September 2022 Advocacy Updates
Below are things you should know or take action on right now as a local-independent business owner or community leader:
– Supply Chain Woes & Rising Costs: Charleston City Paper shared a recent feature highlighting LLF’s 2022 Member Survey results, which reported supply chain shortages and delays as the #1 top concern for our local business community. LLF Member businesses Nice Commerce, Local Local CHS, and Celadon were also featured.
– Public Meetings on Housing Affordability: Charleston County “is gathering input on residents’ struggles with attaining affordable housing through a new survey and in seven public meetings. Citizens are encouraged to participate.” More info, meeting dates via City Paper
– Inflation Reduction Act and Small Business: Forbes reported five ways the new law will help small businesses, including doubling “the refundable research and development tax credit for small businesses, raising it from $250,000 to $500,000. The credit can be applied against payroll taxes and a wide variety of expenses, including product development and technology.”
– Adopt a Polling Location: The Charleston County Board of Elections and Voter Registration has launched a new program titled ‘Adopt a Polling Location’ and is inviting businesses and non-partisan organizations to ‘adopt’ a polling location by providing staff members to serve as poll workers on Election Day in November. You can earn money for a charity of your choice by choosing to donate the poll worker wages for your team. A win-win! Helping the community and democracy. Learn more here or email the Board of Elections at ZBurch@charlestoncounty.org.
– What We’re Reading: a new Stanford report finds Latino-owned businesses are significantly less likely to have loan applications approved by national banks as compared to similar White-owned businesses. The report highlights the importance of building a relationship with a banker. More resources and info on moving your money to a local financial institution here.
– Transportation Updates: the Lowcountry Lowline project received a $7 million federal RAISE grant from the US Department of Transportation in August to continue the work of transforming the abandoned rail line into a linear park.
– Member Resource – Commercial Space Advising: LLF harnesses the power of our membership to provide confidential, no-cost custom advising for issues related to a commercial space, including: finding space; design and build-out; regulatory process; and lease negotiation. Learn more here.
Questions? Input? Let us know.