President & CEO's Message
After many months of efforts aimed at economic triage, and as we near full reopening, our efforts will pivot. We are working collaboratively on innovative initiatives aimed towards supporting those small businesses in throughout Bay County. 

Buy BC is a gift card supplemental program for service, retail, and restaurant industry businesses to participate in. We have secured $25,000 from program sponsors that we will use to increase the value of gift cards customers purchase by 25 percent. This program will allow us to help companies get access to raising additional funds by engaging community members to inject nearly $125,000 in to our community. 

We have launched ReopenBayCounty.com in partnership with Bay County Officials , Bay County Health Department , Bay Area Chamber of Commerce , and others, with the aim to help businesses in identifying best practice and guidelines in their specific industry in reopening so that they may keep the public and their employees safe. It has been an extremely valuable resource that we continue to update and expand as additional questions and information are answered and made available. We have received wonderful support and thanks from numerous small businesses for this ongoing initiative. 

Lastly, we are working with the City of Bay City along with our state legislators on adjoining initiatives that will allow for expanded outdoor seating for restaurants within our downtown and entertainment districts. Through creating social zones and parklets, food and beverage establishments can increase their capacity and physical footprint. When restaurants are able to reopen beginning at 12:01 am on June 8, 2020 according to the newly signed Executive Order 2020-110 , they will be able to increase the numbers of customers they serve while doing so safely. 

Happy reading and stay safe,

-Trevor Keyes, EDFP
President & CEO
Bay Future, Inc.
Featured Content
Announcing "Buy BC" Gift Card Stimulus Program
Bay Future, Inc. has been working collaboratively with the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce to fund and implement a gift card stimulus program. Read more here.



CALL TO ACTION!
Eligible businesses include those in the retail, restaurant, or service industry with a physical location in Bay County, Michigan. Businesses must first sign up to participate in the program.

In order to be guaranteed inclusion in the program, businesses must complete the two-step application before 12:00 pm Tuesday June 2, 2020.

  1. Businesses must sign up here
  2. Businesses will receive confirmation email, if they do not have a POS (Point of Sale) they will need to create one through a Gift Up account

Once businesses sign-up is complete, an announcement that the Buy BC program is open to the public for purchase and will continue to promote via social media. The program will end once the targeted amount of gift cards has been purchased.
Investor Spotlight
“We want to focus on opening as soon and as safely as possible--but that means recognizing that we must utilize best practices to be effective.” - Jim Barcia, Bay County Executive
Bay County Officials, the Bay County Health Department, the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, and Bay Future, Inc. have partnered together to develop a website to assist businesses in reopening, following the COVID-19 pandemic. This collaborative effort was created to provide useful information, tools, links and flyers to assist businesses in making important business decisions as they begin to reopen and re-engage with the public. The aim is to provide a one-stop-shop in guiding businesses and providing best practices while protecting the health and safety of community residents.

The site contains information such as preparedness and response plan templates, a COVID-19 Workplace Checklist & Guidance, specific information offered by industry, links to access to Personal Protective Equipment, and information regarding COVID Support & Events.

For more information visit www.ReopenBayCounty.com

Thank you to Bay County for your focus on safely reopening our local economy and for your investment in BFI!
Program Highlight
Michigan Work Share Program
Michigan’s Work Share program allows employers to restart their business and bring employees back from unemployment. Employers can bring employees back with reduced hours - while employees collect partial unemployment benefits to make up a portion of the lost wages. Employers can also retain their current workforce and are given the flexibility to choose which of their employees are part of a Work Share plan.
SizeUp

In a continued effort to support our local businesses throughout the region as they begin reopening, after the COVID-19 pandemic, we are excited to introduce "SizeUp." Our Region 5 Economic Development Partners have worked collaboratively on this initiative to provide SizeUp.

SizeUp is an intelligence tool that can provide small-medium sized businesses access to information that may assist them in being more competitive, efficient, and understanding the market they are operating.

SizeUp can help small business and entrepreneurs assess and adapt to the new challenges and new opportunities in this changing environment for business.
We look forward to providing you more information and access to this tool soon!
Great Lakes GiveBack