Small Biz Bulletin
July 1, 2021
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Message from Special Secretary Rhee
Governor Larry Hogan has officially rescinded Maryland's emergency and catastrophic health emergency order effective July 1, 2021. The order was first proclaimed on March 5, 2020 and subsequently renewed 18 times. It has been a challenging period, both personally and professionally, and we have come a long way. Today, we have surpassed 6.5 million vaccinations and our positivity rate remains below 1 percent. All emergency mandates end today, and there will no longer be any statewide mask order in effect for any settings, including schools, camps, and child care facilities. Today also marks the beginning of a 45-day grace period, where certain regulations will continue to be relaxed to complete the administrative transition out of the pandemic. This includes such provisions as renewing driver’s licenses, winding down emergency health operations, and the moratorium on evictions related to COVID-19. We learned many valuable lessons during the pandemic, and can now march forward as we continue our economic recovery. The governor said it best when he announced the end of the emergency order in June..."Thank you all for being Maryland Strong."
Jimmy Rhee Special Secretary
Order ending the state of emergency Provisions in effect during the administrative grace period
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For Your Business
Maryland Launches Project Restore
Governor Hogan recently announced a $25 million initiative to revitalized downtowns and Main Streets. Project Restore will provide financial support to Maryland’s small businesses and commercial developers re-occupying or investing in vacant commercial and retail space. Through Project Restore, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development will offer rental grants and sales tax relief rebates to help offset startup costs and incentivize commercial investment in vacant spaces. Businesses that begin new or expanded operations in spaces that have not been generating sales tax receipts for the past six months or more will be eligible for the program. Small businesses of 50 or fewer employees will be eligible for additional benefits. Details on available incentives and eligibility guidelines are available online.
Project Restore
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Join the GoVAX Rewards Program
Maryland has launched a new easy-to-use portal highlighting several deals and discounts available for vaccinated individuals in the state. GoVAX Rewards showcases vaccine incentives from businesses in Maryland. From the National Aquarium in Baltimore to Ayers Creek Adventures in Berlin, there are many ways Maryland companies are rewarding residents for receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Get your small business involved in this statewide effort and become a GoVAX Rewards Partner. Signing up is easy. Create an account with the Maryland Tourism “Deals & Discounts” platform and submit the details of your reward program. Be sure to click “This is a GoVAX Reward Deal” when filling out the form. Once reviewed, each employer’s incentive will be featured on the state’s GoVAX Deals and Discounts webpage.
Maryland Tourism Deals and Discounts
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Technical Training Classroom
Like many small businesses, we had to make a pivot during the pandemic, and moved our Technical Training Classroom program to a virtual platform. The response has been overwhelmingly positive and we are now reaching two and three times the audience we could accommodate at live events. Two classes are offered at no cost to small business owners and entrepreneurs each month. They cover a broad range of topics and feature subject-matter-experts from state agencies and small business resource organizations, as well as small business owners. Registration is now open for our classes on July 27th.
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We Want You
We continually share information curated specifically for small, minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses on our social media platforms. We'll inspire you with our #MotivationMonday series and connect you to a broad range of small business resource organizations. We also share information about loan programs and funding opportunities as well as small business events and training programs. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
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