The Brandery and gener8tor Team Up to Offer Emergency Response Program to Ohio Businesses

Cincinnati Startup Resources Band Together to Offer Advice Amid the Pandemic

The Ohio business scene is one big family, and in the midst of one of the most challenging times in our country’s history, leaders from across the state are stepping up. When they’re not developing life-saving tech or helping people cope with social distancing, they’re making sure business owners aren’t being left behind.

That’s the approach taken by The Brandery and gener8tor, two Cincinnati startup masters who have developed the online Emergency Response Program, a way to help small businesses in Ohio maneuver through the challenging 2020 landscape and access all the assistance available to them. The program features daily webinars designed to identify, understand and help small businesses secure resources to withstand the current crisis at no cost to the businesses.

Jeff Boeh, managing director of The Brandery, said the program is a collaboration of the two companies’ “vast network of community leaders” who can provide expertise to overcome a variety of challenges. Boeh said the program is designed to address:

• The step-by-step process of determining eligibility and applying for Small Business Administration programs
• Navigating changes required by new laws
• Civic, philanthropic and state emergency relief resources
• Federal emergency relief programs and local support
• Mental health and wellness resources for small business owners

“We hope to provide small business owners with resources and support they need to help them persevere professionally and personally during this challenging time,” said Boeh. “We want to help business owners fully understand the financial aid and new regulations emerging to benefit their business and their employees. We’ll be offering one-on-one virtual meetings to any small business based in Ohio.”

The Brandery and genera8tor can’t keep businesses afloat on their own, but fortunately they don’t have to. Boeh said the program is about directing business owners to resources that can be difficult to decode.

“Federally, there is a massive amount of financial aid and regulatory guidance designed to help small businesses and individuals throughout the nation,” said Boeh. “Each day, we’re also seeing aid and resources offered at the municipal level to support the small businesses that make our communities so unique. The local entrepreneurs throughout Ohio are passionate, creative and resilient, and it’s imperative that individuals in our communities continue to support each other as we navigate the current crisis.”

Even the most passionate and resilient business owners need a hand every now and then, especially during an unprecedented pandemic. And for these two organizations, helping fellow Ohio businesses is a way to give back to the thriving Ohio startup scene.

“It’s our priority to help communities continue to innovate and thrive, especially in the face of adversity,” said Joe Kirgues, co-founder of gener8to. “We have seen firsthand the impact that entrepreneurs have on a community and we hope to call on our network of mentors, investors, and partners to support these new emergency response programs.”

The partners also wrote their own blog and created a step-by-step guide for the SBA Disaster Loan and Emergency Grant process, along with information on the CARES Act and Paycheck Protection Program. Check out their guide here. And if your business can benefit from the Emergency Response Program, be sure to sign up for the week-long webinar series here by Saturday, April 4.

We’re all in this together, so if your organization is working to help other Ohio businesses in their time of need, get in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn.