Sarasota businesses are asked to provide financial feedback – Business – Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Laura Finaldi Staff Writer Friday Jul 24, 2020 at 1:59 PM Feedback will be used…

Feedback will be used to advise county officials on how CARES Act funds will be distributed.

The local business community is being asked to provide input on how federal CARES Act funding should be distributed in Sarasota County.

The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce and the Venice Area Chamber of Commerce are asking businesses to fill out a survey detailing how COVID-19 has impacted them. The goal is to provide guidance on the business community’s struggles to county leaders.

The survey includes four questions and asks business owners to provide feedback on unexpected expenses that have arisen because of COVID-19, how the pandemic has affected payroll, what they anticipate for the rest of 2020 and next year and anything else they would like to add.

Feedback from the survey will help county officials decide how much of the $75 million funding that Sarasota County gets from the CARES Act will be allocated for economic recovery, according to both chambers.

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The survey comes as Congress and the Trump administration negotiate a new stimulus bill to boost the economy. Sarasota businesses still need help, even as some have received Paycheck Protection Program funding from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

On July 7, county commissioners gave guidance that the four major categories CARES Act funds would be used for are safety and security; health and medical; food, water and shelter; and economic recovery.

The survey can be found at surveymonkey.com/r/5CYXQPK.