Free Resources for Small Businesses
Businesses and organizations across the country are seeking to provide resources to small businesses during this time. These resources fulfill a variety of needs - ranging from educational webinars to grant programs and free business tools. View our list below to see some tools that are currently available.
FREE VIRTUAL SESSIONS: Offered by Zing Collaborative
Staying Grounded when the Ground Feels Shaky
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
12:00 PM 1:00 PM
Register by 9 am on Wednesday, May 6

During this session, we’ll talk about how to stay grounded when the ground feels shaky. Specifically, we’ll explore how to name, acknowledge, and talk about our current reality; how to consciously rebuild and redesign as we emerge from it; how to connect to small things each day that help us to feel our best; how to notice our triggers; and how to focus on the things that we can control.


Now What? Creating from Unexpected Changes
Friday, May 8, 2020
12:00 PM 1:00 PM
Register by 9 am on Friday, May 8

If you have experienced sudden changes - job loss, furlough, reduced hours, layoffs - or partners/loved ones navigating any of these things - you are not alone. During this session, we will explore how to:
  • honor and acknowledge the reality that we are in
  • explore how to create from it - through long term visioning and short term planning
  • hold the reality of ‘shelter’ (paying the bills, putting food on the table) with the desire for ‘poetry’ (doing something that brings us joy and creates meaning)
  • take tactical next steps related to resume, LinkedIn, and looking at what’s next
Looking to take Your Products Online?
eBay Launches “Up and Running”
The new program was created to help new small businesses transitioning to e-commerce through the COVID-19 crisis.  The program is a pledge of up to $100 million in support for small businesses across North America.
The program includes:
  • Free basic eBay store subscription and waive selling fees for 3 months
  • 500 free listings
  • Guidance and resources needed to run business on eBay

WEBINARS: Selling Your Products on Amazon
For businesses looking to take their wares onto Amazon, the e-commerce giant is offering a variety of webinars to help you with that process. A few upcoming webinars include:
  • How To Become A Seller On The Amazon Business Market Place
  • Brand Registry
  • Responding to Feedback

For the full list of Amazon webinars, visit here .
Hello Alice Grant Funding
Apply for grants up to $50,000 to support business growth, including $10,000 emergency COVID-19 Business for All Grants to help small businesses in crisis. Join leaders such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Kristen Bell, Lisa Price, and Zaw Thet to empower every American with an entrepreneurial spirit.
Updates on the PPP and EIDL Programs
Paycheck Protection Program
The Small Business Administration (SBA) resumed accepting PPP loan applications this week from approved lenders on behalf of any eligible borrower.

The SBA has updated  FAQs  for the program and provided specifics on  calculating maximum loan amounts by business type .

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin and U.S. Small Business Administrator Jovita Carranza issued a statement this week that: “To further ensure PPP loans are limited to eligible borrowers, the SBA has decided, in consultation with the Department of the Treasury, that it will review all loans in excess of $2 million, in addition to other loans as appropriate, following the lender’s submission of the borrower’s loan forgiveness application. Regulatory guidance implementing this procedure will be forthcoming."

Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL)
With the additional funding provided by the new COVID-19 relief package, the SBA will resume processing EIDL Loan and Advance applications that are already in the queue on a first-come, first-served basis. The SBA has not yet indicated when the portal will reopen for new applications.
MPL Virtual Library Card
Madison Public Library is offering online access to their resources, including ReferenceUSA. It is available to anyone in Dane, Green, Sauk, Columbia, Adams, Portage and Woods counties. If you are taking some time to focus on your business plan or pivot, these resources can be a great place to learn more about your market.
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.