ARPA to fund program supporting small businesses

City hosting three community town halls

Pontiac will host three community town halls to help small business entrepreneurs, from 8:30 to 10 a.m. on Wednesday Nov. 29, in the council chambers at City Hall, 47450 Woodward Ave. in Pontiac; noon to 1:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1, at city hall and 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6 at the Robert Bowens Senior Center, 52 Bagley St. in Pontiac.

The town halls are intended to foster startups of new, permanent businesses as well as expand existing small businesses in Pontiac. The city’s small business program offers support for business planning, financial management, design/ build assistance, content creation and web development.

No cash awards or loans will be made through this city program, which is open to Pontiac residents who own Pontiac-based businesses and non-resident applicants seeking future small business loans for Pontiac-based businesses.

Town hall attendees will learn how to apply for loans and grants, she said, “to make sure they’re comfortable with the process,” said Alexandra Borngesser, the city’s director of grants and philanthropy.

The city’s small business program is funded by $2.5 million of the city’s American Rescue Plan Act dollars. ARPA money is intended to offset negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Borngesser expects to see 40 or 50 people at each of the upcoming sessions.

“I encourage people to attend the town halls to learn more,” she said. “We had a good turnout at the small business town hall we had last winter.”

Learn more by calling the Pontiac Small Business office at (855) 9258696 (855-YAKTOWN) or emailing grants@pontiac. mi.us or visiting pontiac. mi.us/smallbusiness.