$2 Trillion COVID-19 Emergency Package Passes in U.S. Senate
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On Wednesday evening 3/25/2020 the U.S. Senate passed an expanded version of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
The bill provides more than $2 trillion for workers, small business, and industries impacted in recent weeks by the virus.
Highlights
- Small and medium businesses with fewer than 500 workers will be able to apply for government-backed, forgivable ["paycheck protection"] loans to cover the costs of their workers’ wages, as well as some other business expenses such as rent, up to a maximum of $10 million.
- If companies lay off workers, however, parts of the loan will not be forgiven.
- For workers who still lose their jobs, the bill offers additional support to unemployment programs.
- It creates a special Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program that will expand coverage to the self-employed, independent contractors and people with limited work history, who typically are iced out of the benefit.
- The wide-reaching bill includes a $1,200 one-time check for individuals who make up to $75,000. That amount would scale down until it reached an annual income threshold of $99,000, where it would phase out altogether.
- [It would also] defer federal student loan payments through Sept. 30, 2020,
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Report your Economic Injury and Ask Questions
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- Humboldt County: The Office of Emergency Services is asking business owners to report their losses early and often at the Emergency Services Economic Injury Survey. Call the Humboldt County OES COVID 19 Business Information Line at (707) 268-2527 to be directed to support. To find out if your business is "essential" read section 9.h. of the Shelter in Place order. Stay tuned for an email address or phone number coming soon if you need to ask questions about how to comply with guidelines for hygiene and safety.
- Del Norte County: The Crescent City / Del Norte Chamber of Commerce is working with the City and County to contact all Del Norte businesses over the next few days to see what help they need and how they're impacted. Del Norte businesses should sign up for the County email listserv to receive regular updates. Step 1: email bizhelp-subscribe@lists.crescentcity.org asking to subscribe. Step 2: reply to auto-confirmation email you receive back.
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Hiring Help
Layoff Help
- Email layoffhelp@northcoastsbdc.org to (1) talk with a SBDC business advisor about how to decide or plan layoffs, (2) access a Rapid Response layoff event to help your employees connect to services while unemployed.
- Keep staff on the payroll but reduce their hours. Visit the EDD web site to apply for CA Work-Share Program, allowing your employees to receive Unemployment Insurance to compensate for reduced hours.
- Employers and Employees: sign up for the first Multi-Employer/Employee Virtual Layoff Help Event on Friday, April 3rd 10-11:30 am. (Humboldt County only - In Del Norte, please contact Del Norte Workforce Center for help.)
- Employers affected by closure or lay offs please complete and send the Laid-off Employee Roll Sheet immediately so your employees can access special services through the Dislocated Worker Program. Send it to dangela@thesmartcenter.biz and cc layoffhelp@northcoastsbdc.org. Direct questions about dislocated worker services to: Angela Dennis, Program Supervisor, Smart Business Resource Center, Eureka, O: 707.382.3414
Webinars
- Employees: Getting Through Coronavirus: Dealing with (Un)Employment Issues. CalMatters Webinar on Thursday March 26, 1-2 pm. You and your employees can register here.
- Coronavirus at Work: Practical & Legal Considerations. Jennifer Shaw of Shaw Law Group discusses the key employment law issues COVID-19 poses at work. On Friday, March 27, 9 - 10:30 am. Register here.
- Support for Employers in Crisis. North Coast SBDC "Surviving Together" Webinar Series # 3 on Friday, March 27 12-1 pm. Register here by 11 am on the day of the webinar to receive your Zoom login link.
County
State
- CA Governor suspends 60-day WARN notice requirement for *some* businesses. Read FAQ here.
- Reminder: you can request 60 day extension of state payroll tax reporting and payments. Call EDD for help: 1-888-745-3886
Federal
- In case you missed it, click here for March 20th announcement that small and midsize employers can begin taking advantage of two new refundable payroll tax credits, designed to immediately and fully reimburse them, dollar-for-dollar, for the cost of providing Coronavirus-related leave to their employees.
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New! Short Tutorial
- A 12 minute video taking business owners through the basics of the SBA Disaster Loan Application... step by step.
- Un video de 12 minutos que muestra--paso a paso--cómo completar la solicitud de préstamo por desastre para la Administración de Pequeñas Empresas
Recorded Webinars
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Fund-raisers & Grant Programs
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North Coast SBDC Center Service Continuity
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Get Answers
to Frequently Asked Questions About COVID-19
for your business
here
and download the California SBDC's COVID-19 Survival Guide for Small Business
here
.
Get confidential layoff or closure help
... manage and support your employees during forced closures or layoffs emailing
layoffhelp@northcoastsbdc.org
or calling (707) 445-9720
Get confidential management or finance help
... figure out how to maximize income, reduce expenses, apply for disaster funding and more by signing up to speak with a business advisor at
northcoastsbdc.org/apply
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Is the Center headquarters open?
The office is closed BUT your North Coast SBDC team is working from home during our Shelter in Place order. Please call 707-445-9720 or email admin@northcoastsbdc.org instead. Visit the
North Coast SBDC Service Continuity Update page
to understand how we are handling your needs and questions.
Also, please be aware that staff are working at top intensity to respond to increased demand during the crisis so please start by accessing the resources above to see if we've already answered your question.
Is my workshop still running?
Probably. Most of our workshops through May are
still on
and are being offered virtually via Zoom. Register for the workshops you want to attend
northcoastsbdc.org/calendar
and we will send you login instructions. You'll need a computer, decent Internet speed, and ideally a separate phone. The workshops that require a high level of interaction and/or computer labs will be postponed.
Can I still meet with my business advisor?
Yes. Our advisors are independent contractors so we leave it up to you two to decide where and how to meet. Many of our advisors are prepared to meet with you by phone and/or videoconference to make sure you continue to get the help you need.
How do I use Zoom to access services virtually?
Zoom is the videoconferencing services we're using to deliver our workshops live. Most of our business advisors are also using to be in communication with you. It's flexible--can be used as a phone service, a videoconference service, to share views of what's on your computer so you can look at financial statements together, etc.
Please make sure that you have downloaded and installed the
Zoom
program
on your computer in advance. It’s fairly fast and easy, but does take a few minutes.
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North Coast Small Business Development Center
Humboldt: (707) 445-9720 | Del Norte: (707) 464-2168
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North Coast SBDC Learning Programs also generously funded by:
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