At Think Local First D.C., I saw firsthand the way in which the lives of small business owners were upended by the stay-at-home orders first announced in spring 2020.
Entrepreneurs and family-owned businesses that previously didn’t have to rely on digital acumen to thrive lacked the tools to transition their businesses to our new virtual world. To make matters worse, assistance such as the Paycheck Protection Program required the very digital knowhow they lacked as a prerequisite for accessing resources. This persistent digital literacy gap can only be addressed by ensuring all District residents have the education and access they need to participate in the digital economy.
For many of those that got the training they needed to secure assistance during the darkest days of the pandemic, getting online remained an issue. Internet access across the District is inconsistent; we have members who continually struggle with connectivity issues. This situation makes processing credit card payments…
Read the full story from the Washington Business Journal.
