Research & Sponsored Programs Report ResearchAnnual201819-electronic | Page 10

Florida SBDC Network, Haas Center
help small businesses recover
from Hurricane Michael
When Hurricane Michael made landfall as a
Category 4 storm in the Florida Panhandle on
Oct. 10, 2018, it left communities like Panama
City, Mexico Beach and Port St. Joe in ruins.
In the aftermath, two University of West Florida
Division of Research and Strategic Innovation
entities sprang into action to help in both the
immediate recovery and to quantify the long-
term effects.
Once the storm passed, the Florida SBDC
Network worked with the U.S. Small Business
Administration to establish Business Recovery
Centers across the Panhandle for small busi-
nesses to receive on-site assistance.
Florida SBDC Network consultants worked
alongside SBA business loan specialists Monday
through Saturday to help businesses determine
their eligibility for a Florida Small Business
Emergency Bridge Loan, SBA Physical Loan or
SBA Economic Injury Loan, and assist them in
the application process.
State designated as Florida’s principal provider
of small business assistance, the Florida SBDC
Network has over 40 centers throughout the
state.
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“Small businesses across the Panhandle suffered
devastating loss from Hurricane Michael,” said
Michael W. Myhre, CEO of the Florida SBDC
Network. “We want our small business owners
to know how important they are to our state and
that we are here to help them get back on their
feet as quickly as possible.”
The Florida SBDC Network provides consulting,
training and research to help small businesses
grow and succeed. As a member of the state’s
Emergency Support Function 18 for Business
and Industry, the network plays a key role in
helping small businesses prepare and recover
from disasters.
Hurricane Michael’s devastation will have long-
lasting effects on communities and the Haas
Center — a leader in economic research and
data in the Northwest Florida region and the
rest of Florida — created an actively updating
dashboard that tracks the economic impact of
Hurricane Michael in Bay and Gulf counties.
2018-2019 Research Annual Report