Creativity will Help Businesses Ultimately Succeed
As you have likely heard in the news, additional funding has been provided for the Paycheck Protection Program and the SBA EIDL Program (information below). We are hopeful that our clients will be able to receive additional funding through these programs to help support the day-to-day operations of their businesses.

While various government programs can help provide some of the hold-over funds to keep businesses viable, it is ultimately planning, resilience, flexibility, and creativity that will help keep small businesses afloat during this time. We wanted to continue to share a few examples of local small businesses who have shown creativity when their business model was disrupted.

Experiences for Families
While the December holidays were months ago, some families have recognized the value of "the Christmas spirit" in our current times of uncertainty and have put their holiday lights back up. In this vein, SBDC client Traditions Specialty Lighting has developed the 1st Annual Flight of Lights , presented by the  Dane County Regional Airport .

This free, drive-through light display seeks to provide an opportunity for families to participate in an activity together and to thank the many essential workers who are keeping the public safe and provided for during this time.


Helping Others
Even if your business is not able to be open during this time, there could be an opportunity to strengthen your brand and connect with your customers through community support.

Wodbottom keeps strengthening their message of women's empowerment by continuing to share some of the proceeds of their sales to Domestic Abuse Intervention Services (DAIS) in Dane County during a time of great need.

Curated Care Packages
With graduations, Mother's Day, birthdays, baby showers, and many other causes for celebration that often occur in the spring, a number of savvy businesses have provided curated care packages for their customers looking to share their love of local goods.

A Vacation for Your Palette
Opportunities to travel are few and far between right now, but Nineteen 09 in Cross Plains has provided customers the opportunity take their tastebuds (and their imaginations!) to Buena Vista Winery for a virtual wine tasting - complete with a hosted tasting experience. This virtual wine tasting demonstrates the opportunities a small business can have to provide their clients with experiences to share with their loved ones - even in the comfort of their own homes.

We are proud to work with so many creative small businesses and to take this opportunity to share some of their ideas with you as we head into the weekend.
Additional Funds Added into the Paycheck Protection Program and SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL)
President Donald Trump signed an interim coronavirus bill into law today (April 24, 2020) that provides additional funding for small-business, including:

With this additional funding, the Small Business Administration will resume accepting PPP loan applications (interested applicants should still apply through their local banks) on Monday, morning, April 27. This reopening date will ensure that the SBA has properly coded the system to account for changes made by the legislation , as indicated in some of the recently updated FAQs.

Independent Contractor's Guide to CARES Act Relief
If you are an independent contractor or self-employed, you may be eligible for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans/grants, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), and/or Unemployment Compensation for losses of income related to the coronavirus pandemic. This guide, put together by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, will provide you with additional information.

The Wisconsin SBDC Network is a proud part of the  Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship  in the  University of Wisconsin System . It is funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the  U.S. Small Business Administration.