The Town responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with financial support for businesses and with waivers that made it easier to put up temporary signage, offer day care in commercial zones, and conduct outdoor business activities. These waivers have expired, but the Town's — and Fairfax County's — commitment to supporting our businesses is ongoing. The expansion of outdoor dining in Vienna is now a permanent feature, and sources of financial and technical support remain available.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Vienna Town Council temporarily waived zoning regulations on outdoor dining. The council later approved a change to Town regulations to permanently expand the outdoor dining options available to businesses.
The new regulations simplify the approval process for permanent and seasonal outdoor dining while setting clear standards for number of seats, operating hours, and distance from residentially zoned and utilized properties.
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Fairfax THRIVE
In early 2023, Fairfax County, in partnership with the Latino Economic Development Center, will roll out Fairfax THRIVE, its third small business support program in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The program will provide eligible small companies with business counseling and consulting services to help them address economic conditions, consumer shifts, and business goals.
THRIVE is a follow-up to Fairfax County's 2020 RISE program (which provided $2.76 million in grants to more than 250 Town of Vienna businesses and nonprofits) and its 2021 Pivot program (which supplied $790,000 to 62 Vienna businesses and nonprofits). The Town of Vienna contributed $1 million of its CARES Act funding to RISE.
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Fairfax Founders Fund
Fairfax County announced the Fairfax Founders Fund (FFF), a grant and technical assistance program providing funds to early-stage Fairfax County-based startups, will begin accepting applications on April 10. FFF will provide up to $50,000 in capital to help start-ups develop their business and prepare for later-stage investment. It is designed for early stage, high-growth trajectory companies seeking investment to develop.
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The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic underscored the need for every business to plan ahead for an emergency, whether that is a pandemic or a disaster of a different sort. The Small Business Administration and the Health Action Alliance provide guidance on how to create emergency plans.
Is your business still being impacted by COVID-19? Do you want to be more prepared for the next crisis? We can connect you to resources for financing, business recovery, emergency planning, and more.
