The flooding Minnesota River closed his business for several weeks. Windschitl spent thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours fighting flood waters. The money and time were resources he normally would have used to build business. One group which is trying to help businesses bridge the time gap to federal loans is the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. Chamber president David Olson says the group is raising money they'll distribute directly to businesses to assist their flood recovery.
Many business owners say something's missing in the federal disaster relief package.
An official with the federal Small Business Administration says that's a complaint he's heard before. The SBA's Herb Mitchell says current policy does not provide cash grants to businesses. Mitchell says thousands of businesses have applied for disaster loans. Major funding for Minnesota Public Radio's regional Internet activities is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.