LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A new grant is focusing on helping struggling small businesses across Nevada, especially those in the LGBTQ community.
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“I took probably a 40% hit,” says Mona Shield Payne, small business owner.
Payne has a passion for being behind the camera and has a photography company in Las Vegas.
But when events in Nevada came to a halt last year, so did some of her income.
“It was quite a few thousand, so I’m building my base back,” says Payne.
This is the reality for many small business owners in Las Vegas, including those in the LGBTQ community.
“A lot of our owners own event companies, and photography companies, and modeling companies, and those were hit extremely hard,” said President of the Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce Nevada Tim Haughinberry.
GLCCNV has partnered up with Cox Business to create two forms of relief.
One is a $5,000 scholarship that can be used towards any education that a small business might need.
“It could be COVID-19 training, it could be training your staff, it could be health base, or it could be personal training,” says Haughinberry.
The second is a $5,000 grant that can be used at a business owner's will.
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Winners will also get some mentoring from leaders in Nevada’s LGBTQ business community.
“if they’re like me, I could absolutely benefit from it,” says Payne. “I would love to get videography training, of course, anyone in my industry could use new equipment.”
The deadline to apply is March 19 and you can apply here.
