What has Changed with the CARES Act?
The measurements taken to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the US have caused an economic downturn that is dramatically affecting our country’s small businesses. While Congress was able to enact the CARES Act to provide emergency financial aid to those applied for one of its programs; unfortunately, it has now been reported that funding for these programs has been exhausted.
Luckily, our nation’s elected officials have passed new legislation with additional funding for these programs. In light of these developments, we recommend that if you have already applied for the Payment Protection Plan, and have not been funded, frequently check in with your bank for a status on your application. For those that have not yet applied, we highly recommend you contact your bank to submit your application now. If you do not have a bank or want to explore submitting another application as you have not heard back on the status of your application, the best place to start is SBA’s lender match site:
https://www.sba.gov/paycheckprotection/find
If you need more information regarding PPP, here is a link to SBA’s website:
https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/paycheck-protection-program-ppp
FAQ document on PPP and ensuring loan forgiveness is available in this Forbes article:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonynitti/2020/04/15/ten-things-we-need-to-know-about-paycheck-protection-program-loan-forgiveness/#6219c5443291
You can also review the U.S. Chamber’s guide here:
https://www.uschamber.com/report/covid-19-emergency-loans-small-business-guide
En español:
https://www.uschamber.com/sites/default/files/coronavirus_aid_spanish_3.31.20.pdf
Where is Florida in the Reopening Process?
On April 29th, Governor Ron DeSantis addressed the reopening of the state with the announcement of the “Safe. Smart. Step-by-Step.” plan for Florida’s Recovery. Phase 1 of the plan will begin on Monday, May 4th. However, it is important to note that excluded from this plan are Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties due to high numbers of COVID-19 cases. Any components of the plan are subject to the local governments allowing reopening in their areas. So, you should review your local government websites for guidance.
Details regarding Florida’s Phase 1 plans are available here:
https://thefloridachannel.org/wp-content/uploads/429GovPresentation.pdf
Miami-Dade County Website:
https://www.miamidade.gov/global/initiatives/coronavirus/home.page
Are There Any National Grant or Loan Programs I can Apply for?
Facebook Small Business Grants Program:
This program will provide $100 million in cash grants and ad credits for up to 30,000 eligible small businesses in 30 countries. Applications opened this week for Miami-Dade County and will continue to be open until May 8th, 2020. If you would like to apply or would simply like more information, you can click here:
https://www.facebook.com/business/grants
Restaurant Strong Fund:
Samuel Adams and the Greg Hill Foundation have also provided a program to 20 total states to aid the restaurant workers impacted by COVID-19. Florida is included and you can look at the qualifications below:
- Be a full-time employee with a minimum of 30 hours total per week, (can be multiple restaurants)
- Be employed for 3 months or longer at the same location
- Have worked in a restaurant, bar, café or nightclub located in one of the 20 states
- Submit the last two full-time pay stubs
Applications and more information are available at:
https://www.restaurantstrong.org/index.html
What Work-Related Resources are Available for me?
Florida Reemployment Assistance Program: If you have been laid off or sent home without pay for an extended period due to COVID-19, you may be eligible for the Florida Reemployment Assistance Program. This provides temporary wage replacement benefits to individuals who are out of work through factors out of their control. You can search more information on the program here.
Florida Short-Term Compensation: If you are an employer, the Short-Term Compensation Program is a voluntary program that is meant to help you maintain your business by reducing the weekly working hours during temporary slowdowns instead of temporarily laying off employees. More information is available here:
http://www.floridajobs.org/office-directory/division-of-workforce-services/reemployment-assistance-programs/short-time-compensation-program-for-employers
CareerSource South Florida: If you are a business owner, you can use the CareerSource South Florida administers programs to assist businesses with training needs and employees with re-employment. Contact CareerSource South Florida to learn more about its One-Stop services that may help you. More information is available here:
http://www.careersourcesfl.com/
