Culpeper Star-Exponent | Virginia 30-Day Fund: a lifeline for Culpeper small businesses

Several small businesses in Culpeper recently received a needed, immediate financial boost from a fellow Virginia business owner concerned about helping his colleagues through the COVID-19 crisis.

Technology entrepreneur Pete Snyder, of Charlottesville, co-founded the Virginia 30-Day Fund two months ago with his wife, Burson, to save jobs and provide hope in a time of illness, death and drastic economic stress due to public health restrictions.

Since forming, the privately-backed Fund has awarded forgivable loans, swiftly granted, of up to $3,000 to 111 small businesses and counting across Virginia.

“We’re at war—a health and economic war,” Snyder said in a phone conversation Wednesday. “It’s an economic war on Main Street.”

A self-described “serial entrepreneur,” he said half of small businesses only have two weeks’ worth of cash on hand should something—like a global pandemic—go wrong.

“Most businesses will die,” Snyder said, adding the 30-Day Fund aims to “Get them through this death valley.”

Come out stronger

Culpeper business owner Shawn Moss, of the popular eatery Shawn’s Smokehouse BBQ, was appreciative to receive a grant through the program. Restaurants have been among the hardest hit by COVID-19 since the state ordered dining rooms closed more than a month ago to contain spread of the virus.

Moss divided the $3,000 he received from the Virginia 30-day Fund among his three restaurants—in Culpeper, Fredericksburg and Warrenton—to cover basic monthly expenses.

“We are holding up,” he said in a phone conversation on Wednesday. “Sales are down at least 50 percent, but we are still doing curbside pickup and delivery.”

Moss marveled at how supportive his Culpeper community has been. He mentioned a neighbor who walked across the street to give him an $800 check as pre-payment on meals for local frontline workers.

Backing the community has always been a touchstone for how Moss does business and the community has responded in turn, he said.

“Even through these tough times, the customers have showed up for us,” he said. “God has blessed us so far.”

Moss said they have been able to keep all of their staff working, including his two teenage children. He added he and his wife, Madga, are using the down time to spruce up their restaurants.

When they are able to reopen the dining area, Moss said, it will have fewer tables: “We’re going to focus a while on our carryout and delivery, make sure people can get in and out quick,” he said.

Moss is staying positive in spite of an unknown future.

“Instead of saying, why is this happening and getting upset, we said, let’s innovate, adapt, change and come out of this stronger and more efficient,” he said.