The City of Hollywood’s Office of Communications, Marketing & Economic Development (CMED) is open for business, compiling information to assist Hollywood businesses throughout the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. We encourage you to check the City of Hollywood’s webpage, sign up for City and Business email/text updates, and follow us on Facebook. Our team is available to talk you through any of your business-related issues. Contact us at 954.921.3620 or by email.
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This Microsoft Word review will cover the basics and help you navigate the program in order to create basic documents and forms on your own. If you have access to your own version of Word and a second monitor during the training, this step-by-step review can also be used to practice alongside the instructor as she navigates through the tabs and tools in real time.
All the basics of Word will be covered, including finding templates, formatting, cover pages for presentations, inserting tables, pictures and art, and choosing layouts and designs. This free workshop will be conducted by Broward SCORE and is sponsored by the City of Hollywood.
Wednesday, June 30 • 6:30 PM • Free • Register Here
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Free Saturday Work Skills Courses Available For Eligible Hollywood Residents
The City of Hollywood, in partnership with OIC of South Florida, is offering free career training and job placement assistance to eligible Hollywood residents. Each 12-week course—now offered on Saturdays—provides FREE in-depth vocational training, preparing participants for entry-level positions in the selected career path. Please click here for additional information on this initiative.
Online applications will be accepted until Sunday, June 27 at 11:59 p.m.
Click here to register for the Virtual Orientation on Thursday, June 24 at 4:00 p.m.
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Is Your Commercial Property Ready For An Update? Would $25,000 Help?
The Commercial Property Improvement Program (CPIP) is an incentive program designed to improve the facades of publicly or privately owned commercial or industrial buildings along specific commercial corridors. This program is based on the premise that exterior improvements to commercial buildings in highly visible locations will stimulate private investment, attract customers, and result in new economic opportunities. Grant funding is available to commercial and industrial property owners that intend to restore, renovate or improve their property. Click here for more information on CPIP.
Interested participants are encouraged to watch a Public Information Session recording to learn how to apply for this reimbursable grant (see below).
CPIP Public Information Sessions
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Free Business Assistance Programs For City Residents And Business Owners
The City of Hollywood’s Office of Communications, Marketing + Economic Development has recently entered into a partnership with Broward SCORE to provide educational and advisory services to City residents and small business owners through December 2021.
This partnership is a part of the City’s “Backing Business” initiative, as these supportive programs aim to help the City’s economy grow during the COVID-19 pandemic. Resources available to the City’s start-up and small business community include:
| Advanced Business Solutions Team: Broward SCORE provides a team of seasoned business specialists to help your existing small businesses identify growth opportunities, solve problems, and plan for the future. Through a series of meetings, the Advanced Business Solutions Team works with your management team to devise a plan for achieving your objectives.
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| One-on-One Business Mentoring: Broward SCORE offers personal remote mentoring sessions with local seasoned business professionals who are committed to helping our local business community stronger through these difficult times. Book your phone or video mentoring session online. Sessions are typically one-hour in length. Prepare to discuss any opportunities or problems your business may be facing. |
 | Business Education Program: Workshops on a diversity of business topics are scheduled throughout the remainder of the year and will be offered virtually utilizing a live webinar format. Many of the webinars will focus on pandemic recovery topics and led by local business professionals with specific knowledge on starting and running businesses in Broward County and the City of Hollywood. |
Founded in 1964, Broward SCORE is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) with over 70 volunteer mentors, workshop presenters, and business support personnel. The chapter offers a diverse program of business support services throughout the year and is provided at no-cost to start-ups, existing businesses, or those who are thinking of starting a business. More information on these exciting new programs can be found here: https://broward.score.org/city-hollywood-cmed
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Missed our Virtual Open House?
Click here to watch the recording and learn about all of the FREE resources available to your Hollywood business.
Password: OpenHouse2021
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$20B Available in EIDL Grants
The Small Business Administration (SBA)'s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program portal is open and accepting applications. Congress has allocated a total of $20 billion in new Economic Injury Disaster Loan grants specifically for businesses in low-income communities.
Businesses experiencing economic impacts due to COVID-19 and wishing to apply for this program are encouraged to complete the online EIDL application as soon as possible.
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SBA and Treasury Announce Simpler PPP Forgiveness for Loans of $50,000 or Less
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), in consultation with the Treasury Department, released a simpler loan forgiveness application for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans of $50,000 or less. This action streamlines the PPP forgiveness process to provide financial and administrative relief to America’s smallest businesses while also ensuring sound stewardship of taxpayer dollars.
The Treasury and SBA have also eased the burden on PPP lenders, allowing lenders to process forgiveness applications more swiftly. On October 2, the SBA began approving PPP forgiveness applications and remitting forgiveness payments to PPP lenders for PPP borrowers.
Click here to view the simpler loan forgiveness application.
Click here to view the instructions for completing the simpler loan forgiveness application.
Click here to view the Interim Final Rule on the simpler forgiveness process for loans of $50,000 or less.
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Small Businesses: Apply today for monthly bill credit as part of FPL’s Main Street Recovery Credit Program
FPL is now accepting applications for the Main Street Recovery Credit Program, which expands their COVID-19 relief effort by offering bill credits to qualifying small and independent businesses.
Establishments in FPL’s service area that are eligible to apply for the program include:
- New small businesses
- Small businesses that were inactive for at least six consecutive months after March 2020
- Existing small businesses operating in federally designated Opportunity Zones
Qualifying small businesses would receive a monthly 10% credit based on the prior month’s energy charge portion of their bill through 2021. Small business customers can click here to fill out an application and seek approval for the new program.
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The South Florida Regional Planning Council (SFRPC) has secured funds from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) to capitalize a small business revolving loan fund for businesses adversely impacted by Coronavirus. These funds, provided pursuant to the March 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), will be administered by the SFRPC through its Revolving Loan Fund CARES Act Program.
$5,380,000 is available for businesses. Click here to learn more and apply.
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Business Leaders: Share Your Thoughts! What is your business struggling with?
The Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance (GFLA) has been compiling data from decision makers throughout Broward County for the last nine years. They want to hear your feedback about our county's business environment, including your biggest opportunities and challenges, and how you are meeting them.
The survey results will provide a real assessment of the current economic climate and what you see coming in the next year. GFLA will compare the results to previous years and share the findings.
All responses are kept confidential and tabulated by the independent accounting firm Kaufman Rossin. Participants will be entered to win one of three $100 Amazon gift cards.
Take the 10th Annual Survey Here
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Sea Turtle Nesting Season Has Begun
Beach Businesses & Residents: Ensure That Lighting Is "Sea Turtle-Friendly"
The official start of sea turtle nesting season in Broward County has officially begun. Last year, the Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program documented more than 3,000 nests on the County’s 24-mile coastline, including the Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park in Hollywood. Three species of sea turtles typically nest on Broward’s beaches each season: leatherbacks, loggerheads and green turtles. While long-term trends suggest increases in local nesting populations, artificial lighting remains one of the biggest threats to sea turtles in southeast Florida.
Hatchlings use natural light from the moon and stars to locate the water after hatching, but artificial lighting near the beach can disrupt this sea-finding process and cause turtles to become “disoriented” or confused. To reduce the amount of artificial lighting reaching the beach in Broward County, local coastal municipalities enforce lighting ordinances during sea turtle nesting season (March 1-October 31). Lighting near the beach should be “sea turtle-friendly” and follow all three criteria below, established by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC):
- Keep it low: Fixtures should be mounted as low as possible to achieve their purpose. Fixtures/bulbs should produce the lowest lumens (light output) necessary for the task.
- Keep it shielded: The bulb, lamp, or glowing lens should be shielded from the beach. This includes interior lights, curtains, shades, and blinds should be closed after sunset.
- Keep it long (wavelength): Fixtures/bulbs must produce long wavelength light (560 nm or longer) without filters, gels or lenses. Amber and red LEDs are good examples of these types of light.
Interior lights can also cause sea turtles to become disoriented. Implement these tips to reduce the amount of light reaching the beach from interior sources:
- Close curtains or blinds after sunset.
- Move light sources away from windows.
- Choose low wattage, warm white bulbs such as those with a color temperature of 3000K.
- Use fixtures with shades instead of exposed bulbs.
- Apply window tint of 15% inside to outside light transmittance.
FWC provides a list of certified fixtures that can be safely installed near sea turtle nesting beaches. Alternatively, you can contact the Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program for assistance with light retrofitting or additional information.
For turtle nesting updates throughout the season and other environmental news, follow @BrowardCountyEnvironment on Facebook and @BrowardEnv on Twitter.
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LauderDeals Is Back... and Better Than Ever!
LauderDeals are special savings for visitors and residents on hotels, spas, dining, and things to do during the summer and beyond. Updated and expanded from last year, LauderDeals invites you to promote your seasonal offers with Visit Lauderdale. There is no registration fee to participate and no gift certificates are required.
Categories include:
- Hotel Deals (June through September)
- Things To Do (June through September)
- DineOut Lauderdale (August and September)
- Spa Days (August and September)
- And year-round promos like FLorida Resident, Military & First Responder, Cruise Deals, Travel Advisor Perks and more
Benefits for participants include:
- Advertising campaign drives consumers to the LauderDeals web pages where your free deals listing is displayed.
- Public relations campaign focused on generating high impact stories in major media outlets.
- Targeted social media campaign.
- Inclusion in consumer e-newsletter to CVB opted-in database.
- Dedicated listing on sunny.org.
- Direct link to your website.
What is the deadline to sign up?
- Hotel Deals and Things to Do Deals: Sign up by April 16
- Dine Out Lauderdale and Spa Days: Sign up by June 25
How can your business participate in LauderDeals?
- View the presentation here
- Watch the informational webinar here
- Submit your LauderDeals here
Your LauderDeals will help make Greater Fort Lauderdale the preferred choice, offering unrivaled value and enticing visitors like never before!
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Safe & Clean Pledge: Show Your Commitment to Safely Welcoming Visitors
As Florida is currently among the top states for COVID-19 cases, and cases nationwide are rising, we need to reinforce and showcase that our entire community has a united front to proactively mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and that we are a safe and welcoming destination for all to enjoy.
Thank you to those of you who have taken the Visit Lauderdale Safe & Clean Pledge! More than 350 businesses have taken the pledge. Together we are instilling confidence among residents and travelers that we are committed to their safety and well-being.
If you haven’t already done so, please consider taking the Visit Lauderdale Safe & Clean Pledge today at sunny.org/pledge. Registration takes very little time, and it is FREE. Taking the pledge aligns with CDC recommended guidelines, and your business will be promoted as part of Visit Lauderdale’s marketing efforts on the program.
Upon taking the pledge, you are invited to display the destination’s clearly stated Safe & Clean protocols. You will receive:
• A downloadable Safe & Clean pledge to print and display
• A physical poster delivered to place of business to display
• The Safe & Clean logo will be added to your listing on sunny.org
CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE PLEDGE NOW
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Public Dashboard Tracks Local COVID-19 Business Complaints
Residents Can See If Businesses Are Following Emergency Guidelines
Broward County has launched a new tool to help residents ensure they are doing everything they can to contribute to a safer, healthier community and stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Broward County’s Planning and Development Management Division has announced a public-facing dashboard of COVID-19 complaints about businesses not following sanitation, social distancing, facial covering and other reopening requirements contained in local Emergency Orders. The GIS-based website displays details about business complaints received, including:
- Name and location of businesses reported to be in violation
- Number and type of warnings and citations issued
- Complaint Outcomes (i.e. Warning Issued, Citation Issued, Resolved, or Pending Inspection)
The database is searchable by Commission District, and by municipality, making it easy for residents to find out if a business they plan on patronizing is observing all the requirements of the Emergency Orders.
According to the dashboard, the most common type of violation is Failure to Follow Social Distancing. Other types of violations include Not Approved to Reopen, Not Following Sanitation Requirements; Not Following Appointment Guidelines, and Allowing More than 50% Indoor Capacity.
Residents are encouraged to bookmark the dashboard at http://arcg.is/1riWfH and visit it frequently for updates in your area.
Residents are reminded, especially over the holiday weekend, to celebrate responsibly. Follow social distancing and facial covering guidelines whenever and wherever possible, even at family gatherings. If you observe that a business is not following the preventive guidelines, you can report it anonymously online at MyBroward.Broward.org, or call 311.
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Hollywood Broadwalk's Expanded Temprary Cafe Zone Has Been Discontinued
Due to the issuance of Governor Ron DeSantis’ Emergency Order 21-102, suspending all COVID-19 restrictions on businesses, which includes indoor capacity limits and social distancing requirements, the City of Hollywood’s designated Temporary Café Zone along the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk has been discontinued.
As an expansion of the Permanent Café Zone, the City's Temporary Café Zone was in effect to assist Hollywood businesses heavily impacted by COVID-19 safety measures by providing the opportunity to expand their dining areas onto the Broadwalk to allow for additional seating while keeping 6 feet between parties.
Effective immediately, only the area in the Permanent Café Zone indicated below may be utilized for outdoor seating by those businesses with Café Table Permits through the City’s Division of Engineering, Transportation and Mobility. If your business does not currently have a City permit for outdoor seating, please click here for information on how to apply.
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Vacation Rental Changes Are Now In Effect
The City's new changes to the Vacation Rental License Program Ordinance are now in effect. These changes apply to all City properties which currently have a Vacation Rental License, as well as those property owners who are currently using their property as a vacation rental.
To assist property owners with meeting compliance deadlines, the City hosted multiple virtual question and answer sessions in February and March 2021. Staff was on-hand to answer questions related to the vacation rental license program, licensure, inspections requirements and more. You can watch the meeting videos by clicking the links below.
Tuesday, February 23 • 11:00 a.m. to 3:20 p.m. • Watch the recording
Tuesday, February 23 • 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. • Watch the recording
Monday, March 15 • 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. • Watch the recording
Monday, March 29 • 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. • Watch the recording
For more information on the new rules, click here to visit the Vacation Rental License Program webpage. For additional assistance, please contact the Office of Treasury via email at vrl@hollywoodfl.org.
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Upcoming BrowardUP Programming
In addition to Broward College's popular health science courses, BrowardUP is pleased to be offering upcoming remote/online classes in the following areas:
- AWS Cloud Computing
- Project Management
- Process Improvement
- Front Desk Representative
- Supply Chain Customer Service Operations
- And More!
New courses are continually being added. Visit the BrowardUP website today!
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BrowardUP Rapid Credentials Programs
All programs are FREE and take under one year to complete • Eligible students will receive free laptops!
Click here to learn more and apply: BROWARD.EDU/RAPIDS
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The City of Hollywood urges its business community to evaluate the Short-Time Compensation Program in an effort to curtail major layoffs.
The Short-Time Compensation program helps employers retain their workforce in times of temporary slowdown by encouraging work sharing as an alternative to layoff. The program permits prorated reemployment assistance benefits to employees whose work hours and earnings are reduced as part of a Short-Time Compensation Plan to avoid total layoff of some employees. Apply here.
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Florida Small Business Emergency Loan Program
Currently, the DEO is not accepting applications for the Emergency Bridge Loan Program. If you have previously applied, check your application status below.
View Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan
Frequently Asked Questions
Check Application Status
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and its emergency bridge loan partners will continue to review applications that are received online or postmarked by Monday, April 13, 2020. DEO and its Emergency Bridge Loan partners will continue to quickly and efficiently process loans for Florida businesses affected by the economic impacts of COVID-19 until available funds are expended.
For questions regarding the loan program, please contact DEO toll-free at 833-832-4494 or email FloridaBusinessLoanFund@deo.myflorida.com.
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Has COVID-19 affected your business? Take this survey to help activate additional resources.
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) issued the Business Damage Assessment Survey to evaluate businesses affected by COVID-19 and the impacts the virus has had on the local economy. The survey’s feedback allows the State Government to fully assess the economic impact COVID-19 is having on Florida businesses and industries, in order to mobilize the appropriate resources to help alleviate those pressures. The Business Damage Assessment Survey can be taken online. Results will be shared with government agencies and local partners, including the Small Business Administration (SBA). For inquiries/assistance with the survey, contact ESF18@em.myflorida.com.
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Greater Hollywood Chamber of Commerce
Upcoming GHCC Programs & Content: Webinars and online classes, provided by GHCC members and experts, can be viewed here.
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Hospitality Industry Resources
The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau has compiled resources to assist the hospitality industry affected by COVID-19.
Attractions, tours, restaurants and any tourism business providing virtual tours, learning experiences, cooking demonstrations, entertainment, musical performances, etc. through videos or social media live streams, may fill out this form to be included in the Virtual Vacation Experiences page.
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Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance
Businesses can request a virtual meeting with the Alliance regarding business preservation assistance, including low- or no-interest loan opportunities and short time compensation for employers. Additionally, the Alliance has compiled business resources here.
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Additional Online Resources
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Links to these established programs can be found on the City’s Economic Development website. Please continue to monitor www.hollywoodfl.org and www.choosehollywoodfl.com for the latest updates.
Economic Development Division
Raelin Storey, CMED Director
Herb Conde-Parlato, Economic Development Manager
Tekisha Jordan, Principal Planner
Marina Melo, Economic Development Marketing Coordinator
Community Redevelopment Agency - Beach & Downtown Districts
Jorge Camejo, Executive Director
954.924.2980