Proprietor Mike Jarchow mentioned he’s usually booked by way of the summer time with weddings. When Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz introduced companies like his should quickly shut to assist cease the unfold of the novel coronavirus, nevertheless, the weddings have been both postponed to 2021 or moved throughout the state line to South Dakota, the place restrictions have been by no means carried out.
“This is our third wedding since March,” mentioned Jarchow of a reserving he has for this weekend. “They’re going gangbusters over there (in South Dakota), and we have our hands cuffed and tied.”
Luverne is simply 12 miles from the state line, 20 minutes from Brandon and a half-hour from Sioux Falls. It’s too handy for {couples} who need to maintain their unique marriage ceremony date, and too straightforward for Jarchow to lose enterprise.
Whereas the governor’s government orders now enable for gatherings of as much as 250 folks, some marriage ceremony receptions nonetheless can’t happen at Grand Prairie Occasions.
“We had a big wedding booked with over 400 people and they ended up going to South Dakota,” Jarchow mentioned.
In the meantime, his 600-capacity constructing stands empty far too many days.
“Our survival is still in question,” he mentioned. “We rely on those weddings in the summer.”
Inside two weeks of his government order requiring bars, eating places and occasion facilities to quickly near gradual the unfold of COVID-19, Walz introduced one other government order — a Small Enterprise Emergency loan program to offer loans of $2,500 to $35,000 to small companies at 0% curiosity. The loans are 50% forgivable, and have been administered by way of the Minnesota Division of Employment and Financial Improvement (DEED).
Jarchow was one in every of 15 companies within the six counties of far southwest Minnesota to safe a $35,000 loan, and one in every of 5 from inside the metropolis of Luverne. Different $35,000 grant recipients there included Luverne Brew Companions LLC, Luverne Pizza Ranch, Relyks Inc. and Jalas Enterprises Inc. Of the six counties, Rock County companies garnered the very best quantity in loans at $200,000.
Second was Murray County, the place 9 candidates acquired emergency enterprise loans totaling $161,800. Six Nobles County companies shared $165,000 in loans, and 5 Jackson County companies acquired a mixed $139,850. Cottonwood and Pipestone counties every had 4 companies apply for a mixed $73,700 and $65,500, respectively.
Statewide, 1,020 companies acquired loans totalling greater than $27.2 million.
Jarchow mentioned the loan helped carry his enterprise by way of the primary three months of the pandemic, when there was no revenue by any means.
The issue, although, is that the cash isn’t free. Half of it would must be repaid
“All these things the government was trying to do to help us wasn’t really helping us by loaning us more money,” he mentioned. “Granted, we appreciated it was there.”
Kay Williams Prunty, proprietor of The Dance Academy in Worthington, was grateful for the loan program after her enterprise was quickly shuttered in March. Hers was one in every of no less than two dance studios within the space to safe an emergency loan from DEED. With out it, she didn’t understand how she would pay her payments.
“COVID really struck us at a hard time,” she mentioned.
Simply as her sole income was misplaced, Prunty was within the midst of reworking and shifting the studio from downtown to Kragness Avenue.
Amy Woitalewicz of the Southwest Initiative Basis helped Prunty file for the emergency loan — cash Prunty mentioned helped her 25-year enterprise pull by way of. She used the funds to pay a few of her payments and a portion of the dance flooring she’d already had put in within the new location.
“Being the only employee, money had stopped,” Prunty mentioned. “I didn’t qualify for any grants, and I used to be too small and didn’t qualify for PPP (Paycheck Safety Program) initially.
“The TV made it sound like there was all this free cash, however we didn’t get something for companies of my dimension,” she added. “It’s been touch and go — it’s been hard.”
Like many companies within the age of COVID, although, Prunty has tailored. She launched on-line dance classes by way of Zoom, and whereas it wasn’t the most suitable choice for some, it was a manner for the youngsters and teenagers to be taught and dance to their hearts’ content material.
“We were not able to do our recital this year, which was really sad; really frustrating,” she added.
Prunty mentioned she hasn’t certified for any grants, and different loans have helped to pay her assistants what they’d have made in the event that they’d had class.
“I am so thankful and blessed that I am getting these loans but I think there is a bit of a misunderstanding, too,” Prunty mentioned. “I think people have this notion that we’re getting all of this free money not to work, and that is not the case at all.”
Whereas COVID continues to be impacting her enterprise, Prunty is upbeat in regards to the future. Lessons are already deliberate and slated to start in her new location in September, and whereas she mentioned enrollment is down about 20%, her numbers are nonetheless trying nice. She’s turning to her ready checklist to fill in a number of the lessons and can proceed to offer classes over Zoom, which might be recorded for playback to make it extra handy for households.
“There are some kids and families that are not returning to anything — not even to school,” Prunty mentioned. “It makes me really sad because these kids need that interaction.”
For individuals who do attend classes on the studio, Prunty mentioned there’s loads of house within the new location to social distance, and the brand new HVAC system has an air exchange.
“We’re going to get through this and our kids need to keep something positive in their life,” Prunty mentioned. “Minnesota DEED is allowing us to continue and not shut our doors.”
Eating places, bars, a pair of breweries and a vineyard have been amongst these from the six counties of far southwest Minnesota requesting Small Enterprise Emergency Loans. The proprietor of a health middle and a few hair salon homeowners additionally have been profitable in getting emergency loans.
For a whole checklist of loan recipients and the quantity acquired, go to https://bit.ly/2Y1QcKV.
