There s never been a better time to support small businesses. Thanks to the kindness and support from TikTok users from wide and far, a small-town candy shop in New York is feeling the love. and working hard to pack a
ton of new orders.
Jessica Stevenson is the owner and founder of Hello, Sweets Candy and Pop Shop in Tonawanda, New York. For the past few months, she s taken her business to TikTok, showing off the store s unique and retro inventory, and showing viewers how she packs orders for online customers. But earlier this week, the candy shop s account went viral, and TikTok users racked up 184 online orders that basically sold out Stevenson s entire shop.
The $5,000 Kwilos Farms in Angola received helped it cover a bill on equipment and tubing for its maple syrup operation. Pete -n- Paul s Pockets in South Buffalo got $20,000 to cover payroll after nine lean months in the restaurant business. And the $25,000 grant received by Angels at Heart Senior Care in Tonawanda went to payroll and personal protective equipment costs for its 20 employees.
They re some of the 1,399 companies in Erie County that shared $19.2 million in Back to Business grants earlier this month using funds from the federal CARES Act. The program distributed awards from $2,500 to $45,000 with the aim of helping small businesses survive through the pandemic. During the three-week grant application period, the county received 5,000 requests asking for more than $95 million in funding.