Thousands of American Small Businesses Ask Governors for Help During COVID-19 Crisis

WASHINGTON, DC (May 14, 2020) – Community leaders and small businesses throughout the country called on Governors and other state policymakers to preserve access to business-critical digital tools and resources during the Covid-19 pandemic and the long recovery period ahead.  Led by the Connected Commerce Council (3C), the letters were signed by 2,400 digitally empowered small business owners.

“Without tools like G-Suite by Google and Facebook ads, we would not have maintained the same level of visibility and accessibility for our customers during this pandemic,” said Victoria Wise of Madeworthy Magazine in Fort Worth. “As a small business owner, it is crucial to have access to so many free and low-cost digital platforms and tools to stay in business, maintain our workforce, and serve our community. As we work toward reopening the economy, it’s important that elected leaders understand the role technology is playing in our recovery.”

The letter also cautioned Governors that controversial campaigns against U.S. tech companies like Google and Facebook create unnecessary instability for millions of American small businesses using these tools and services to run and operate their businesses.

“With storefronts closed across the country, the tools offered by companies like Facebook, Google, and Amazon have become vital economic lifelines for countless small business owners and entrepreneurs,” said 3C President Jake Ward. “Governors and elected leaders across the country understand what it takes for American businesses to compete in the digital economy, and they know that now is not the time to put small businesses at a disadvantage or slow their recovery.”

A copy of the letters and a list of signers is available here.