Invest in Small Business Recovery

Small businesses are the heart and soul of our economy, the backbone of our communities, and they are facing a severe crisis. With small businesses being America's largest employer, this unprecedented hardship puts millions of employees at risk, directly impacting the livelihood of families and communities across the country.

GSBA and Comcast Washington co-created the Ready for Business Fund to support small businesses. Thank you to Comcast Washington for kicking off this fund with a $50,000 donation, as well as T-Mobile for investing $25,000, and US Bank, Verity Credit Union, Microsoft, Grace Church Seattle, Sanctuary Church Seattle, Harborstone Credit Union, Puget Sound Energy, AT&T, Seattle Storm, and BECU for also rising to the Ready for Business Challenge! We challenge other businesses to join Comcast Washington these organizations in donating to the Ready for Business Fund so that we can double the impact. New donations will be directed to the second round of funding.

Help move the meter closer to our goal!

By making a donation to the Ready for Business Fund, you are directly empowering small business owners and strengthening your community. Donations of any size can make a difference for small business owners in addressing fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, lost sales, and other working capital expenses that could have been remedied sooner if that COVID-19 pandemic not occurred.

Join the challenge and become a Ready for Business donor to strengthen the economic recovery for small and minority-owned businesses. Twenty percent of funds raised will be used for wrap-around services from GSBA including consulting, advertising, and membership for recipients, as well as administration of the grants.

For more information contact Ilona Lohrey (She/her), VP of Membership & Programs or call the office at 206-363-9188.

Apply for Small Business Relief

Has your business experienced financial loss and hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic? If so, the Ready for Business Fund is here to help your business bounce back. 

A $2,500 cash grant will be awarded to selected small businesses.

Additionally, awardees will receive wrap-around support services from GSBA and Comcast (including GSBA membership, technical support, marketing, and consulting). This grant does not have to be repaid, and it can be used for any purpose to help the business recover from the economic crisis.

The application window closed on Friday, September 4, 2020 at 9:00AM. Applicants can expect to hear back about application status the week of September 21.
 

Comcast also increased its contribution to the fund with support from Comcast Business and Effectv, the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable. Comcast Business and Effectv will award 20 grant recipients with the following benefits:

• Marketing Support: includes television commercials from Effectv that align the grant recipient’s brand with programming from top cable networks, as well as online advertisements from Comcast Business to potential customers.
• Expert Consultation: Access to virtual learning assets and business resources, as well as consultation and educational support around technology needs.

The grant is open to any small business in Washington State established prior to March 2, 2020. Priority will be given to small businesses within the communities most impacted by COVID-19, including LGBTQ-, *BIPOC-, and women-owned businesses. In the first round of grants, businesses located in the most adversely impacted commercial districts in Seattle will also be prioritized.

(BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color)

Watch the video below to hear more about Ready for Business