$15K Checks Awarded To 2 Chester Borough Local Businesses

CHESTER, NJ — Two Chester Borough owner-operated businesses received a $15,000 grant from the Morris County Small Business Grant Program, as the Morris County Board of County Commissioners continues to assist businesses and nonprofits impacted by the pandemic.

Commissioners Stephen Shaw and Thomas Mastrangelo paid visits to Barbara Chupick, the owner of You're Not in Kansas Anymore, an upscale boutique, and Susan Nagel, the owner of Winky's Pet Boutique, both Perry Street businesses in Chester.

"Small businesses are the backbone of our local economy. As a small business owner, myself, I know how difficult it is running a successful small business in New Jersey. Two years of a pandemic made it that much more difficult," Shaw said.

Nagel stated that she has promoted the program to other Chester businesses and that she is aware that many have yet to apply. She has been running Winky's since 2007, and she recalls that during the pandemic, the streets of Chester, which are lined with small businesses, were deserted for months.

"We still have millions of dollars not yet committed. I encourage small business owners to apply. There is no cost, so there is nothing to lose. As Mrs. Chupick at You’re Not In Kansas Anymore explained to us, she applied regardless of the fact that she was told by others she would not qualify. She now has $15,000 to invest back into her business,” Shaw said.

The program, which was launched on Valentine's Day with the slogan "Morris County Loves Small Business," has received 550 applications to date, with 150 already approved and the majority of others still being reviewed.

The grant program was established by the Morris County Board of County Commissioners using pandemic relief funds provided by the American Rescue Plan Act.

The Small Business Grant Program eligibility requirements include, but are not limited to:

• Business has 25 or fewer full-time employees (or equivalent)
• In operation since Jan. 1, 2019
• Located within Morris County
• Less than $5 million in sales/revenue
• Proof of a decline in sales/increased expenses due to the COVID-19 pandemic

To apply, go to morriscountysmallbusinessgrant.com.