2 South Park businesses among city’s first Small Business Stabilization grant recipients

The city has announced recipients of $25,000 grants through what so far is a one-time-only pilot “stabilization” program. Two South Park businesses are on the list. From the announcement:

The City of Seattle launched the new Small Business Stabilization Pilot Program to help vulnerable micro-businesses remain in business after a destabilizing event. In 2019, Mayor Jenny A. Durkan directed the Office of Economic Development (OED) to develop a strategy to help micro-businesses better navigate the impacts of rising commercial rents, displacement, and destabilizing events. All eight Small Business Stabilization Pilot Program grantees are women and minority-owned businesses.

Small businesses make up 95 percent of Seattle establishments and provide nearly 200,000 jobs. During a time of unprecedented economic growth in Seattle, the City recognizes that many small businesses experience unique challenges that put the health of their business at risk, particularly Seattle’s low-income microenterprises. These challenges are particularly acute for women and minority-owned businesses, and businesses owned by immigrants and refugees. …

The Mayor’s Small Business Stabilization Pilot Program awards $25,000 to eight local businesses who meet the following criteria:

Business consists of five employees or less;
Business owner is at or below 50 percent of the Area Median Income;
Business suffered a loss of income due to a destabilizing event, like property destruction, construction impacts, or potential displacement;
Business can feasibly be stabilized; and
Business is preferably located in a neighborhood experiencing high rates of displacement. …

Grants may be used to cover the day-to-day operating expenses of the business, such as payroll or losses due to destabilizing events. In addition to funding, grantees will be provided with stabilization coaching from an OED Small Business Advocate and financial coaching from an expert. Advocates will support business owners in determining the best use of grant funds and will act as liaisons to connect businesses with additional resources, such as lease education, marketing and branding support, City permit navigation, and credit counseling. ..,

The eight awardees of the 2020 Small Business Stabilization Pilot Program funding are:

Dayspring & Fitch Funeral Home, 4200 S Othello St., Unit 123, Seattle, WA 98118
Dora’s Daycare, 906 23rd Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144
El Buen Sabor, 8456 Dallas Ave S, Seattle, WA 98108
iConcept Signs, 700 S Orchard St., Seattle, WA 98108
Muy Macho Taco Truck, 8515 14th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98108
Seattle’s Best BBQ, 450 Third Ave, Seattle, WA 98104
Villa Escondida, 2203 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98121
Yearby’s Hair and Nail Design, 4501 S Lucile St., Seattle, WA 98118 …

These grants are awarded through one-time funding secured for 2019; the City’s 2020 Budget invests $300,000 to sustain this program through 2020. OED will evaluate the Pilot Program later in 2020 to determine potential future operations.

The recipients were chosen from among businesses that applied in a process that concluded back in November.

11 Replies to "2 South Park businesses among city's first Small Business Stabilization grant recipients"

  • CeeBee January 7, 2020 (3:17 pm)

    Usually it’s easy to pick a West Seattle address out of a list like this, because of the SW address designation. But I’m not as familiar with South Park and the “S” addresses. Short of getting out of map I can’t tell which of these two are the South Park businesses that I would now like to visit. Anybody got that answer yet?

    • WSB January 7, 2020 (3:30 pm)

      El Buen and Muy Macho. The city didn’t break them down; I did because we’ve spent enough time in South Park that I recognized the addresses. The other business in the 98108 zip code is in Georgetown.

  • Peter January 7, 2020 (7:18 pm)

    Why is my tax money being given away to for profit businesses? This is not acceptable. 

    • WSB January 7, 2020 (7:33 pm)

      In some cases, the circumstances threatening the business were caused by your tax dollars and mine. That aside, there are two politician quotes and one bureaucrat quote in the full version of the announcement, now on the mayoral website:
      https://durkan.seattle.gov/2020/01/mayor-durkan-creates-small-business-stabilization-pilot-program-to-help-vulnerable-micro-businesses/

    • Nigel January 7, 2020 (11:47 pm)

      I hear you Peter. I like these businesses but if I want to support them I patronize them. As a business owner I wonder where my free $25k is; rising rent, taxes, insurance, and cost-of-living increases affect us all. 

      • AT January 8, 2020 (7:49 am)

        $25k is a lot of money for a small business. The previous article says ‘up to’ 25k, did everyone get the full grant?  

    • Seriously? January 8, 2020 (10:27 am)

      I could ask why my tax dollars are being given away for for-profit business, 10 Billion in profits for a certain for-profit business, so that these business gets huge tax relief (as in a total relief from paying taxes). Get angry that you and I and everyone in America paid more (even if you only paid a penny) in taxes than the owner of that 10 billion for-profit business. I’d much rather see my taxes go to support small business.

      • KBear January 8, 2020 (11:16 am)

        Exactly. This is a drop in the bucket in the world of corporate giveaways, and it’s going to help the little guys.

  • CeeBee January 7, 2020 (8:58 pm)

    If you don’t think  your tax dollars help for profit businesses in a zillion ways, you haven’t been watching how the city supports a whole variety of industries, either overtly  like this program, or in contracting or policy decisions that support entire segments.

  • 1994 January 7, 2020 (10:16 pm)

    The city is collecting too much taxes!  I don’t support the city giving small businesses a $25,000 hand out to figure out how to run their businesses….In addition to funding, grantees will be provided with stabilization coaching from an OED Small Business Advocate and financial coaching from an expert. Advocates will support business owners in determining the best use of grant funds and will act as liaisons to connect businesses with additional resources, such as lease education, marketing and branding support, City permit navigation, and credit counseling. ..,

  • Ex-Westwood Resident January 8, 2020 (11:10 am)

    Does increased taxes, fees, wages..etc., count as a destabilizing event?

Sorry, comment time is over.