*NEW* Cashless Establishments – Effective November 19, 2020, cashless establishments are prohibited in NYC. Food Stores and Retail Establishments are covered under this law. It will be unlawful for these businesses to refuse to accept cash payments, unless:
- Cash bills are denominated above $20; or
- Cash is received for any telephone, mail, or internet-based transaction
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NEW* New Deadlines from the State Liquor Authority - Earlier in the month, the State Liquor Authority issued an advisory that creates new deadlines for submitting alcoholic beverage license renewal applications. You must now file your license renewal with SLA at least seven days before your license is set to expire. This requirement begins on November 1. Click here to read the full advisory.
*NEW* Open Storefronts Plan Announced - NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced the new Open Storefronts Plan. The Open Storefronts program assists existing ground-floor storefront businesses who want to use outdoor areas on a temporary basis. The program will be available October 30 to December 31, 2020. Click here to learn more and apply.
*REMINDER* NYS Halloween Guidance - The NYS Department of Health has published guidance to for New Yorkers to make informed decision on which activities are safe for them. The guidance include a list of simple “Do’s” and “Don’ts” and is available at this link.
COVID-19 Business Recovery Survey Results - We recently published the results of our COVID-19 Business Recovery Survey which was released to help us get a further understanding of your business or organization's recovery efforts and the challenges you anticipate as we continue to reopen LIC. Take a look at the results here.
LISC NYC Small Business Relief & Recovery Fund – This Fund will provide direct grants of $10,000 to New York City minority-owned small businesses that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to support their recovery. Awardees can use funds for payroll, rent, marketing, overhead, cost of technology, employee training, or related costs. Businesses applying for funds must meet these requirements:
- Located in New York City
- Minority-owned
- Have 20 or fewer employees
- Have an annual revenue of less than $500,000.
Reopening Checklist - Our COVID-19: Reopening Checklist is a tool for businesses to use as NYC continues reopening. There are important forms to fill out prior to reopening and this checklist will help cover your bases. Click here to download the checklist.
