For assistance, please email:
capitalconsulting@investnewark.org
For Newark Small Business Guidance Program (SBGP) technical assistance, please email:
*Be sure to include your business
name and address in your email.
Weekly Updates:
Mayor Ras J. Baraka wants to hear directly from you about how the City can best support you as a small business owner. We recognize that the Covid-19 pandemic has presented small businesses with unprecedented challenges, and now it’s time to look ahead to the future. In completing this survey, you’re doing your part to make your voice heard so that the City can be as helpful as possible in meeting your needs. Your answers and identity will be kept private unless you specifically request follow-up.
*For assistance with any applications in English, Portuguese and Spanish, send your request to capitalconsulting@
Please visit our instagram page: @InvestNewark as well as @CityofNewarkNJ to stay up to date with information on COVID-19 as our city responds to this pandemic.

During this time, Invest Newark understands the negative impact the COVID-19 pandemic may be having on your business. Invest Newark will provide resources and information on available financial assistance to help guide businesses through the assessment and planning process to sustain your business. Keep in mind this is an unprecedented global pandemic. Please email hotline@investnewark.org and we will do our best to respond as quickly as we can.
For businesses that remain open, please remember to have everyone sign in upon entering the premises; this way you have their information on file in the event that you need to contact them regarding COVID-19 issues.
GENERAL INFORMATION & RESOURCES ON COVID-19:
City of Newark – https://newarkcovid19.com/home
New Jersey COVID-19 Information Hub – https://covid19.nj.gov/
New Jersey Poison Control Center and 211
Call: 2-1-1
Call (24/7): 1-800-962-1253
Text: NJCOVID to 898-211
Centers for Disease Control- (CDC)
- https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/summary.html
- https://www.coronavirus.gov/
- Travel Restriction Updates: Click Here
FEMA – https://www.fema.gov/
New Jersey Department of Health – https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/ncov.shtml
U.S. Department of State – https://www.state.gov/coronavirus/
Medicare – https://www.medicare.gov/medicare-coronavirus
U.S. Department of Labor – https://www.dol.gov/coronavirus
A MESSAGE FROM SENATORS MENENDEZ, BOOKER: What’s in the $2T COVID-19 Emergency Stimulus for NJ
Click Here for a list of Sen. Menendez’s actions to protect New Jersey families during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Click Here for a list of Sen. Booker’s actions to protect New Jersey families during the COVID-19 outbreak.
INFORMATION FOR BUSINESSES:
New Jersey Business Programs – https://cv.business.nj.gov
New Jersey Business Action Center – https://www.njmep.org/covid-19-coronavirus-faqs-resources/
New Jersey Economic Development Authority – https://faq.business.nj.gov/en/collections/2198378-coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-new-jersey-businesses
New Jersey SBA – https://www.sba.gov/offices/district/nj/newark
America’s SBDC – https://americassbdc.org/coronavirus-information/
Small Business Administration – https://www.sba.gov/page/coronavirus-covid-19-small-business-guidance-loan-resources
Federal Programs – https://www.sba.gov/
U.S. Government Information & Services – https://www.usa.gov/
Department of Labor & Workforce Development- https://www.nj.gov/labor/employer-services/business/covid.shtm
United States Department of Labor – https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3990.pdf
Tax Relief – https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus
Banks Offering Relief to Customers Affected by COVID-19:
ATTENTION TO ALL WAREHOUSE/MANUFACTURERS AND ALL ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES. CLICK HERE
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR BUSINESSES:
NJRA Lease Assistance Grant Program Information Session Webinar – CLICK HERE
NJEDA Emergency Assistance Eligibility Wizard – A screening tool for State and SBA emergency assistance https://assistance.business.nj.gov/
SBA Disaster Loan Assistance (ELA) program For small businesses and nonprofits.
Kiva – Crowd funded 0% interest loan $10-15K. Details on accessing Kiva loans.
Bartender’s Emergency Assistance- Bartender or the spouse or child of a Bartender.
SBA Paycheck Protection Program
New Jersey Community Capital Garden State Relief Fund
Sean John “Diddy” Combs launches: Our Fair Share
ALTERNATIVE REVENUE SOLUTIONS:
Dining Bond Initiative – Open to all restaurants. Similar to government-issued war bonds. The Dining Bond Initiative seeks to bring in immediate cash in exchange for future restaurant purchases. Diners can buy gift certificates sold at a 25% discount ($100 worth of food for a $75 bond) to be redeemed in the restaurant within the next month or two, depending on how individual restaurants decide to honor the bonds.
Gift Cards – Create this purchase option on your website and promote on social media.
Options: SwipeIt, Square and Shopify
- Good article summarizing gift cards for small business here.
- Feed the Frontline – in test mode, hoping to launch in a few weeks.
- MKT2DAY
CRISIS MANAGEMENT RESOURCES:
COVID-19 Learnings and resources (specific to real estate/artists)
- https://www.icsc.com/coronavirus
- https://creative-capital.org/
- https://www.kickstarter.com/articles/covid-19-coronavirus-artist-resources?ref=section-homepage-promo-resources-for-artists-affected-by-the-pandemic
Chicken and Rice Guys wrote about their experience and learnings from managing a crisis in 2017 when they had to close the restaurant for 8 days.
This webinar shared by the James Beard Association, which speaks to operations during a time of crisis.
This webinar was prepared by ThinkHR. It provides thoughts on key considerations for companies with respect to Human Resources during this period. http://links.thinkhr.com/P000W09KRT09aj0R0WaWpQ1
Protect yourself and your business from cyber scams- https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/current-activity/2020/03/06/defending-against-covid-19-cyber-scams
RESOURCES FOR STAFF EMPLOYEES:
New Jersey Jobs Portal: https://jobs.covid19.nj.gov
One Fair Wage → Emergency Coronavirus Tipped and Service Worker Support Fund. Provides cash assistance to restaurant workers, car service drivers, delivery workers, personal service workers and more who need the money they aren’t getting to survive.
Restaurant Workers Community Foundation – COVID19 Crisis Relief Fund. Email: covidhelp@restaurantworkerscf.org
ASSOCIATIONS AND CHAMBERS:
U.S. Chamber of Commerce (CORONAVIRUS Emergency Loans Small Business Guide and Checklist)- Click Here
Downtown New Jersey – https://www.downtownnj.com/policy-watch-covid/
New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA) – https://www.njbia.org/coronavirus/
New Jersey Chamber of Commerce (NJCC) – https://www.njchamber.com/news/nj-business-news/741-n-j-chamber-here-s-how-businesses-can-weather-the-coronavirus
African American Chamber of Commerce of NJ – https://www.aaccnj.com
Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of NJ – https://shccnj.org