Binghamton University SBDC has more flood-recovery money left for eligible businesses

BINGHAMTON — The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Binghamton University announced it is still working to assist small businesses throughout the Southern Tier region whose buildings and operations were damaged by the floods of 2011.

The center says four area businesses have been awarded grants totaling $200,000 in the SBDC’s seven-county area.

However, there is more money available and SBDC representatives say they want to reach businesses in need of assistance.

Eligible businesses are those located in counties that received a disaster declaration because of Tropical Storm Lee and Hurricane Irene. To qualify for funding, businesses must have suffered direct damage and/or economic hardships resulting from one of these storms.

The funding comes from New York’s Small Business Storm Recovery Program, which is part of the New York Rising Community Reconstruction Program, according to the SBDC. The New York Rising initiative was launched in 2013 by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and funded by federal recovery dollars. The program seeks to help flood-damaged communities build back up.

“If your small business has uncompensated damage that was the result of Hurricane Irene or Tropical Storm Lee, it may qualify for this grant program,” Rochelle Layman, regional director of the SBDC at Binghamton University, said in a news release. “Our NYS Certified Small Business Advisors can assist you in determining if your business qualifies for this program. If your business does qualify, we will also assist you in the application process.”

Layman suggests that owners and managers of small companies contact the SBDC at (607) 777-4024 to see if their business is eligible.

The SBDC at Binghamton University provides management and technical assistance to small businesses in a seven county area, including Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Tioga and Tompkins counties.