DECD Releases Small Business Reopening Resource Guide

Working with community and business leaders from around the state, we developed a guide to help small businesses manage the reopening process while complying with the new COVID-19 safety rules. 

The Small Business Reopening Resource Guide is available online and includes valuable information about the following topics:

• Financial Needs – Comprehensive list of state and federal financing resources and advisory partners
• Employee Training & Support – General and industry-specific guidance about who should be trained and what training they need
• Physical Layout – Suggestions for maintaining operations while applying new social distancing standards
• List of Suppliers – Detailed list of suppliers to secure masks, face shields, gloves, cleaning supplies and other resources  

The guide, which will also be available in Spanish in the next day or two, provides a starting point for businesses and will be updated as new information and guidance becomes available. 

We are also kicking off a webinar series this week with the Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC) to help businesses navigate the reopening process. The first webinar, focusing on restaurants, is tomorrow, May 19, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. Click here to register. Future webinars will cover additional industries, such as hospitality, retail, health care and manufacturing. 

As a reminder, businesses and non-profits planning to reopen on May 20 (or during Phase 1) are required to certify with the state that they understand and will comply with the reopening rules. Self-certification only takes a few minutes and can be found online here. 

Sincerely, 
David Lehman, Commissioner
david.lehman@ct.gov, (860) 500-2310