“The COVID-19 pandemic has required many storefront businesses that are used to relying on foot traffic and in-person transactions to quickly shift to a more virtual business model. This can be an overwhelming and expensive proposition at a moment when business owners are short on both money and time,” said NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan, who serves as a Co-Chair of New Jersey’s COVID-19 Restart and Recovery Advisory Council. “The three agencies we have contracted have the expertise to help businesses quickly and confidently pivot to a model that will allow them to remain viable while keeping their customers and employees safe.”In May 2020, Governor Murphy established the Restart and Recovery Commission to guide New Jersey’s recovery from the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the most pressing concerns the Commission identified is small businesses’ need for assistance transitioning in-person activities to a digital space that is safer for businesses owners, employees, and customers.

Drawing on the Commission’s insights, the NJEDA crafted the Ecommerce Technical Assistance Program to provide a variety of services for businesses, from designing and implementing electronic systems for placing orders, processing payments, and booking appointments to training business owners and staff to effectively use and maintain these new ecommerce tools. In addition to supporting clients who fill out the NJEDA’s intake form, the marketing firms the NJEDA has contracted with for the Program are also required to seek out businesses to support.