The state of Hawaii is offering grants of up to $10,000 to cover businesses expenses of companies that shift their operations or products to address challenges related to the COVID-19 crisis, Gov. David Ige said on Tuesday.
The $25 million program will provide money that can be used for a range of expenses, Ige said, like investments in e-commerce platforms, worker training and reconfiguring spaces to allow for more social distancing.
The program will begin taking applications on Thursday.
鈥淭his grant helps take some of the pressure off businesses so they can figure out how to best pivot in the new environment,鈥 Ige said.
鈥淲hen COIVD hit us in March, many businesses had no playbook,鈥 said Sherry Menor-McNamara, president and chief executive with the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, which is administering the grant applications.
In the past six months, she said, businesses and nonprofits have scrambled to write and implement such playbooks. And expenses incurred by such changes now can be covered by grants.
The Hawaii United Okinawa Association, for example, pivoted by putting its popular Okinawan Festival of online.
Another example: Murphy鈥檚 Bar & Grill, which, in an age of forced shutdowns and reluctance among people to eat out, revamped its website and created a takeout menu.
Some have managed dramatic changes. Consider Pipeline Bakeshop and Creamery. Before COVID-19, the Kaimuki sweetshop had a brisk business thanks to a local following and steady stream of tourists, said Gayla Young, the shop鈥檚 owner.
Pipeline pivoted to the local market by adding its menu to its website, so residents could order online, she said.
To reach out to the tourists who no longer were coming to Hawaii, Pipeline partnered with , which works with some of the nation鈥檚 top restaurants and chefs to ship food to far-flung customers.
Pipeline has , Young said, something she attributes in part to the company鈥檚 presence on and .
Next up: a mobile app to make it easier for people to place orders.
鈥淲e鈥檙e just trying to constantly change in this environment,鈥 Young said during a news conference announcing the grant program. 鈥淵ou have to change to be able to thrive in this economy.鈥
鈥Hawaii鈥檚 Changing Economy鈥澛 series is supported by a grant from the as part of its CHANGE Framework project.
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About the Author
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Stewart Yerton is the senior business writer for 天美视频. You can reach him at syerton@civilbeat.org.