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Dear Friends,
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced millions of small businesses to shutter their doors last year, my mind, for a moment, jumped back to 1987, when I became chief executive of Starbucks. Back then, we too were a small business. We had just 11 stores and fewer than 100 employees, and sometimes we struggled to make monthly payroll. If COVID had struck us back then, I thought to myself, there would be no Starbucks today.
I was a vocal and passionate advocate for increased government-backed economic relief, in the form of loans and grants, to struggling small businesses. Thankfully, the eventual flow of PPP loans and other assistance, along with the perseverance of our entrepreneurs, helped save many businesses.
But thousands upon thousands of them still face an uncertain future. Not only have owners taken on significant debt and face mounting bills, they are reopening in a vastly changed world: Consumer behavior has undergone a seismic shift, and the need for digital transformation has accelerated.
That recognition drove us to create a new, free, online resource to help small businesses recover, pivot and bounce back even stronger. Launching today, BackTo.Biz features a collection of more than 400 individual video lessons, articles and tools from a diverse and renowned set of innovative entrepreneurs. The content is designed to help small business owners expand their knowledge and skills on a wide range of topics, such as hiring talent, selling online, building brands, pivoting business models, and creating new revenue streams.
We partnered with a world-class production firm in Seattle, CreativeLive, to create and host the content. An impressive coalition of leading businesses and non-profits are joining us to promote the program, including Ascend, Chase, Community Reinvestment Fund USA, Facebook, Grow with Google, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, Intentionalist, Main Street America, Microsoft, Reimagine Main Street, Salesforce, Starbucks, Shopify, and Co. by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
You can view a short video trailer of the program below and access all of the content at BackTo.Biz. Please join me in sharing this with any small businesses you know who might find this useful.
America’s future rests on our entrepreneurial fire. But in recent years, the spark within many entrepreneurs has struggled to find the oxygen to burn bright. The causes are many: the need for learning and community, the lack of capital and social networks, the systemic failures that lead many to not even try. That’s why I believe this COVID-recovery platform is critical. And in the months and years to come, I intend to support other initiatives to help support America’s entrepreneurs.
Onward,
Howard
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