INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL TO ASSESS BUSINESS RECOVERY 

MONROE COUNTY, FL – Hurricane Irma left indelible impacts on businesses throughout the Florida Keys. Monroe County leaders, Chambers of Commerce of the Florida Keys and the Small Business Development Center are collaborating to determine local business recovery needs, develop strategies and strengthen applications for disaster recovery funds.

To assist in determining business needs for economic recovery, business owners are asked to participate in a voluntary survey. It will be conducted by volunteers with theInternational Economic Development Council (IEDC) and funded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration. The survey will help assess the needs of local businesses impacted by last year’s storm. 

Volunteers will visit businesses from Islamorada to Sugarloaf Key over the next two weeks: May 14-18 and May 21-25. Volunteers will hold brief, candid conversations with business owners and managers in heavily impacted areas to discuss business recovery needs and develop strategies. 

Information gathered will be anonymous and will be used to inform local leaders and support organizations, such as the Chambers, the Small Business Development Center and others about the services and programs needed to support local business recovery. 

This will strengthen the County’s applications for disaster recovery funds made available by the U.S. Economic Development Administration under the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and others. No individual business information will be shared with anyone outside of the assessment team.

The volunteers hold senior-level positions and have years of hands-on experience offering small business support. Many have experienced disasters in their hometowns and want to help our community recover. More information on IEDC’s disaster recovery work is available on the Restore Your Economy website: http://restoreyoureconomy.org/. 

For more information, please contact Mark Boone at [email protected].

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