COVID-19 Crisis: Small Business Resources

We are committed to helping businesses like yours through the unprecedented challenges from the coronavirus outbreak.  Call us to learn more about how it might be a good fit for you.

Take advantage of the resources below, if you have not done so already.

U.S. Small Business Administration Disaster Loans

If you have not yet applied for an SBA disaster loan, you should do so by clicking the link above. Let us know if you need assistance with this.

Facebook: $100M in Grants for Small Businesses 

Facebook is offering $100 million in grants to support over 30,000 small businesses in over 30 countries. Facebook will be accepting applications for grants in the coming weeks.

Nav: Small Business Grant Contest 

Nav is giving grants to small businesses that tell a story of preservation and opportunity in the face of a past or ongoing challenge. Apply by May 30, 2020.

Small Business Administration District Offices

Oregon Small Business Development Center Network

SCORE - Confidential small business advice, founded in 1964 as a nonprofit resource partner of the Small Business Administration. 

U.S. Chamber of Commerce 

Internal Revenue Service 

Federal Trade Commission 

Department of Labor 

Department of State 

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

You are eligible if you are:

• A small business with fewer than 500 employees
• A small business that otherwise meets the SBA’s size standard
• A 501(c)(3) with fewer than 500 employees
• An individual who operates as a sole proprietor
• An individual who operates as an independent contractor
• An individual who is self-employed who regularly carries on any trade or business
• A Tribal business concern that meets the SBA size standard
• A 501(c)(19) Veterans Organization that meets the SBA size standard

In addition, some special rules may make you eligible:

• If you are in the accommodation and food services sector (NAICS 72), the 500-employee rule is applied on a per physical location basis
• If you are operating as a franchise or receive financial assistance from an approved Small Business Investment Company the normal affiliation rules do not apply

In evaluating eligibility, lenders are directed to consider whether the borrower was in operation before February 15, 2020 and had employees for whom they paid salaries and payroll taxes or paid independent contractors.

Lenders will also ask you for a good faith certification that:

1. The uncertainty of current economic conditions makes the loan request necessary to support ongoing operations
2. The borrower will use the loan proceeds to retain workers and maintain payroll or make mortgage, lease, and utility payments
3. Borrower does not have an application pending for a loan duplicative of the purpose and amounts applied for here
4. From Feb. 15, 2020 to Dec. 31, 2020, the borrower has not received a loan duplicative of the purpose and amounts applied for here (Note: There is an opportunity to fold emergency loans made between Jan. 31, 2020 and the date this loan program becomes available into a new loan)

If you are an independent contractor, sole proprietor, or self-employed individual, lenders will also be looking for certain documents (final requirements will be announced by the government) such as payroll tax filings, Forms 1099-MISC, and income and expenses from the sole proprietorship.

• That the borrower sought and was unable to obtain credit elsewhere.
• A personal guarantee is not required for the loan.
• No collateral is required for the loan.

Loans can be up to 2.5 x the borrower’s average monthly payroll costs, not to exceed $10 million.

Borrowers are eligible to have their loans forgiven.

A borrower is eligible for loan forgiveness equal to the amount the borrower spent on the following items during the 8-week period beginning on the date of the origination of the loan:

• Payroll costs (using the same definition of payroll costs used to determine loan eligibility)
• Interest on the mortgage obligation incurred in the ordinary course of business
• Rent on a leasing agreement
• Payments on utilities (electricity, gas, water, transportation, telephone, or internet)
• For borrowers with tipped employees, additional wages paid to those employees

The loan forgiveness cannot exceed the principal.

The amount of loan forgiveness calculated above is reduced if there is a reduction in the number of employees or a reduction of greater than 25% in wages paid to employees. Specifically:

1. Reduction based on reduction of number of employees
2. Reduction based on reduction in salaries 

Reductions in employment or wages that occur during the period beginning on February 15, 2020, and ending 30 days after enactment of the CARES Act, (as compared to February 15, 2020) shall not reduce the amount of loan forgiveness IF by June 30, 2020 the borrower eliminates the reduction in employees or reduction in wages.