| Pinellas County’s Vaccination Rates Up, Doctors Urge Citizens to continue Wearing a Mask, Hand Washing & Avoiding Crowds Indoors On Monday, April 5, all Florida residents will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Visit the Florida Department of Health for details, and check out the Florida Department of Health Vaccine Locator for help finding sites providing the vaccine. Please note that supplies are limited and appointments may be required. Pinellas is currently among the best counties in Florida for vaccination rates, but doctors urge citizens to continue public health measures like wearing a mask, avoiding crowded indoor spaces and washing handsfrequently. Pinellas COVID-19 Vaccine InformationPinellas COVID-19 DashboardPinellas COVID-19 InformationPinellas COVID-19 Where to Get Help |
| 2021 Pinellas County Business Hurricane SummitTo help our business community better prepare for the 2021 Hurricane Season, Pinellas County Emergency Management, Economic Development, Visit St. Pete/Clearwater and our partners will present the 2021 Pinellas Business Hurricane Summit on Thursday, April 8, from 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. on Zoom. It will focus on evacuation options, public shelter planning, the season forecast and disaster preparedness for local businesses in a COVID-19 environment. During the online event, participants will be able to engage with the panelists through Q&A, chat and polling features. The webinar will be recorded and made available online. Join the Zoom event online or listen on the phone. Registration in advance is required. Please register at:PCED.org/summit. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information aboutjoining the webinar. For more information, contact Pinellas County Emergency Management at maryburrell@pinellascounty.org. |
| Thank you to Claudia Johnson, Owner of the Grand Hacienda restaurants, for Doing Business in Pinellas County |
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| Thank you to Claudia Johnson who owns the Grand Hacienda restaurants in Pinellas County. Her passion for Mexican culture and cuisine inspired her to create fresh, authentic Mexican dishes at locations in downtown St. Petersburg, Tyrone and St. Pete Beach. Claudia’s majority women-owned business pivoted during COVID-19 to adjust to the changing conditions, and used the resources of Pinellas County Economic Development to continue Grand Hacienda’s growth in our region. Pinellas County’s Board of County Commissioners recognized Claudia Johnson and her business for accelerating our economy and enhancing our community. How can we help you grow your business? PCED.org/consulting |
| Inc. 5000 Regionals – Florida: Pinellas CompaniesThe Inc. 5000 Regionals – Florida list honors the 250 fastest-growing companies in the state. We’ve compiled the Pinellas companies that made the list and congratulate them on their success! You can find the full list of Pinellas companies at www.PCED.org/Pinellas_Employers. |
Sustain the Pivot: Virtual Small Business Resiliency Conference May 18-19 The purpose of this virtual conference is to assist and provide resources for small businesses to #SustainThePivot most have endured due to the global pandemic, as well as to highlight the expertise, knowledge, and available assistance the Florida SBDC Network and the Office of U.S. Senator Marco Rubio have to offer.Click here to register. |
| SBA Shuttered Venue Operator Grants – applications open April 18 |
| The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program was established by the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act, and amended by the American Rescue Plan Act. The program includes over $16 billion in grants to shuttered venues, to be administered by SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance. Eligible applicants may qualify for grants equal to 45% of their gross earned revenue, with the maximum amount available for a single grant award of $10 million. $2 billion is reserved for eligible applications with up to 50 full-time employees. Click here for full details and to apply. |
| Blue Campaign: End Human Trafficking | Tools for Businesses |
| There are several industries that are particularly well-positioned to recognize human trafficking due to being located where human trafficking occurs, the anonymity offered by the nature of the service or product, or their 24/7 operations. Find resources for convenience retail, transportation, and hospitality industries that can be used to help educate frontline employee how to recognize and report human trafficking while on the job: dhs.gov/blue-campaign/industry |