Gov. Tony Evers’ Main Street Bounceback Program Is “A Game Changer” For Small Business Owners

New reporting from Up North News highlights how Gov. Tony Evers’ effort to prioritize small businesses in his COVID response is paying huge dividends for Wisconsin’s small business owners.

Gov. Evers’ Main Street Bounceback program offered $10,000 to more than 4,200 local entrepreneurs who opened a new location or expanded operations in a vacant commercial space.

The Evers administration has distributed a higher percentage of Wisconsin’s COVID relief dollars to economic relief and development than most other states. Wisconsin ranked the top state in the country in the percentage of federal aid directed to businesses.

Unlike Scott Walker and Rebecca Kleefisch’s one-off Foxconn failure, Gov. Evers’ comprehensive economic approach is more likely to be sustainable, according to economics professor Steven Deller. “It will have a longer-term impact on the well-being of the state’s economy,” he said.

As a result of Gov. Evers’ investments, Wisconsin’s economy has rebounded well from the pandemic, with robust wage growth and a record-low unemployment rate of 2.8%.

Here’s what Wisconsinites are saying about the impact of Gov. Evers’ investments:

• “Having that money was a game changer.”

• “I could care less what party you are, your actions speak louder than words. I think Wisconsin’s governor has done an amazing job fighting for small businesses … I honestly don’t know of any other state that has been as generous as Wisconsin has to small businesses.”

• “I’m very grateful because we would not have survived without the federal and state help funding.”

• “The Bounceback grant changed my life.”

Read the full report here.

###