NASE in the News

National Association Awards $16K in Growth Grants to Support the Small Business Community During New Phase of COVID

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, September 6, 2022
CONTACT:  Kristofer Eisenla, LUNA+EISENLA media
kristofer@lunaeisenlamedia.com | 202-670-5747 (mobile)

National Association for the Self-Employed Provides Financial Support Colorado, Illinois, South Carolina & Maryland Small Businesses During their Ongoing Recovery and Growth

DALLAS, TX – As the small business community continues to recover from the COVID pandemic, the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE), the nation’s leading advocate and resource for the self-employed and micro-business community, announced today $16,000 in Growth Grants to four local small businesses for the second quarter of 2022.  Today’s announcement also includes a partnership with both DELL Small Business and Payanywhere, both who have each generously sponsored one $4,000 Growth Grant awards.

Last year, NASE awarded $60,000 in total grants to fifteen small businesses to support their growth and expansion of business operations and help support their emergence from the COVID pandemic.  In 2022, the NASE plans to increase its awards even more.

“Our nation’s small business community, including self-employed and micro-businesses, helps fuel America’s economic engine.  They represent the true entrepreneurship spirit of America with their resilience and determination as they recover from a devastating pandemic that deeply impacted our community. We are proud to support them in their recovery, and do our part to help the American small business community continue to thrive,” said John Hearrell, Vice President of Membership and Affiliate Programs.  “From each side of Main Street to every corner of America, small businesses are delivering unique goods and services to their customers. Since 1989, our mission is built on the cornerstone of supporting these businesses to grow and thrive.  It’s an honor to make an investment of $4,000 in each of these Growth Grant recipients, bringing our total grant awards to date to over $1,000,000 since the program’s inception.”

The recipients of the second quarter 2022 NASE Growth Grants are:

• Play and Stay Dog Lounge, located in Ottawa, Illinois, owned by NASE member Linda Marini, was awarded a second quarter Growth Grant in 2022. Play and Stay Dog Lounge offers high quality and affordable services and socialization for all dogs. Services include boarding, daycare, training, grooming and multiple pay areas.  
• Zaria, located in Great Mills, Maryland, owned by NASE member N’jeri Agyeman, was awarded a second quarter Growth Grant in 2022. Zaria cards specialize in authentically handmade greeting cards that are handwritten and illustrated in-house.

The following 2022 Growth Grant is sponsored by DELL Small Business.

• The Little Coffee Shack, located in Parachute, Colorado, owned by NASE member Christina Metcalf, was awarded a second quarter Growth Grant in 2022. The Little Coffee Shack is a locally owned and operated family business serving delicious drinks and baked goods.

The following 2022 Growth Grant is sponsored by Payanywhere.

• Seven Flowers, located in Bowman, South Carolina, owned by NASE member Pearlie Heyward, was awarded a second quarter Growth Grant in 2022. Seven Flowers is a flower company specializing in handtied bouquets and funeral service flowers.

For nearly 20 years, NASE’s focus has been on finding the most effective way to bolster success for small business and self-employed members in communities across the country.  NASE has awarded over $1,000,000 since the program’s inception and continue to see significant return on our investments in the growth of member-businesses helping to fuel their local economies.

NASE’s Growth Grant program is intended for businesses planning to take the next step in their venture.  It provides available capital for small businesses and sole proprietors to be able to hire and train additional employees, market their business in new and existing ways or invest in new equipment or software.

Applications are considered on a rolling basis throughout the year and winning small businesses will be awarded $4,000 grants each quarter throughout 2022.  Visit the Growth Grant page for more information.

NASE members also enjoy a comprehensive list of benefits designed to help small business owners and sole proprietors start and grow their business.  A complete listing of benefits available to NASE members is available, here.  NASE members are offered a host of resources designed to help support entrepreneurs and small employers including access to professional “Ask the Experts” services in tax, health care and marketing, a navigational assistant health care portal, scholarships and grants, discounts on shipping rates and office supplies, and affordable email marketing systems and webhosting services. NASE’s newest member benefits continue the tradition of providing real-world, bottom-line assistance to small business owners.  To become a member of NASE, apply online here.

###

The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) is the nation's leading advocate and resource for the self-employed and micro-businesses, offering a broad range of benefits to help entrepreneurs succeed and to drive the continued growth of this vital segment of the American economy.

The NASE NextBizThing helps identify and connect our nation’s smallest businesses. Need small business help? Check out NASE’s Ask the Experts for advice or the NASE Minute for small business support.

The NASE is a 501(c) (6) nonprofit organization and provides big-business advantages to hundreds of thousands of micro-businesses across the United States. For more information, visit the association's website at NASE.org