Deadline nearing for Back to Business Mississippi Grant Program applications

The deadline is quickly approaching for small businesses to apply for the Back to Business Mississippi Grant Program.

Businesses to apply for the back to business mississippi grant program.

The program gives small businesses with 50 or fewer employees financial help for the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

W-t-v-a's bronson woodruff introduces us to one man whose business is benefitting from the program.

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I'm outside vanzant barbershop lounge in tupelo where owner steven vanzant said he's grateful for the help the grant program is giving him.

Take pkg: "it has helped my business dramatically."

In may, governor tate reeves passed the back to business mississippi grant program.

It's designed to help small businesses in the state recover from the monetary impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Vanzant said his barbershop took a hit at the start of the pandemic.... "i actually enjoyed staying at home, but it was challenging financially because there wasn't no money being made, no income was coming in."

He said the community is supportive, and business is picking back up again..

He said things aren't entirely back to normal because the shop still has to follow c-d-c- guidelines.

However - , he's still very grateful for the grant program.

"for back to business to consider giving us a grant and being able to apply that to a business is very fulfilling because a lot of small businesses around the area took a hit being off months at a time."

David rumburger - the president and ceo of tupelo's community development center -- explained the application process for businesses.

"you can apply two different ways.

You can apply for a single-user, which is a thirty-five hundred dollar limit, or you can apply for your actual expenses that you were impugned during the time of shutdown during covid."

Those expenses can include utilities, rent, and mortgages.

"minority businesses, women-owned businesses actually have a leg up in this process.

They have a special set aside, or an amount that's directly to them."

Vanzant "having the gran and being able to apply it to your business to save it possibly is a great thing."

Reporter outro: the deadline to apply for the back to mississippi grant program is september 15.

You can find the link to the program's website with application information on w-t-v-a's website.

In tupelo, bronson woodruff, w-t-v-a nine news.

The deadline is approaching for local governments