What's Inside:
- Latest Covid-19 Relief $ Available
- Women-Owned Business Resources
- Tech Center Client Shoutout
- SBDC Day - March 17th - Share your experiences!
- Upcoming Training Events & New Special Offer
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Key 2021 Covid Financial Support Programs |
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Loan and grant program highlights include:
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Paycheck Protection Program 2021 - SBA forgivable loan made through local banks to help businesses keep workforce employed. The application deadline is March 31st. New temporary eligibility rule: In order to reach the smallest businesses, SBA will offer PPP loans to businesses with fewer than 20 employees and sole proprietors only from Wednesday, February 24 through Wednesday, March 10, 2021.
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Employee Retention Tax Credits - Up to $14k per employee. Employers can claim up to 70% of total compensation expense per employee up to $7k per employee per quarter for Q1 and Q2 of 2021.
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SBA Debt Relief Program -New SBA Loans now thru September 2021 get their first 3 months of payments FREE (capped at $9,000 per month per borrower) made on your behalf. Existing SBA Loans may get additional months of FREE payments as well, based on additional criteria.
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From the book Dear Professor Einstein: Albert Einstein’s Letters to and from Children comes the following exchange between Einstein and a bright, witty South African girl named Tyfanny.
"I forgot to tell you, in my last letter, that I was a girl. I mean, I am a girl. I have always regretted this a great deal, but by now I have become more or less resigned to the fact. Anyway, I hate dresses and dances and all the kind of rot girls usually like...I hope you will not think any the less of me for being a girl!"
Einstein replied,
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We can say with much certainty that since Einstein's time, women have taken a very active and important role in our communities, businesses, and economy. Did you know that more than 11.6 million businesses are owned by women? These businesses generate more than $1.7 trillion in sales and employ over 9 million people.
How to Support Women-Owned Business During the Pandemic
Money is tight for many small businesses due to the impact of COVID-19.
Here are some ways you can help support women-owned businesses during this time:
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We’ll start with the most obvious option: Show support by shopping at women-owned businesses in your community.
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Promote them on social media – tag your favorite women-owned businesses on social media with something as simple as "Happy Women's Business Month to one of my Favorites!", or use hashtags like #BuyWomenOwned
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Invest in or donate to woman-owned companies – COVID-19 has created a threat to many small, woman-owned businesses, increasing the risk of these businesses shutting down. Investing in or donating to a startup business can help these women get the financial boost they need to keep going through this difficult time.
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Mentor other women – If you have the resources and expertise to do so, offer to provide mentorship for other women who may be interested in starting their own business.
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Send a supportive message – You may not have the financial means to shop, donate or invest right now, and that’s okay! A supportive message can go a long way to help someone who is experiencing a lot of difficulty and stress during this time.
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Women-Owned Business Resources |
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Your Kansas SBDC is a great resource for women business owners. Whether an existing business looking to grow sales or a start-up trying to get off the ground, we provide quality professional and personal care. A majority of our services come at no cost to the Client. Save yourself some time and frustration and Contact us today to get started.
SBA's 8(a) Program helps socially or economically disadvantaged business owners better access the market. Learn more here. Access the Kansas SBDC webinar library to learn more about the 8(a) Program here.
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Kansas SBDC Partners with Profit Mastery to Provide Free Financial Management Training for Small Business Owners
Profit Mastery is offering a 7-week virtual course starting Monday, March 22nd that will take attendees on a deep dive into topics including cash flow, financial gap analysis, price-volume costs, how to deal with banks, and much more. These classes will discuss the primary causes that lead businesses to fail and will assist attendees in creating an action plan for achieving and maintaining "fiscal fitness” for their business.
Usually priced at over $800 per ticket, this course is being offered at no cost to attendees as the Kansas SBDC will be covering all expenses.
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The Kansas SBDC Welcomes Tomasa Espino to our Team
The Kansas SBDC is excited to welcome Tomasa Espino! As the new Accounting Specialist for our central office in Topeka, Tomasa will be performing accounting review and oversight of Kansas SBDC finances. Fun fact, Tomasa was born in Wisconsin, also known as America's Dairyland! Welcome to the team!
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SBDC Day 2021 - March 17
SBDC Day is a national movement to share the successes of the nation's dreamers, innovators, and doers -- America's small business owners. Nearly 1,000 SBDC centers across the country and hundreds of thousands of clients will celebrate the small business community at large.
Join in on the #SBDCDAY Celebration!
Here are the ways you can share!
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Share how the SBDC has impacted your business. Use the hashtag #KSSBDC and #SBDCDay, or connect with the Kansas SBDC on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Visit our Facebook page on March 17th and share how the Kansas SBDC has helped! Share this post for a shoutout in a future post. You shout out, we shout out!
- Give your SBDC Consultant a shout-out! The Kansas SBDC has advisors all across Kansas who are dedicated to helping your small business succeed. Has your advisor made a difference in your business? Send them a quick note and reach out to say hello!
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Tune in to our Facebook page on March 17th and share our video on how the SBDC can help small businesses. For every small business that shares our video, we will give you a special shout-out on Facebook!
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Kansas SBDC Tech Center Client Shout Out |
“Encountering Innovation was a huge success for HCI Energy and helped us gain knowledge and leads into the military,” said Kevin Kowalik, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for HCI Energy. "Our experience with the SBDC was fantastic. We would highly recommend that all small businesses use their service.”
HCI first contacted the Kansas SBDC Tech Center in 2019 when they applied to present at the annual Encountering Innovation conference. Kansas SBDC advisors prepped the HCI team for Encountering Innovation and served as influencing advocates.
HCI Energy, located in Lenexa, Kansas, is an energy company founded by Ray Ansari that has taken a revolutionary approach to delivering reliable, renewable energy on demand. Their self-contained Hybrid Cube can power communities, military ops, disaster relief efforts, and many other important initiatives more effectively and at a lower cost.
The Kansas SBDC Tech Center works with business owners to help them run their existing businesses while expanding through research and development. For more information, contact us here.
To learn more about HCI Energy and their Hybrid Cube, check them out at www.hcienergy.com
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Upcoming Webinars and Virtual Events |
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Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration |
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Kansas Small Business Development Center
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Questions? Don't hesitate to contact our 7 day-a-week assistance line at (800) 949-7661 |
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