PEORIA, Ill. — Small businesses across the country have been impacted heavily due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
In Illinois, the state has been dispersing Business Interruption Grants (BIG) to help businesses keep their doors open.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker visited a BIG grant recipient, Prestige Barbershop, Monday in Peoria.
“Prestige Barbershop is known to many people here in Peoria,” said Pritzker.
“He’s doing business in some of the toughest times.
“As we fight through COVID-19, entrepreneurs are toughing it out.”
Pritzker added that small businesses across the state can apply for $10,000 or $20,000 grants out of a $220 million pot created by the state.
There is a focus, especially, on businesses in parts of the state facing resurgence mitigations in various areas of the state.
Prestige Barbershop had to close one location during the pandemic. Pritzker says that’s partly due to the state not being given enough money to provide to small businesses from the federal government.
Now, he’s lobbying for more support for small businesses.
“I happen to think they ought to provide a specific set of programs that go directly to bars and restaurants,” he said.
“We have so many other small businesses that have been impacted. We want to do so much more for them.
“We’re going to need help.”
Pritzker said that they weren’t able to distribute grants to as many small businesses as they would have liked to with the first round of funding because the federal government placed so many restrictions on how states could spend the money.
