Business survey could bring needed funding assistance

The Alliance for Workforce Develop in partnership with the Northern Rural Training and Employment Consortium (NoRTEC), have funding to help local businesses in the wake of coronavirus.

But they need those businesses to tell them where they need the most help.

The two organizations are working with Plumas County officials and Feather River College, as well as the chambers of commerce from Quincy, the Lake Almanor Area and Eastern Plumas (Lost Sierra) to identify business resources, assistance and relief programs.

In order to advocate for funding resources, it is important that the group can identify and quantify the impact COVID-19 is having on local operations, how those are adapting, and what aid or resource would be needed to ensure economic recovery.

They have launched a link: COVID-19 Business Recovery Survey to gather this information.

The survey will be open until this Friday, May 15.

Businesses are encouraged to give 15 minutes of their time to respond to the survey. This information will be reported on an aggregate level; individual business information will not be shared without prior consent.

“We need to know what is the need across the region,” said Traci Holt, the executive director of the Alliance for Workforce Development. “For instance, do businesses need help establishing an online portal to sell products or are they having issues with PPP loans.”

(NoRTEC) is a consortium of 11 northern California counties established to address the needs of job seekers and businesses in the region. The survey was sent to 500 businesses throughout the 11-county region and as of May 10, Plumas County represented 11 responses and Lassen County had 14.

Businesses can’t be helped if officials don’t know what they need.