In the 12th episode of the #LoudounPossible Pod, podcast host and Loudoun Economic Development Executive Director Buddy Rizer spoke with Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Chair Phyllis Randall and Russell Seymour, the director of economic development for the Town of Leesburg.
Chair Randall shared some insights on the Business Interruption Fund, which was launched with $1.15 million in funding by the Board of Supervisors last Tuesday.
“We will give everyone 72 hours to get their applications in, and then the applications will be reviewed, and then there will be a random selection,” she said, pointing out that communication will be key to the success of the program. “We will make sure everybody knows when the applications are due what the criteria are.”
The $1.4 million-fund (with $250,000 added by the Loudoun Economic Development Authority) will open for applications at noon on April 29, 2020, and remain open for 72 hours, closing at noon on May 2, 2020. All submissions will be accepted based on the time stamp, verified by county employees, and placed into a pool, where businesses will be randomly selected until the funding has expired. Get more details and apply at LoudounBusinessFund.org.
Chair Randall also expressed her optimism about the future of the county in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are a remarkable county, we will get through this. We will get through this together. We will come back. We will touch again, we will hug again, we will enjoy meals again, we will worship again, we will be in malls and shop again,” she said. “I am so looking forward to the day when we will come together again.”
Later in the podcast, Seymour spoke about Leesburg’s response to the pandemic.
“I’ve often said that economic development is a two-sided coin, and you have to focus as much on existing businesses as you are in attracting new ones,” he said. “We are spending a lot of time reaching out to our local businesses, finding out what their needs are, finding out where their concerns lie, and then addressing those and putting them in touch with the right groups” to help them.
Seymour remains optimistic about the future of business in the county, saying: “One of the things that has always amazed me is that businesses will find a way to survive. If you can provide them with an environment where they can work and provide them with the services they are looking for, businesses are very creative, and they will find a way to make things work and they will find a way to succeed.”