OurLIC Video News Special Report: Recovery and Relief: Sharing, Solutions, and Answers for Small Business and the Community. LIC Chamber Reception and Luncheon Meeting November 15, 2012 Long Island City, NY, Hunters Point, 11101, , , 1

Hurricane Sandy, and the follow-up Nor'easter, have left restaurants, merchants, professionals, and many types of small business owners with agonizing questions of where to get help. Some have been fortunate enough to have quick response from their insurance companies. Others are hurt by water damage, wind damage, loss of customers, gasoline shortages ,and persistent electrical outages.

RECEPTION GUEST and SPEAKER: NYC Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer

GUEST RESOURCE EXPERT:

Shin Mitsugi
Deputy Executive Director
NYCIDA and BUILD NYC RESOURCE CORP
New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC)

Bernadette Nation
Director, Business Outreach Team / Emergency Response Unit
NYC Dept. of Small Business Services

The City of New York is coordinating various programs and services to help businesses impacted by Hurricane Sandy. New York City Economic Development Corporation is the primary coordinator of this effort. Shin Mitsugi is the person responsible and will address the Long Island City / Astoria Chamber of Commerce on the programs that are available. [ More details below.]

"Recovery and Relief" are Bernadette Nation two middle names. She is seasoned... and responsive to small business emergency needs, already working to help business owners in the Greater Long Island City area.

Government and first responders have been working hard. Companies and institutions like Guardian Data Destruction, the New York Irish Center, and MoMA have been lending an extraordinary hand to others.

Information and assessments continue to come in, and are made available quickly.

At this time, what is needed is sharing and, as Joe Kenton, Chief of Staff for Council Member Van Bramer, says "crystallizing" of what to do next and how to use this time to plan and prepare for the future.

This is actually an extremely convenient location. All four subways 7, G, E, M stop within a short block or two of the restaurant. See map below.

At an event to honor women in Van Bramer's District, Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer began an introduction of City Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer by first acknowledging Van Bramer's mother during Woman's History Month. Stringer then said he had come to the Open House because he wanted to let the community represented by Van Bramer know what an important contribution he was making to New York City...citywide. He referred specifically to his work in the area of cultural affairs and libraries, where Van Bramer chairs the City Council's Committee...and a budget that is always under constant threat of cuts by the administration.

Council Member Van Bramer is a constant presence in the Long Island City, Sunnyside, Woodside, and Dutch Kills neighborhoods. His activities locally and during City Council sessions are always to the advantage of the community, including his support of small business owners.

During the Hurricane Relief, Van Bramer and his team were actively helping the community and others in need in Queens crisis / emergency situations. With both funding and his time, he has made a difference.

GUEST RESOURCE EXPERT: Bernadette Nation, Director, Business Outreach Team / Emergency Response Unit, NYC Dept. of Small Business Services

When Mayor Michael Bloomberg was elected to office two and half years ago, small businesses became a major focal point for city government. The then Department of Business Services (DBS) was dramatically restructured, even taking on a new name.

Commissioner Robert Walsh was appointed to head the agency in January 2002, just before it was rechristened the Department of Small Business Services (SBS), and given an unequivocal mandate. "Since day one, Mayor Bloomberg has made it clear that small businesses are the chief engine of growth in New York." Walsh says. "It is SBS' business to be responsive to their needs."

As Nation remembers it, one of the first things the mayor and commissioner did was to reach out to the city's small businesses in an effort to better understand exactly what their needs were. Among their discoveries, she says, was that many small businesses found it hard to navigate government. "We're here to help with that," she says.

Nation and her team also help educate business owners about how to stay in compliance with whatever regulations apply to their particular business -- from parking to sanitation to construction.

Often, this means helping them understand just what the city rules and regulations actually are. "I didn't know" is usually the small business owner's first response when found to be in violation of a city regulation, Nation explains. "So let's educate the business owner first before we enforce," she concludes, matter-of-factly.

GUEST RESOURCE EXPERT: NYCEDC's Shin Mitsugi; Deputy Executive Director, NYCIDA and BUILD NYC RESOURCE CORP; New York City Economic Development Corporation

The City of New York is coordinating various programs and services to help businesses impacted by Hurricane Sandy. These programs include emergency loans for working capital, repairs/replacement of real estate, equipment, inventory and other business assets. Additional resources include temporary workspaces as well as employee retention and assistance programs to help retain your staff during this time.

Shin Mitsugi, Vice President of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, has over ten years of experience working with various tax incentives and credits resulting in the retention, recruitment, and creation of jobs and operations in New York City by commercial tenants and developers. Mr. Mitsugi has also worked extensively in various tax-exempt bond financing programs, including the 501(c)(3) bonds, the Liberty Bond program and the Recovery Zone Facility Bond Program. Mr. Mitsugi is a graduate of NYU’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service (M.P.A.) and NYU’s College of Arts and Science (B.A.).

Hurricane Sandy Business Recovery Information Brochure

Download the Hurricane Sandy Business Recovery Information that covers all of the topics listed below in a printable, one-page (front and back) brochure.
Financial Assistance

Businesses in need of financial assistance may be eligible for loans or tax exemptions to help repair, rebuild and get back to business.
Free Temporary Workspace

Browse our listing of free temporary spaces donated by local hosts throughout the five boroughs. Spaces range from a few desks to square footage appropriate for larger displaced businesses.
Free Services

Find services offered by local companies free of charge to business impacted by Hurricane Sandy, including administrative help, clean up and moving support, IT and communications assistance, and more.
Free Supplies

The listing of generously donated supplies currently includes baked goods for food banks, storage containers for donated items, software, and more. View the list to find contact information for the donated supplies.
Employee Retention & Assistance

If you are in danger of laying off employees due to Hurricane Sandy, NYC offers programs to help find alternatives including the Shared Work Program and Disaster Unemployment Assistance.
Recovering Your Losses

Need help with business interruption? Take steps that can help reduce and recover your losses from Hurricane Sandy.
SBS Solution Center Locations & On-site Assistance

Find contact and location information for the NYC Business Solution Centers throughout the five boroughs. Learn more about on-site assistance offered by SBS Business Outreach in coordination with the NYC Office of Emergency Management.
Can Your Company Help?

Is your company able to provide resources such as space, supplies, services, or other forms of assistance to New York City businesses that have been significantly impacted by Hurricane Sandy? Learn how you can help with your donations.