Their businesses are filled with water or no longer standing. Costly computer systems - ruined.
Important records are soggy clumps of paper.
Bills are mounting up and soon, creditors will be calling. Some of the state's most seasoned business counselors are already in the state's hardest hit areas to help and more are on the way as part of the N.C. Commerce Department's Business Assistance Recovery Program. The help centers are staffed mainly by employees of the state's 16 Small Business Technology and Development Centers, a business development service of the N.C. university system. Counselors will also travel to nearly two dozen community colleges in the affected areas to meet with business owners who can't get to one of the centers. He expects to spend most of his time telling business owners how to assess damage, reconstruct financial records, deal with creditors and prepare disaster loan applications.