Next Steps and Best Practices During the COVID-19 Crisis
by Kristin Leutz
All hands in … VIRTUALLY
There is no doubt that our local ecosystems are changing very rapidly as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. We are reaching out to SCN members currently to learn more about how you are helping your community support both traditional business owners and startups. Together, SCN members will help our ecosystems work through the challenges presented by this crisis.
Please respond to this short survey to help us map how you’re building resources in your community.
Entrepreneurs have deep resilience and know how to respond to challenges in innovative ways. It is critical to support them as we will need their brains and creativity now more than ever to help our local economies and communities rebound from injury in this time of crisis. As we see the impact of COVID-19, many small local businesses are already reeling or closing. Large companies are scaling back in a variety of ways. Startup support organizations are pausing some traditional programs like in-person accelerators and mentorship meetups.
Entrepreneurial ecosystem builders have already begun to unite to ensure that our communities understand the impact of this health crisis on our businesses. SCN is committed to sharing ways that we’re working quickly to convene and to distribute resources as they become available to entrepreneurs from government, philanthropy and the private sector. Please visit our Facebook page to connect with resources and complete our survey to help us gather data.
We also can recommend some best practices we’ve already seen some ecosystem builders adopting to help the COVID-19 response.
Convene your local entrepreneurship support organizations (ESOs) via chat. You can help create a knowledge repository and action team for your local ecosystem. There are many resources that are coming online for small business and other business support. Your ESO’s know the needs of local entrepreneurs. Ensure that their voices and needs are built into solutions being created. Include folks like the local Chambers and economic development teams in the conversation.
Call your local and state legislators to offer data and advice.Many state and local reps and mayors need timely information on the real impacts expected by local businesses. As an ecosystem builder, you have your finger on the pulse of sources of this data. As state/local loan funds or other relief funds are created, you can help ensure that solutions are created in ways that are inclusive, effective, and do not create any potential harm in communities.
Advise philanthropists on ways that private philanthropy can support the existing government or public efforts to help businesses and workers. Most rapid response philanthropic efforts will aim to focus on meeting the basic needs of populations disproportionately affected by COVID-19. There will likely be short and long-term supports offered for nonprofits and for those they serve. Some foundations and funders may be willing or able to help create funds or loan capital to help businesses recover, but they will need subject matter experts like ecosystem builders to help ensure their impact is achieved.
Offer or curate virtual resources for entrepreneurs. As face-to-face events and support may be postponed or suspended, find the folks who are pivoting to offer virtual resources and make sure that local entrepreneurs can easily access those offerings.
SCN will keep members supported through this time with more frequent virtual offerings. We will be hosting a webinar for members next Tuesday at 3 pm CST with Victor Hwang. Register here. Please note, the webinar is limited to 100 people so register early!
Given the pandemic, many entrepreneurs are struggling when our nation needs them even more. Startups generate critical income for people. They provide necessary goods and services. They diversify our supply chain. Entrepreneurship should be a national priority, but it is virtually absent from our public debate. Victor is launching a nationwide grassroots advocacy campaign to make entrepreneurs a top national priority and build a new civic infrastructure for policy change at all levels.
Please keep your eyes on our email and social media as we announce more opportunities to stay connected to fellow members around the country. We value our members and our connections now more than ever. We encourage you to find comfort and strength in one another. We will rise through this together and lift each other up.