It’s going to be easier now for small businesses to get some help so they can survive today’s mean streets of B.C.
Instead of requiring businesses to file an insurance claim for damages caused by street vandalism, operators now only have to give their insurance company’s name and their policy number when they apply to the Securing Small Business Rebate Program.
The program helps business by paying up to $2,000 to cover the cost of repairs caused by vandalism and another $1,000 for costs incurred to prevent vandalism.
Previously, business owners had to file an insurance claim with their own insurance company as part of the rebate application process.
Business operators however, such as Doug Gibbs, who operates Doug’s Eyecare Optical in North Delta, pointed out that would cause insurance premiums to increase. Instead, he just paid the costs of two vandalism incidents his business suffered up front.
“Our goal is to get the money out the door and in the pockets of our hard-working small business owners, so we are taking action on the issues being raised and taking steps to make changes to the application process,” Brenda Bailey, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development, and Innovation said in a release on Tuesday
Other changes include allowing businesses to install their own anti-vandalism measures, though they’ll be reimbursed for the equipment only.
And neither will businesses have to prove there’s vandalism in their area if they’re applying for the preventative rebate.
The ministry is also extending the deadline for applying to 2025 when the program ends.
The program is offered through the BC Chamber of Commerce website. The chamber is now making those changes which come into effect in the coming weeks.
“When I became aware of the challenges some businesses were having in applying for the program, I immediately connected with the BC Chamber of Commerce and small business owners to hear their concerns,” Bailey said.
According to the ministry, a total of 437 applications for vandalism rebates have been filed and 105 rebates have been paid, for a total of $105,633.
The government has allocated $10.5 million to the program.
