COVID-19 Resources
In these difficult times of uncertainty, the National Stationery Show has a list of resources available to help support your business. As additional new programs emerge, we will continue to update this page so be sure to check back often. If you have information or news that you think your fellow exhibitors or Retailers would benefit from, please email Paola at paola.payano@emeraldx.com
We recommend you contact your local governor's office for the latest on state specific assistance, resources and updates, as every US state & county is dealing with the Coronavirus differently. And don't forget to check in with local small business organizations and agencies.
During the coronavirus outbreak, there have been many attempts by scammers to deceive or mislead individuals and small business, in particular with regard to grant and loan programs. They try to take advantage of the current situation by delivering misinformation via phone, email, postal mail, text, or social media. You can learn more about these scams and how to protect yourself and report them here.
List of local Chambers of Commerce listed by state > / Local SBA office finder > / List of SCORE organizations by state >
The State Chamber of Commerce has created a list of resources and regularly-updated information for business owners in the state.
Employers facing potential closures or layoffs can request America’s Job Center of California Rapid Response Services for help in evaluating your business and employee situation.
Please be aware, in the state of NY, you can apply for NY grants & loans listed below in addition to the grants and loans offered as part of the federal stimulus package outlined in the next section.
The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development has put together a COVID-19 Business Resource guide that appears to be updated almost daily. There’s a list of contacts and resources that are available to assist affected businesses.
The city’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development has a comprehensive list of resources and updated information for business owners in the bay area. The city is rapidly instituting programs to help business owners. Follow @sfoewd on Twitter to keep up to date with the latest information.
Washington
The SeattleMet has an excellent list of resources for small business owners and employees in the metro area. Grants of up to $10,000 are available for businesses that make 80 percent (or less) of the area’s media income and have five or fewer employees. The business and occupation tax deadline has been extended, and there are deferred payment plans for utilities. There are plenty of other programs currently available in and around what is (at this point) the hardest-hit city in the U.S. Washington State is also offering no-interest loans for businesses that encounter cash flow problems. https://www.governor.wa.gov/news-media/special-covid-19-message-washington-state-businesses-and-workers-governor-jay-inslee
For support outside of the US, we found this website that shares the latest information of country specific government bailouts https://qz.com/1819776/here-are-the-coronavirus-bailouts-being-prepared-around-the-world/
Small Business Association (SBA) is offering low interest "Disaster Loans" to small businesses for up to $2 Million to help cover operating expenses like payroll, costs, debt, etc. For more info visit: https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance. You can find a regularly updated list of states where disaster assistance is being offered here.
SBA provides a number of loan resources for small businesses to utilize when operating their business. How to get access to lending partners? SBA has developed Lender Match, a free online referral tool that connects small businesses with participating SBA-approved lenders within 48 hours. For more information on loans or how to connect with a lender, visit: https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans.
For support outside of the US, visit this site for the latest information of country specific government bailouts
India
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry urges you to contact the Assistant Secretary General, Shobha Mishra Ghosh for assistance
France
To learn the latest of what your government is providing your business, they urge you to check the twitter account @ccifrance or visit https://www.cci.fr/coronavirus-entreprise
United Kingdom
In the UK, your business can get advice and financial help from government with backed grants and loans. Details can be found here. Federation of Small Businesses in the UK has also set up a Coronavirus hub.
Wales
Wales announced taking measures to support small businesses with £330bn in loans and £20bn in other aid. What you need to know for retail distribution.
The social media company announced $100 million in grants for small businesses in a blog post on March 17. Details have yet to be announced for what businesses are eligible for the grants. There is a sign-up link in the blog post to stay updated when details are released.
Microsoft Teams freemium
Enjoy unlimited chat, built-in group and one-on-one audio or video calling, 10 GB of team file storage and 2 GB of personal file storage per user. You also get real-time collaboration with the Office apps for web, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote.
PandaDoc
The document automation software for small and medium-sized businesses has launched a free e-signature plan to help businesses keep running while they switch to remote working. Free eSign is offering unlimited document uploads to collect eSignatures and payment processing.
Zoom Basic Plan
Host up to 100 participants in a meeting and hold unlimited one-on-one meetings with the video-conference provider’s complimentary plan. This does provide a 40-minute limit on group meetings, though you’re not limited to the number of meetings.
The deadline to pay your 2019 tax payments of up to $1million has been extended 90 days – to JULY 15! With that said, there has been no mention about the upcoming April 15, 2020 First Quarter Estimated Tax Deadline.
The federal government is working on a stimulus package that includes sending money to individuals to help us through this scary time.
Get the advice/ support from your local Small Business Association. Connect with a free local business counselor https://www.sba.gov/local-assistance/find/
Many banks are helping affected customers with credit line increases and collection forbearance. We recommend you contact your bank for specific details that pertain to you.
Urge your customers to buy products from you now or gift certificates to be redeemed at a later date. Kabbage, is spearheading this initiative, details can be found here: https://www.kabbage.com/helpsmallbusiness
Start that Pinterest Business Account up NOW if you haven't and if you have--generate MORE traffic by posting new images for older, better-performing pins!
Add photos and product categories to your exhibitor console profile. Show NY NOW buyers that you are open for business!
Take the time to review and improve your on-boarding and follow up customer/client experience.
Plan your social media strategy a month in advance!
Get in front of the camera. Right now, humanity is desperate for connection, so you can build your community further by taking the time to show your face and give them a chance to interact with you. Once things return to some sort of normalcy, you'll still have that community there to support and sell to.
Take on passion projects. This will add to your portfolio and increase creativity by counteracting creative block and anxiety.
https://nrf.com/resources/retail-safety-and-security-tools/coronavirus-resources-retailers
https://www.retaildive.com/news/tracking-retails-response-to-the-coronavirus/574216/
https://retailtouchpoints.com/tag/coronavirus
https://nrf.com/resources/retail-safety-and-security-tools/coronavirus-resources-retailers
The Federal government announced on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 a $2 trillion dollar rescue package to confront the coronavirus pandemic: the largest economic stimulus measure in modern history.
$349 billion dollars has been issued in the form of emergency loans to help bridge expenses.
What you need to know if you are a Small business (1-499 employees):
Tax payment Delay:
Employee Retention Tax Credit:
The fine print to the Employee retention tax credit:
Paycheck Protection Program:
The fine print to the Paycheck Protection Program:
Debt Relief for Existing and New SBA Borrowers:
Provide debt relief to small businesses with standard SBA 7(a), 504, or microloans. SBA will cover principal and interest payments for six months.
The fine print to the CARES ACT Debt Relief:
Small businesses also qualify for the Emergency Economic Injury Loan & Grant ( EIDL):
The fine print to the EIDL:
What you need to know if you are a Mid-sized business (500-10K employees):
Tax payment delay:
The Employee retention tax credit:
The fine print to the Employee retention tax credit:
If you have a retail store regardless of the size of your company:
What this bill also means for your employees/contractors/part-time workers:
Sources:
CNN Staff, “What's in the $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill”, CNN, March 26, 2020, https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/25/politics/stimulus-package-details-coronavirus/index.html
Tankersley, Jim, “A $2 Trillion Lifeline Will Help, but More May Be Needed”, NYT, March 25, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/25/business/2-trillion-stimulus-coronavirus-bill.html
Aratani, Lauren, “$1,200 stimulus checks for all? What to know about the US coronavirus bailout”, The Guardian, March 25, 2020, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/23/coronavirus-us-bailout-what-you-need-to-know
Winston & Straw LLP, “Senate Passes SBA Paycheck Protection Loan Program”, Winston & Straw LLP, March 26, 2020, https://www.winston.com/en/thought-leadership/covid-19-senate-passes-sba-paycheck-protection-loan-program.html
Cohn, Michael, “Senate approves $2.2T coronavirus rescue package with tax breaks”, Accounting Today, March 26, 2020, https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/senate-approves-2-2t-coronavirus-rescue-package-with-tax-breaks
DUBROW, DAVID L., Krainin, Richard, McLaughlin Jeannette Carneiro, Goldberg, Justin A., “Summarizing the Paycheck Protection Program”, Arent Fox, March 27, 2020, https://arentfox.com/perspectives/alerts/summarizing-the-paycheck-protection-program
CREDIT SUISSE GROUP, “Washington Alert: Bipartisan Agreement Reached on $2 Trillion Stimulus Bill”, CREDIT SUISSE, March 25, 2020
https://eig.org/news/understanding-the-paycheck-protection-program
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Create a press kit with information about your company and your new products as a tool for editors to use. If you don’t know what to include in a press kit, we offer some “Press Kit Basics” with tips & tools you can use to get started. Here are press kit basics for you to review, and read here for helpful tips on writing a press release: “Polish Your Press Release Writing Skills.”
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