Help for Businesses After Irene

Businesses struggling to clean up after Irene may be eligible for assistance services offered by the NJ Business Action Center.

The services include:

1. Access to lines of credit of up to $500,000 for businesses that need access to cash to improve their damaged property while awaiting insurance proceeds.

2.  Grant awards for businesses to assist with on-the-job training costs for new workers hired specifically to assist in disaster-related activities, such as landscaping and tree removal, construction, insurance claims, building supplies sales, materials transport, utility work, call and claims centers staffing, and infrastructure clearing and repair.

3. Availability of the Business Resource Centers at any of the 17 local One-Stop Career Centers for businesses to access telephone and internet services as well as for job seekers and displaced workers seeking workforce development and unemployment assistance.

4. The availability of Disaster Unemployment Benefits for displaced workers suffering temporary storm-related job loss.

5. Dispatch of Rapid Response team members to identified Disaster Recovery Centers to assist displaced workers.

Call the New Jersey's Business Action Center, 1-866-534-7789 or click on the state's business portal @ www.nj.gov/njbusiness/ more more information. There are a number of other services available, which are described on the website.