Business News for October 13, 2020 |
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Today's message includes the following news and online courses:
- News and Updates
- We're All In Grants, Phase 2
- COVID Response Guide Now Available in Spanish, Plus Upcoming Webinar
- Simplified PPP Forgiveness Process for Loans Below $50K
- Judge Denies Lawsuit to Block Wisconsin's Mask Mandate
- Legal Concerns for Managing a Remote Team
- Upcoming Learning Opportunities
- Cash is King: Understanding Cash Flow During COVID and Beyond
- HR for Non-HR Professionals
- Skills for Conflict & Negotiation (10% off link below!)
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We're All In Grants, Phase 2
Applications open 8 am on Monday, October 19
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WEDC will distribute an additional $50 million to small businesses hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic in the second round of We’re All In Small Business Grants, which open for applications Oct. 19. The first phase of the program provided more than $65 million in grants to more than 26,000 businesses statewide this past summer. The new round aims to provide grants of $5,000 each to 10,000 additional Wisconsin small businesses.
To be eligible for the second round of We’re All In Grants, an applicant must:
- be a Wisconsin-based, for-profit business;
- in 2019, have 75% or more of company labor costs in Wisconsin and 75% of their assets in Wisconsin;
- earn more than $0 and less than $1 million in annual revenues (gross sales and receipts);
- have had 1 to 50 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees in 2019;
- have started operating prior to Jan. 1, 2020 (seasonal businesses should use the highest total FTEs employed during the season); and
- have filed their 2019 taxes.
Key Points to Know
- Have your 2019 federal tax return and NAICS ready when applying.
- You MAY apply for Phase 2 if you previously applied for Phase 1 (even if you received a grant in Phase 1)
- These grants are considered taxable income
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COVID Response Guide Now Available in Spanish
Plus upcoming SBA webinar on how to make the most of the guide
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Our Navigating the New Normal guide - written for small businesses during COVID-19 - is now also available in Spanish! This guide is intended to be used as workbook to help you return to your business planning foundation in response to the constantly changing conditions of COVID-19.
Users can download either version of the guide by completing the form on our website. The welcome email will include download links to both versions.
Webinar
In addition, if you are interested in learning more about how to use this guide, you can join us for a FREE SBA webinar session [in English], where we will help you learn how to make the most of this interactive tool to regain some structure in this unprecedented time.
Wed, October 21, 2020
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM CDT
Small Groups through WWBIC
In addition, WWBIC is facilitating small-group discussions using our guide as a tool. Contact Business Resource Coach Sarah Mullins to join a group!
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Simpler PPP Forgiveness Process for Loans Below $50K |
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The U.S. Small Business Administration, in consultation with the Treasury Department has released a simpler loan forgiveness application for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans of $50,000 or less. The SBA and Treasury have also eased the burden on PPP lenders, allowing lenders to process forgiveness applications more swiftly.
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Click here to view the simpler loan forgiveness application.
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Click here to view the instructions for completing the simpler loan forgiveness application.
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Click here to view the Interim Final Rule on the simpler forgiveness process for loans of $50,000 or less.
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Judge Denies Lawsuit to Block Wisconsin's Mask Mandate |
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The statewide mask mandate is here to stay - at least for now. In August, the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL), of Milwaukee, filed a lawsuit against Gov. Tony Evers, alleging he violated state law by declaring a second public health emergency on July 30. WILL contended state law forbids a governor from unilaterally extending a public health emergency beyond 60 days or skirting the law by declaring multiple 60-day emergencies for the same crisis.
On Monday, Judge Michael Waterman of the St. Croix County Circuit Court denied the group's temporary injunction lawsuit, writing the plaintiffs' requested injunction "goes well beyond their private interests."
The current order is set to expire on November 21, 2020.
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Legal Concerns for Managing a Remote Team
How remote work can impact human resource requirements
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For many organizations, remote work is still fairly new. While teams may have figured out some of the day-to-day procedures, there are still larger considerations, such as:
- Managing Both Exempt and Non-Exempt Workers Remotely
- Handling COVID-Related Leave Requests
- Complying with Mandatory Posting and Notification Laws
- Conducting Harassment Training
Unfamiliar with HR regulations? Learn commonly broken HR laws and other key concepts for small businesses in our HR Basics for Non-HR Professionals course, October 22 & 23.
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Upcoming Learning Opportunities |
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Cash is King: Understanding Cash Flow During COVID and Beyond
October 20, 2020 - no cost
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Cash is the lifeforce of your business, and being able to control your cash flow is one significant way you can take some of the uncertainty out of running your business. This free, interactive webinar will provide you with a tool to help you forecast and plan your business cash flow, and the program instructor will walk you step-by-step how to use it.
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HR Basics for Non-HR Professionals
Starts October 22, 2020
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If you are a business owner or manager of a small business without a dedicated HR expert on your staff, this is the program for your organization. This mini series of two half-day classes is directed toward small businesses and the HR issues they face. One class will include the laws most often violated (unknowingly) by Small Businesses (according to the Small Business Administration) and provide information on how to prevent these violations. The second class will focus on common issues encountered when working with employees.
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Skills for Conflict and Negotiation
October 27, 2020 - Use link below for 10% off!
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In the time of COVID, when many teams are working remotely, there can be more opportunities for miscommunication and a heightened level of stress and uncertainty. Given this environment, conflict becomes a regular piece of the leadership puzzle. Yet it does not need to be a negative experience. In this class, you will learn how to turn conflict into collaborations and reach win-win resolutions that can deepen relationships, build trust and reach more creative solutions.
Learning how to reach beyond the impasse and find solutions that work is one of the best tools that leaders can use.
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Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact the UW-Madison SBDC office at sbdc@bus.wisc.edu or 608-263-2221 to request accommodations.
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