La Mesa Chamber Coronavirus Update
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Hello to our members and our friends:
Information continues to come to us and we are creating an email blast that includes all of it weekly for you. If there is any urgent information you need to see immediately, we will send that out separately to you. Rest assured, that we are reviewing all of the information and are providing our staff as a resource for you, as well as the information we are sharing.
Like the entire nation, we are hopeful that we can all get back to work and our business community can begin to heal from this virus. In the meantime, please stay safe and healthy and know that we can’t wait to see all of you again and celebrate the strength of our business community.
Mary England and The La Mesa Chamber Board of Directors
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Coronavirus Emergency Loans Small Business Guide and Checklist
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Congress has approved $350 billion in emergency loans for small businesses to help them keep workers employed. In fact, if small businesses maintain or later restore their payrolls, they may not have to repay some — or possibly any — of the loan. Here’s
a guide and checklist from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to help your small business through the process.
We look forward to having all of our lives back to normal. If you our valuable members have questions, we have provided you many resources and information. If you need to reach us, please feel free to contact us:
chamber@lamesachamber.com.
Stay healthy, stay safe and stay home and let’s beat this virus as soon as possible!
Mary England
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Breaking Business News Updates
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San Diego City Council Passes Temporary Moratorium on Evictions
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On Wednesday, March 25th the San Diego City Council voted unanimously to enact a temporary moratorium on evictions of both residents and businesses. A Small Business Relief Fund was also established to support local businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The fund will be created by repurposing around $4 million in exiting grant funding. This is an emergency law and it will last in San Diego until May 31st. Residents will need to demonstrate “a substantial decrease in income or medical expenses,” as a result of the coronavirus to qualify. Tenants will still be responsible for rent payments and landlords are not restricted for recovering rent in the future.
Source: San Diego News Desk - Writer Michael Palomba
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Carmakers Seek to Restart Factories
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It was announced on March 27th Ford, Fiat Chrysler, Honda and Toyota took steps March 26th to restart North American factories that have been closed to protect workers from the coronavirus. The plants will reopen in early or mid-April, restoring the largest source of cash for automakers that generally book revenue when they ship vehicles to dealerships, auto companies, like other businesses trying to mange their way through the coronavirus crisis.
Source: San Diego Union Tribune
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Cohn Group Assisting Laid-off Workers
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The Cohn Group led by David and Lesley Cohn have had to lay off 1,700 of their 2,000 employees due to the epidemic. To help their employees they have created an assistance program that will make available $250,000 in Visa gift cards to up to 500 workers to help cover necessities like groceries, gas etc. They will be distributed through a lottery system. In addition they have created two of their locations CRG Team Food Pantry, which on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays will be providing free family-style meals for takeout that is picked up curbside by employees.
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Property Taxes Due April 10th Despite COVID-19
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Despite the COVID-10 crisis, property taxes will not be postponed and are still due on April 10th. However, residents in some counties including San Diego, may be able to avoid incurring late or penalty fees if the effects of the pandemic or quarantines leave them unable to pay on time. The San Diego County Treasurer Tax Collector’s Office is encouraging taxpayers to file a penalty cancellation request if they feel COVID-19 has interfered with their ability to pay the second installment of their property taxes by April 10.
Source: San Diego Union Tribune
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City of San Diego Small Business Relief Fund (SBRF)
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The City of San Diego has established a
Small Business Relief Fund (SBRF) to provide grants and forgivable or low- to zero-interest loans to eligible small businesses for working capital. The goal of SBRF is to help businesses retain employees and sustain continuity of business operations impacted by federal, California, San Diego County, and local emergency declarations regarding COVID-19. The SBRF is being administered by the City of San Diego Economic Development Department. Small businesses can apply for $10,000-$20,000 in grants or loans depending on eligibility.
To qualify:
- Have operated for at least 6 months
- Employ 100 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) employees or less
- Be located within the City of San Diego
- Possess a City of San Diego Business Tax Certificate
- Demonstrate economic loss due to COVID-19
Funds are limited so please complete and submit your application as soon as possible! To apply:
Click here
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Bartender Emergency Assistance Program
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It was announced on March 26th that Miller Lite has created a fund of $1 million for bartenders who are out of work due to the Coronavirus.
Click here for details.
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Amazon
Package Delivery - Amazon is getting a flood of orders and announced it is hiring 100,000 workers to keep up with demand. Shoppers and warehouse workers earn $17 per hour. Delivery drivers for Amazon Flex shuttle Amazon packages from warehouses to consumer doorsteps. Flex estimates pay at $18 to $25 per hour, but some of that is based on tips and you shoulder your own expenses.
Source: San Diego Union Tribune
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Census Bureau
The Census Bureau is hiring 500,000 Americans to help complete the questionnaires for the 2020 census. Census “enumerator” positions pay $13 to $30 per hour depending on the cost of living in your area. Supervisory positions pay more. The Census Bureau also pays for training, mileage, expenses and travel time. The agency is looking for people who can work primarily during evening hours and weekends for an average of 20 hours a week.
Source: The San Diego Union Tribune - Writer is Kristof, editor of
SideHusl.com
, a site that reviews money-making opportunities in the gig economy.
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Smart & Final
Hiring Now - Immediate in-store & supply chain jobs available. If you or someone you know is interested, apply online and then head to your nearest store and speak with a manager. Visit
smartandfinal.com/careers.
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Lowe's
Lowe’s will be hiring 30,000 positions that will be a mix of full-time, part-time, overnight and seasonal roles. The jobs are available for displaced workers and those that are seeking short-term opportunities. They are also offering special one-time bonus of $300 for full-time workers and $150 for part-time workers.
Source: San Diego Union Tribune
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The Great American Buy Local Day
Americans Come Together to Support Local Businesses
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Tuesday, April 7, all Americans will be encouraged to participate in a new initiative, The Great American Buy Local Day, to support local businesses, the communities they serve, and millions of people they employ. During this time of social distancing to stop the spread of COVID-19, there are many locally owned businesses suffering the effects of the Coronavirus and subsequent lockdowns throughout the country. Even though Americans are being told to socially distance themselves, Target River, of San Marcos California, wants all Americans to know that there are still ways to support local businesses by shopping online, buying gift cards, utilizing services of essential companies, referring a friend, or leaving a positive review online.
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Examples of how to support a local business is:
● Get a vehicle serviced or repaired
● Shop at a locally-owned grocery store
● Order take-out or delivery from a locally-owned restaurant
● Complete your taxes with a local CPA
● Fill prescriptions
● Complete interior or exterior home renovations
● Order products from a locally-owned business and have them delivered or do a drive-by pickup
These suggestions are not limited to businesses that are still open –– leaving reviews or referring friends to companies that are temporarily closed is still helping for the future. Target River is a target marketing firm, backed by global buying power to deliver cost-efficient campaigns. Our team utilizes on point targeting with pinpoint accuracy. We exist to delight our clients with campaigns that effectively target the right audience, reach that audience through the most cost-efficient tactics, and deliver the most relevant message. Target River was recently recognized as "The Best Target Marketing Company" in the United States. For further information, please contact
brian@targetriver.com or call 619.571.7359.
www.targetriver.com.
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Federal Support for Small Business - Congress Passes CARES Act
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The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), third in a line of stimulus bills, has been approved by both houses of Congress and signed by the President. As details continue to emerge, we want to be sure our members are aware of the immediate benefits provided by the CARES Act.
What does it mean for my organization?
- Emergency grants: An emergency grant of up to $10,000 to provide funds for small businesses and nonprofits to cover immediate operating costs. These funds can be available within three days.
- Forgivable loans: The bill creates a new loan program within the Small Business Administration's (SBA) current Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program. It provides up to $10 million per organization and expands eligibility.
- Relief for existing loans: A $17 billion fund provides funds to cover six months of payments for organizations already using SBA loans.
Is my organization eligible?
- Non-profits including organizations eligible for Medicaid payments.
- Must have fewer than 500 employees to be forgivable.
- Loan funds must be used to make payroll and associated costs, including health insurance premiums, facilities costs, and debt service.
- The loan is forgiven if employers maintain employment between February 15th and June 30th, essentially turning it into a general operating support grant.
Mid-sized organizations (defined as having between 500 and 10,000 employees) can also find assistance through the newly created Industry Stabilization Fund. Unlike the above SBA loan program, it does not provide loan forgiveness, but does mandate interest rates stay below 2% and no interest would accrue or payments required for the first six months. It does require organizations taking out these loans to retain or rehire at least 90% of their employees at full compensation.
How does my organization access these funds?
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Community Newsletters from Senator Jones
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As of 3/25:
Dear Friends‚
I hope you are all doing well and are staying safe. I wanted to provide you a few updates as we deal with the coronavirus outbreak’s impact on our community.
Support Your Local Businesses!
Restaurants with take out and delivery services are still considered essential!
So‚ if you wanted to know some of the restaurants that are remaining open for delivery and take out purposes in your community‚ please take a look at the list below. These links have been provided to my office by local Chambers of Commerce‚ and as we receive more‚ we will continue to send them out.
Please take a look for the list in your community and support your local businesses!
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[CA Economic Summit] Regions Rise & Respond Together - COVID-19 Resources in Your Region
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Update as of 3/27:
It is during these trying times that our communities stand stronger together.
As the impact of COVID-19 continues to take shape, our statewide network of collective action remains committed to supporting an economic recovery that is inclusive, sustainable and resilient.
We invite you to check out available resources and information on COVID-19 by region from our California Stewardship Network and other regional organizations. Simply click on an organization in the map below.
We stand with you and will get through this together.
- California Forward CEO Micah Weinberg
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COVID-19: AT&T's Response
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UPDATE: March 25, 2020
Dear Friend,
As our company responds to COVID-19, the health and safety of our colleagues, customers and communities remains our top priority. How we respond is critical to millions of people and companies around the world, and we’re committed to being there when they need us most. And we have a special responsibility to America’s first responders and public safety community, who rely on FirstNet, the nationwide wireless broadband communications platform dedicated to them, built and managed by AT&T.
Although this is an especially uncertain time, AT&T devotes enormous resources into planning for the unexpected. We maintain an ongoing continuity plan to ensure that every one of our internal teams – including my team – can continue to operate safely during this time. We also have a world-class Network Disaster Recovery organization designed to ensure the integrity of our physical network remains reliable.
The team at Sutter Health in Roseville reached out to AT&T and said they were expecting a large increase in the number of patients this week as a result of the spread of COVID-19. Our team moved quickly and deployed a COW (Cell on Wheels) so that their facility in Roseville – one of the largest medical campuses in all of Northern California – would have the service they need, as they work to treat those who are suffering from the coronavirus.
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Important Update From Office Depot
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Dear Valued Customer,
As we all continue to navigate our “new normal” together, Office Depot is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy workplace for our employees and ensuring our local communities, businesses and schools have what they need to be productive and successful.
We recognize that you continue to rely on us, perhaps more than ever, to ensure that you are productive during these challenging times. We take that responsibility seriously. Thanks to the incredible commitment of our dedicated employees, our stores, online and delivery operations remain open as we provide essential products and services that help our customers manage their businesses, and work from home and learn from home. We also provide paper products, cleaning and janitorial supplies, printing and shipping services and other items in high demand during this unprecedented and challenging time.
Our amazing store associates are working tirelessly to provide supplies, furniture and technology to enable thousands of people to work from home. We’re printing posters and signs for local small businesses to help them communicate to their customers. We’ve also printed and delivered teaching materials to help local school districts get their learn from home processes up and running efficiently.
Please know that the well-being of our customers and employees is always a priority, and we continue to take precautions to help provide a safe, healthy environment, including:
• Instructing our store associates to follow CDC guidelines for preventing the spread of the virus at all times and asking them to stay home if they have any health or childcare concerns.
• Providing
curbside pickup at most locations for customers that prefer to have their online or mobile orders brought out to their cars instead of picking up inside the store. Contact your local store for curbside pickup eligibility.
• Limiting store occupancy to a maximum of 25 people or less and enabling a six-foot distance requirement for all associates and customers, in support of the “social distancing” recommendations of the CDC.
All of us at Office Depot appreciate your patience and understanding during these unprecedented times, and we thank you for putting your trust in us.
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Thank you for your support!
Mary England
President & CEO
Cell: 619-251-7730
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La Mesa Chamber of Commerce ∙ 8080 La Mesa Blvd. Ste. 212 ∙ La Mesa, California 91942
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Copyright © 2020 All Rights Reserved.
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