City of Charlotte Announces
Open for Business Initiative to Support Small Businesses
Charlotte, N.C. (April 17, 2020) –The City of Charlotte has launched its Open for Business initiative, which is designed to support local small businesses that are open during the COVID-19 pandemic and throughout the recovery. The Open for Business public dashboard and application creates a comprehensive and easily accessible avenue to connect our residents with small businesses in Charlotte while the Mecklenburg County Stay at Home Order is in effect and throughout the COVID-19 recovery.
The Open for Business dashboard will include a directory of Charlotte small businesses and their operations including modified hours, changes to service, delivery and special offers. Small business owners can complete a brief application to have their business added to the dashboard. Business owners who have temporarily closed their business as a result of COVID-19 can also submit their information to be added once the Stay at Home Order is lifted.
“We heard directly from the small business community that visibility today is critical to surviving this pandemic,” Assistant City Manager Tracy Dodson said. “Small business owners are finding creative ways to continue to serve their customers during this time, and we want to elevate their presence however we can. We are excited to launch this dashboard and share it with our residents who are eager to support them.”
The dashboard will be featured on the city’s small business resource webpage, open data portal and the CLT+ mobile app in the coming days.
Small businesses that are added to the dashboard will also receive the Charlotte Open for Business Logo to display in their storefront and share on social media. The Open for Business logo will help customers quickly identify that a business is open and serve as a symbol of the community’s support for local small businesses and their employees.
“Our small businesses are the heart of our City and employ a substantial part of our workforce,” Dodson said. “It is critical that we all band together to support them today and in throughout the COVID-19 recovery.”
Small business owners can contact the city for more information on the dashboard or visit the city’s small business resource page for other local, state, federal and partner resources.