Support Small Businesses

You can use your business or technology skills to help local small business owners keep their doors open and save local jobs. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many small businesses to drastically reduce, alter, or even cease operations.

Volunteers can help small owners navigate the local, state, federal, and non-profit resources available to help save their businesses. Volunteers can also help business owners create or adapt their e-commerce and social media presence to best meet the needs of their customers and employees during social distancing periods.

Here’s how it works:

1. Reach out to UMB through this volunteer portal, email, or phone to let us know you’re interested in helping a small business
2. Let us know if you’d like to help a business navigate resources (such as identifying loans or grants) or adapt their web presence, or both!
3. The UMB team will schedule a 20-minute orientation via video conference so we can share the small business resources we’ve compiled and introduce ourselves as your support team
4. The UMB team will share the current needs/requests we’ve received from businesses that meet your interests and availability
5. The UMB team will connect you to a business owner so that you can arrange a one-on-one phone call or videochat to get the work started
6. UMB will check in with the business and with the volunteer(s) to identify any additional resources needed, and to record the outcome of the connection

For more information, contact Bill Joyner at wjoyner@umaryland.edu or Madison Haas at mhaas@umaryland.edu.