The Hill hosted a virtual panel Thursday focused on the ways in which small business owners and educators have been affected and have had to adapt amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Titled “Doing Better in America,” the panel was moderated by Steve Clemons, The Hill’s editor-at-large and included Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH), ranking member on the House Committee on Small Business; Christine Kim Funke, owner of a Cincinnati plant shop, Fleurish Grounds; Maxie Hollingsworth, a Houston Pre-K through 5th grade math teacher; Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers; Melissa McGlynn, founder of McGlynn’s Cottage Pies and Mayor Chris Cerino of Chestertown, Maryland.
Funke had originally planned to run a mobile plant cart for farmers markets when she created Fleurish Grounds in 2019. But the pandemic halted that plan, prompting her to move her efforts online, particularly to the social media giant Instagram. From there, Fleurish Grounds expanded to have in-person plant sales in Funke’s yard to now opening its own online store.
“Besides the transaction that happens between my customers, we get to know them,” Funke said. “We know their names, their moms, their kids.”
However, she said that more funding and help was needed.
“As a nation, I think making COVID relief grants more accessible for new businesses like myself is something important,” Funke said, adding that her small business has not qualified for grants.
Chabot said that a second round of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans is close and that there would be a set-aside for microbusinesses – 10 or fewer employees.
