Sorry if any of this has been posted and I missed it, but:

Calmos Cafe posted on their FB page; in short, they are seeking supplemental funds to begin rebuilding.

La Villa issued the following statement:
Dear friends and beloved guests, thank you so much for your prayers, thoughts and support.
Family and staff are safe and are doing well.
St Martin people are strong, we'll rebuilt our beautiful island and reopen the restaurant as soon as possible.
We love you all !
Florence & Christophe

Hi. Perhaps you missed it before, but virtually every business could say they need funds to rebuild, so we are not listing those here. If people want to give to their favorite business, they can. Go directly to their home page or facebook page or contact the business directly.

What happened to the thought of a business having insurance to cover such losses?

Calmos said their structures were uninsurable.

I would imagine that's the case with many of those beach structures.

Calmos also packed everything not bolted down into shipping containers before the storm which I assume are safe. Their rickety building is mostly gone but their rebuilding most likely will not be nearly as costly as other operations on the island.

Then you plan accordingly by "self-insuring" yourself or your business.

Pretty hefty donation request of 180k € goal.

Calmos was really mostly a shed/shack. remaking that would not be costly. Perhaps they have visions of something less picnic-table-y

What ever happened to the idea of stockholders?

A business wants to raise money for whatever, they sell stock. Then they have stockholders (partial owners of the business).
Getting business capital via free and clear donations is a concept I just don't understand.

The other alternative for most businesses is to borrow money from a bank (a novel idea?).

That's a great idea. Borrowing money from a bank may be difficult because there is probably not enough collateral. Selling stock even in small businesses would require some sort of legal registration, I would think. Not sure about Dutch and French legal requirements. Could be drawn up as a sort of venture capital arrangement where someone provides seed money in return for % of business. The lender assumes some risk hoping for a larger reward. Not quite a stock deal but not just pleading for money.

JMHO

Thank you, Raspy.

I know this won't be a popular position to take, but as one who runs her own business and takes ownership of the good and the bad that entails, I'm right there with you loud and clear.

And then there's someone like Jeannie Gee, the grocery pre-stocking lady, who has temporarily lost her own business revenues, and what does she do? She uses her time and business acumen not to mention her big heart and love of her adopted island home, and sets up a source to donate to all the people her donation proceeds will allow who are in need of basic groceries for their families. Along with Samaritans Purse and other all encompassing charitable organizations, I will donate to that happily and as freely as I'm able.

And lest my thoughts be misinterpreted, I want all our island friends and businesses to come back stronger than before and for those who would choose to help them, kudos to all of you, but I'm for basic needs of everyday people first.<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

The question is were the building uninsurable or were the premiums too high for the insurance. Big difference between can’t get insurance or won’t buy insurance.

<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />
Once again Pat, you hit the nail on the head!!!

Amen to your last paragraph!

A smaller local independent restaurant near us wanted to expand. They have a loyal customer base and needed a minimal amount. They offered discounts and gift cards in exchange for people who chose to "invest" in this venture. It must have worked out as they are still in business, doing well and I have not heard of anyone unhappy or feeling they got ripped off.

Hey, if someone wants to give their last dollar to a business or a person, that is up to them but I do NOT get this GoFundMe for businesses who did not have insurance. Life is full of choices, sometimes you make good ones and sometimes you don't. If I make a bad choice, the last thing I would expect is for someone else to bail me out.

To each there own but I can (sadly) see a lot of disappointed people when this is all sorted out.

Once again, pat is spot on with her assessment as you are also.

Directed to no one in particular....

I'm not a big fan of the new GoFundMe mentality, but I have donated to three of those on the island. All three were businesses where we would have dropped a whole lot more, during our usual three week stay, than what I donated. All three were also funds that are doing more than just begging for help to rebuild their own businesses. These are folks who are offering free food to people who need it, are pitching in to help others who have lost everything, and who are more concerned with their staff than themselves.

I've always been a believer in personal responsibility, but I'm pretty sure nobody plans for the eye of a Cat 5 hurricane to hit their home. Even with insurance, recovery from that would be extremely difficult. I'm happy to help, even in a small way.

Agree, on several levels..

OR low interest government backed loans from banks to rebuild.

Wendell

French side offering 3% interest on loans no credit check...

Wow, that's hard to turn down!