CHARLOTTE – The City of Charlotte has launched an Open for Business initiative to support small businesses open during the COVID-19 pandemic and throughout the recovery.
The public dashboard and application creates an avenue to connect residents with small businesses in Charlotte during Mecklenburg County’s stay-at-home order.
The 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.
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.”
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 added to the dashboard will receive the Charlotte Open for Business logo to display in their storefront and share on social media. The logo will help customers 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.”
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