Jan 13, 2021
PLAN FOR A BETTER YEAR
Analyze the latest insights from the professionals at Destination Analysts to see how your business may be affected by the travel industry in 2021. Watch the full presentation here or read the presentation deck.  
TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION UPDATES
The Continued Assistance for Unemployed Workers Act of 2020 (CAA) extends the unemployment benefits claim programs created under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Payments under this legislation are authorized for the payment week ending January 2, 2021. The act will provide up to 11 additional benefit weeks to Texans on Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC).

Key provisions of the act include:
  • The Dec 26, 2020 deadline for expiration of CARES Act benefits has been extended to March 13, 2021.
  • The legislation includes an extra $300 per week for eligible claimants who are unemployed and receiving benefits during the covered weeks.

The Restaurant Recovery Initiative provides for a series of videos that will share best practices to assist employers in adapting jobs to remote and contactless operations and in taking advantage of new service delivery trends. Additionally, this initiative sets aside up to $500,000 for course instruction and testing for food handler permits and Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) certifications.
 
The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) has extended payment deadlines for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd quarters of 2020, to March 1, 2021, to match the 4th quarter 2020 bills for designated reimbursing employers that are required to pay a share of unemployment benefits.
PANDEMIC RELIEF INFORMATION AND RESOURCES
In yesterday's Monday Morning Memo, we shared that the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) would reopen this week. As part of the COVID-19 relief package signed into law at the end of 2020, $284 billion of funding was allocated to the Small Business Administration (SBA) for the PPP loan program.

To make it easy for you to access the application and find the information you need, we wanted to share some important links. Applications must be submitted through a regional or community bank, Farm Credit System lender, credit union, fintech, community development financial institution (CDFI), or minority depository institutions (MDI), so it is imperative you work with one of these lenders to access PPP funds.
Updated First Draw Forms
Second Draw Forms
Guidance & Resources

For more information and updates, visit SBA.gov/PPP or Treasury.gov/CARES. We hope this information helps you in accessing the information you need, and we look forward to continuing to provide helpful resources and tools to keep Abilene's businesses operating and successful!
LABOR MARKET INFORMATION
Source: WorkInTexas.com
CONNECT ABILENE COMMUNITY SURVEY
The City of Abilene is currently updating its Comprehensive Plan. This document helps the City set priorities for infrastructure and other improvements over the next 5 to 10 years. Help us make Abilene an even better place to live, work, and play. As a concerned citizen, the City takes your views very seriously. Please take some time to answer this survey and help guide future decisions. Your answers will remain anonymous. The survey will take approximately 20 minutes.
WHAT WE'RE READING

World's First Commercial Space Station to be Built in Texas

The world's first commercial space station will be built in Texas.
Houston mayor Sylvester Turner revealed at a December 22 briefing that the Houston Spaceport and Axiom Space would partner on the out-of-this-world endeavor.



Abilene universities return to campus with more COVID-19 guidelines in place

Students at Abilene Christian University and Hardin-Simmons University are back in the classroom Tuesday for the first time since Thanksgiving. McMurry University doesn’t start for another week, but soon enough students there will be shuffling back to campus, ready for a new semester.
You don't want to miss these upcoming event for
your business.

JAN 13 INTRODUCTION TO GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING The Federal Government spends over half of a trillion dollars on goods and services each year. States and local governments spend 1.5 trillion dollars on goods and services cumulatively each year. This webinar covers the basics of doing business in the public sector at all levels. Register here.

JAN 14 UPDATES ON PPP LOAN AND EIDL PROGRAM Join SBDC CARES Act Coordinator, Kenny Heaton as he covers the basics of what is required to qualify and apply for the PPP loans plus, the extension of the EIDL program. Register here.

JAN 26 CYPERSECURITY FOR SMALL BUSINESSES: THE FUNDAMENTALS This "Cybersecurity for small business: The Fundamentals" webinar is intended to share the "how to's" of cybersecurity as recommended by NIST, the National Institute of Standards and Technology. You, your team, company or community group will learn the steps for understanding cybersecurity, the risks and steps to mitigate them. Presented by SBDC Business Counselor, Manzel McGhee and CARES Act Coordinator, Kenny Heaton. Register here.

JAN 26 SBA SURETY BOND GUARANTEE PROGRAM WEBINAR We would like to invite you to attend our upcoming Surety Bond Guarantee Program Webinar that will be held Tuesday, January 26, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. This one hour webinar will cover details regarding our SBA Surety Bond Guarantee Program and how it can help small contractors and subcontractors obtain bonding on reasonable terms. Please click here to join the meeting.