of tools, resources, and expertise,” said County Executive Ryan. “We are taking what we have learned during the first wave of COVID-19 and are tailoring our support to Ulster County business owners to help them make it through the final winter push. Our Economic Development team has a direct pipeline to the experts and resources that can help our local businesses through the extreme challenges they are facing.”
The Resilience Economic Plan is designed to help carry Ulster’s economy through the second wave of COVID-19 and into a brighter future. Four areas of focused support include:
- Funding: Advice on and assistance applying to state-and-federally backed lending programs, private capital loan programs, grant opportunities, and professional counseling and assistance with negotiating debt forgiveness and flexible repayment terms with current financers.
- Safety: Resources on purchasing business-specific Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and sanitation supplies, as well as guidance in implementing safety protocols and educational tools for employees and customers.
- Pivoting: Ulster County’s partners at Ulster RESPOND and the Mid-Hudson New York Small Business Development Center can offer targeted deep-dives with analysis, insight, and advice for small businesses that need to shift into new models due to COVID.
- Community: Ulster County Office of the Executive will host a series of small business town hall discussions to forge connections and help business owners navigate these difficult times together.
For general COVID-19 related information and questions, please visit our Ulster County COVID-19 Website, or call the Recovery Service Center at 845-443-8888.
For one-on-one business support call the Office of Economic Development at 845-340-3556 or email oed@co.ulster.ny.us(link sends e-mail).