NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Alongside all the damaged homes are hundreds of small businesses wondering how they will rebuild and serve customers again.
Jim Maxwell, owner of Dog Town Pizza in North Little Rock, walked us through what was left of his restaurant after an EF-3 tornado ravaged the city on March 31.
"It's overwhelming and very difficult to process," Maxwell said.
According to Maxwell, he just finished a $125,000 remodel.
"We just thought it was a great location," Maxwell said. "We were just beginning to build up our clientele."
Dog Town Pizza was one day shy from celebrating its five-month anniversary when the tornado hit. Maxwell said he was able to salvage most of his kitchen equipment but is now wondering how his business will move forward.
How to move forward has been a hot topic lately amongst business owners who were impacted by the storms.
"Business owners have been reaching out saying, 'I don't know what to do, can you help?'" State Director of the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center Laura Fine said.
The Small Business Administration is a program created to help businesses in Arkansas grow and thrive.
Aside from them, and reaching out to FEMA, Fine said there are other things business owners should do.
"Pull together the information that they need, so they can make a decision on how to proceed in the future," Fine said.
Here's what Fine recommends doing:
- Reach out to your insurance agent to review your current coverage
- Cancel any existing inventory orders
- Decide if you can continue paying employees or if you'll need to lay some off
- Consider if you'll need a larger space or downsize
- Review your finances.
"Has the business been profitable in the past?" Fine said. "Is it making the kind of money that you want to make? Does it have the potential to be profitable in the future?"
While it may be inconvenient, Maxwell is thankful for friends like Clark Huff, who lives in Florida and started a GoFundMe.
"I just have a soft spot in my heart for people that are displaced," Huff said.
Other relief resources are below:
Those interested can contact the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center at 1-800-862-2040.