The Blount Partnership is committed to leading the Blount County business community through this crisis. Be sure to check out our continually updating Managing Your Business during COVID-19 webpage. If you missed a daily update, refer to our listing page .
NOTE FOR THE SELF EMPLOYED
Self-employed Tennesseans, you can apply for unemployment now. When you file, you'll see a message stating you're monetarily ineligible. This does not mean your claim has been denied, or you did anything wrong. As soon as the federal govt. allows, TN will disperse your benefits. Here's some FAQs
FAMILIES FIRST CORONA VIRUS
RESPONSE ACT
The U.S. Department of Labor announced new action regarding how American workers and employers will benefit from the protections and relief offered by the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act and Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act, both part of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).
PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM
The Paycheck Protection Program is a loan designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll.

SBA will forgive loans if all employees are kept on the payroll for eight weeks and the money is used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities.

The Paycheck Protection Program will be available retroactive from Feb. 15 through June 30, 2020.

BANKS ACCEPTING PPP
(This is a list as of April 1. Updates will continue)
Truist (Formerly BB&T and SunTrust)
Loan Terms & Conditions
  • Eligible businesses: All small businesses, including non-profits, Veterans organizations, Tribal concerns, sole proprietorships, self-employed individuals, and independent contractors, with 500 or fewer employees, or no greater than the number of employees set by the SBA as the size standard for certain industries
  • Maximum loan amount up to $10 million
  • Loan forgiveness if proceeds used for payroll costs and other designated business operating expenses in the 8 weeks following the date of loan origination (due to likely high subscription, it is anticipated that not more than 25% of the forgiven amount may be for non-payroll costs)
  • All loans under this program will have the following identical features:
  • Interest rate of 0.5%
  • Maturity of 2 years
  • First payment deferred for six months
  • 100% guarantee by SBA
  • No collateral
  • No personal guarantees
  • No borrower or lender fees payable to SBA
WEBINAR: MAKING SENSE OF THE MORASS
Join us April 2 at 2:30 p.m. ET for a webinar entitled "Making Sense of the Morass: The Impact of Workplace Laws New and Old During The Pandemic" presented by Howard Jackson and Ed Trent of Wimberly Lawson Wright Daves & Jones, PLLC . Join in and bring your questions.

Discussion will center around the FFCRA and Emergency Paid Sick Leave law as well as how other laws such as Family and Medical Leave Act, Americans With Disabilities Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, and others come into play for employers handling circumstances brought on by the pandemic.
Join Our Webinar Powered by Zoom Meeting

Attendees are asked to register in advance for this meeting.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
WEBINAR: SBA LOANS & TAX PROVISIONS
Join us April 3 at 3 p.m. for a Zoom webinar entitled " Understanding the SBA Loan Process and the Major Business and Tax Provisions of the CARES Act" presented by Chris Trump of Egerton, McAfee Armistead & Davis, P.C.
Join Our Webinar Powered by Zoom Meeting

Attendees are asked to register in advance for this meeting.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
OTHER WEBINARS
The Tennessee Small Business Development Center is hosting two SBA Disaster Loan Webinars for Business Owners on April 2 and 9 from 4-5 p.m.


WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
-Small business owners (sole proprietors, partnerships, LLCs LLPs, S-Corps, or Corporations) who are thinking about applying now or later
-Small business owners who have started their application, but have not finished - because they have questions or they lack proper documentation

This event is FREE to attend however, pre-registration is REQUIRED.
On April 2 at from 11 a.m.-noon, join leading tax specialists from Crowe to learn how the federal government’s recently signed legislation in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic can provide support to your bottom line.

Topics to be discussed include:
  • Overview of recently enacted CARES and FFCR acts
  • Strategies for increasing cashflow through provisions of the new legislation as well as already available tax strategies
  • Introduction of resources available for assistance
STEP GRANT INFO FOR EXPORTERS
Please read below and use the application form on the State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) which is a grant available to Tennessee businesses to facilitate exports.
 
Please note that businesses that qualify may submit eligible expenses for export activity that has already incurred since October 1, 2018 and those that will be incurred until September 29, 2020. Also, all U.S. Commercial Service fee-based services are eligible for reimbursement. For more information on our virtual services available at this time, please go to: https://www.trade.gov/virtual-services

TN CREATORS RESPOND
The Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry announced the launch of TN Creators Respond to help create a pipeline to manufacture much needed medical equipment and personal protective equipment for Tennessee’s hospitals and healthcare providers. This comes in response to calls from major manufacturers across the state such as DENSO Manufacturing who have made inquiries to the Tennessee Chamber to support healthcare professionals.
 
How can I get involved?
SUBMIT YOUR BUSINESS RELIEF FUND APPLICATION
The Blount Partnership has collaborated with the  First Horizon Foundation ,   CBBC Bank ,  S.D. Professionals , Pinnacle Financial Partners , Leadership Blount, Nisus   and  Gallaher & Associates  to provide relief funds to qualifying businesses during the COVID-19 crisis. Application process continues through April 3 with funds distributed beginning April 6. APPLY HERE.

This fund provides disaster relief financial grants to small businesses that have developed, or are developing, innovative solutions to overcome catastrophic challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

If you wish to donate to the Blount Partnership Business Relief Fund, please DONATE HERE or contact  Bruce Kerr  at 865-983-2241 to make other arrangements. Thank you for your assistance.
REVIEW OUR BUSINESS RESOURCES
PAGE REVISED FOR EASIER ACCESS.

If you have questions about any business related topic about the COVID-19 crisis, please refer to our Managing Your Business During the COVID-19 Outbreak page that is updated daily. There's good information that can point you in the right direction.

Also take advantage of our member-to-member offers at the bottom of this email and online . There are a number of resources that you may find beneficial.
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
If you aren't following us on social media, you must. We are constantly updating information as each day progresses. So, give us a like and stay up-to-date as we move through this crisis.


And follow tourism updates here:
UNEMPLOYMENT / LAYOFF PROCEDURES
SHARE WITH EMPLOYEES
The Department of Labor and Workforce Development released a  website  with guidance for employers and employees affected by to COVID-19. The department has provided resources for mass layoff and unemployment claim information.

These PDFs below provide step-by-step instructions for employers and employees regarding layoffs and unemployment benefits to expedite payment to employees.

Click graphic below for printable version.
SBA LOANS FOR BIZ & NONPROFITS
Blount County small businesses and nonprofits are officially eligible for disaster assistance from the Small Business Administration .
 
Small businesses and nonprofit organizations that have suffered economic injury as a result of COVID-19 can apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million per applicant to help meet financial obligations and operating expenses which could have otherwise been met.
 
The Economic Injury Disaster Loans are administered and processed through the SBA. Applicants may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information and download applications at  sba.gov/disaster .
 
Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email  disastercustomerservice@sba.gov  for more information on SBA disaster assistance.
 
Interest rates for the loans are 3.75% for small businesses and 2.75% for nonprofit organizations. The loans can be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable or other bills that can’t be paid due to the disaster’s impact.
 
Below are helpful links regarding loan application process.
FACEBOOK GROUPS YOU NEED TO JOIN
Please do the following for both jobs and food groups:
(1) JOIN as your business page AND as an individual.
(2) SHARE with other businesses and individuals so they can join (membership is NOT required to join or post for this group!)
(3) POST your business' NEW or existing take-out/delivery services, menu specials, precautions you are taking for the safety of customers, etc.

We continue to add to the number of available jobs, so please share and post to this public Facebook group . This page was established to assist those looking to hire with an additional outlet.

If your company expects or is experiencing layoffs or work furloughs, or needs employees to fill open positions, please email Jessica Belitz at jbelitz@blountpartnership.com or call 865.273.1214.
We've also created a public Facebook group page . The goal is to offer another way for area restaurants and service providers to promote their menus, takeout & delivery specials and ANY other information they'd like to share with the public.

Help us help and support our businesses when they need us most. Click the link below to view or offer a product or service to assist the public or business community.

MEMBER TO MEMBER RESOURCES
Listed below are resources offered by our Blount Chamber members that may be beneficial during these trying times. Please review and share with another business operator if you think it may be helpful.

Send us your resources and we'll continue to communicate those out to our membership.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO SUPPORT BUSINESSES?
  • Buy gift cards
  • Order carry-out OR delivery
  • Engage with them and review them positively on social media or the web
  • Order an item and ask for it to be held until you can pick it up
  • Tip generously if you can
  • Check on owners and staff; ask what you can do, if only to listen
BLOUNT COUNTY LIBRARY ONLINE RESOURCES
Blount County Library -- Click the link to the left and see that t he BCPL offers plenty of reading materials through its Tennessee READS resource which provides digital access to both audiobooks and e-books for children and adults. It also offers many online resources for businesses.

COMMUNICATIONS
AT&T -- AT&T will waive domestic wireless plan overage charges for data, voice or text for residential or small business wireless customers incurred because of economic hardship related to the coronavirus pandemic. These fees will be retroactively waived, dating back to March 13. We will not terminate the service of any wireless, home phone or broadband residential or small business customer because of their inability to pay their bill due to disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic. See expansion of our low cost home broadband service. 

Spectrum Enterprise -- Offering existing fiber clients the ability to upgrade their current bandwidth on a month to month basis, as many companies will need increased speeds to allow employees to work from home or to host video conferencing.

DEVICE REPAIR
Cell Phone Repair (CPR) -- Offering free pick up and delivery repair service on your laptops, tablets and mobile devices. Device will be disinfected upon return.

DIGITAL SERVICES & ADVERTISING
WVLT-TV -- Offering TV advertising and digital services like SEO, SEM, targeted video and display and OTT. Willing to match in value for new advertisers schedule to get the word out for “we are open,” “we are hiring,” etc. Contact Allen Koch .

EMPLOYER - EMPLOYEE COMMUNICATIONS
Gallaher & Assoc . -- proactive in research, outbreak response planning, communications with our employees and customers.  The resources we've have assembled may not fit for everyone, but I am pleased to share with all to assist in any way other businesses and employers in the area.   Download here .

EYE CARE
Blount County Eye Center -- Offering doctors to everyone in the community for all eye-related issues and questions. Our doctors are on call 24/7 to triage any needs regardless of if you are a current patient or not, insurance or ability to pay. We're able to help with contact lens supplies, broken glasses and telemedicine options. 

IT SERVICES
Creekside Cyber Systems -- Offering 19% off of many services for all who need assistance with IT until April 30. Mention the promo code COVID2020 when you speak to a representative at 865.217.6073 .

GROCERY DELIVERY FOR IMMUNE DEFICIENT & SENIORS
SCHAS -- SCHAS has created the S.O.S Program to provide grocery delivery services to those who have compromised immune systems or are age 62 or older.

MARKETING & HR
Epic Nine -- Free virtual (phone or video conferencing) one hour BaseCamp consultation to help businesses identify and implement marketing strategy.

Express Strategic Services -- Information regarding online presence, website refresh, employee communication, disaster planning. Free 1 hour strategy business/marketing session (done by phone or video conferencing).

ONLINE ORDERING
Reinhart Food Service -- If your restaurant isn’t taking online orders, here’s a great resource that can answer questions and get you started on the path to offering your customers another outlet to connect with you.

Additionally, Reinhart Food Service has available disposables for To-Go / Takeout needs.

PERSONAL MEETING SPACE
Airport Hilton -- Working from home not going as planned or just need a quite space to get work done? The Hilton Knoxville Airport is offering a special Home Office Package during this time where seclusion is key. Please contact the hotel's Sales and Catering Department to inquire. 865-970-4300 option 2.

Luxbury Inn -- Do you or a family member need a quiet space? Let Luxbury Inn help with suites offering spacious lodging space that are complete with full size appliances and strong Wi-Fi.

PEST MANGEMENT
Pest-OPS : Let us help manage mosquitoes for $45/month. We can also take care of your spiders, carpenter bees and wasps at your home and business. Please give Jeff Haun a call at 865-567-7665.

PRINTING
Ullrich Print Plus -- Offering 20% discount on all in-house printed materials including print, copy and sign services. All promotional products are a 10% discount. These offers are good for Blount County businesses. We also have access to certified Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Moving to Blount County in May. 3211 Regal Drive Unit B Alcoa TN 37701

PROFESSIONAL CLEANING
SERVPRO -- Trained to adhere to the highest cleaning and sanitization standards set forth by the CDC. Call 865-982-2332 or email office@servproblountcounty.com

REMOTE WORKFORCE
Allevia Technology -- Produced a video highlighting .four essentials to successfully work from home



Epic Nine -- Keep Your Pants On! How to work remotely and succeed. Learn how using valuable apps can help your team remain connected and productive while working remotely .

Gallaher -- Gallaher is here to assist you with your remote working needs. We offer remote telephony options as well as ways to monitor your business while you are away. Call 865-970-2471 for more information.

C-Spire -- Make your business remote-work ready. Equip your team to work from home or on the go with powerful resources like Office 365 and UC-One from C Spire Business - perfect for business of all sizes.




SEO & DIGITAL MARKETING
BigWheel -- Your website and social media presence are more important than ever. With so many people stuck at home, your social media and website are more important than ever. BigWheel can help you get in front of new customers, keep current clients engaged, and drive sales online. Get a free SEO audit and digital marketing plan.

SIGNAGE
Tip Signs -- Your Local Sign Company is offering 20% off Yard Signs & Banners related to communicating your COVID19 policy to your employees & customers. Also, 10% off all orders with in stock materials.

FASTSIGNS -- Offering 20% off several of its signage and banner products to help you communicate whatever you need to employees or clients. Call (865) 558-0180.

STAFFING
GemCare -- Gem Care is helping to connect people who have been recently laid off with companies that are experiencing an increase in worker demand. Call us at 865-560-9891 or visit our website . 


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