Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates and Resources
General Announcements
SBA Issues PPP Loan Forgiveness Application
"The SBA issued an application that borrowers will be required to submit when seeking loan forgiveness under the Paycheck Protection Program. Although the application does not answer all of the relevant questions regarding loan forgiveness, it clarifies a number of critical points.

Congress is considering additional changes to the PPP affecting loan forgiveness. As a result, the details of potential loan are likely to change."
SBA PPP Loans Through MBE Capital Partners
EquiTrust Life Insurance Company – majority owned by NBA Hall of Fame member Magic Johnson – is providing $100 million in government backed capital to fund federal loans to minority- and women-owned small businesses in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

EquiTrust is working with MBE Capital Partners - who specializes in asset-based loans for minority-owned small businesses - to distribute the loans through the federal Paycheck Protection Program.
360-Access Survey for PWD's
One of our WBEs, Abator, is looking for feedback from people with disabilities (PWDs) to learn what the members are our community are thinking and challenges they will face in a post-COVID-19 world.

360-Access is the next logical step in the natural evolution of support for the disability community. As consumers, we expect to click a button to learn anything we want in minutes. 360-Access's focus is on collecting objective information about existing accessibility features and making it freely searchable using mobile and desktop devices. This will give people with disabilities a simple way to know before we go -- whether it be to a bank, gas station, office building, classroom, library, theater, restaurant, hotel, WHEREVER one wants to go!
 
Take the second in our series of three surveys so we can better understand what you want to know before you go.
A Small Ask Regarding the Future of Childcare
Dear Friends,

First of all, I hope you are doing as well as possible during this crazy time, and that you and your family are safe, healthy and happy. Second, I have a small ask of you.
Many of you, like me, are trying to juggle work and home obligations at the same time right now, and as long as schools remain closed, the juggle will continue.

Here’s what I see in our future:

  1. A new, larger and more challenging childcare crisis is emerging because of COVID-19. This childcare crisis needs new, more nimble solutions that combine creativity, flexibility and safety.
  2. Parents are in it for the long haul; 46 states have declared schools will remain closed through the remainder of the school year and possibly beyond.

We need help to provide the most amount of childcare support to impact the most number of working families.
Partner Webinars
PPP & Lendistry Info Session
PIDC
May 26, 2-3:30pm

Join PIDC as they host a webinar with Lendistry to discuss the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) application and the SBA’s new PPP Loan Forgiveness Application. Even with the confusion and hesitation by many businesses concerning the PPP, it remains a very viable disaster funding option for many small businesses.
If you have W-2 employees and other operating expenses and you have not already applied for the PPP disaster loan or you have already received the PPP funds and still have questions, then join us to learn more about the program as it continually changes. PIDC will also be joined by the SBA to learn of the recent PPP changes and the newly required Forgiveness application.
Graduated, Now What?
Hunter International, Inc
May 26, 2-3:30pm

This event is for recent college graduates who are struggling to find a job due to the economic impact of COVID-19. We have had great success partnering with universities through in-person workshops and career fairs. They are excited to be able to reach students across the United States virtually through this event.
WBE Events Around the Country
Employer Legal Guidelines for Workplace Re-entry - Join Women's Presidents' Educational Organization (WPEO) for a review of the steps employers need to take in order to safely return employees back into the workplace. This webinar will review the latest on federal and state guidelines, the new “rules of engagement” when creating a robust return to work plan, and successful implementation of that plan. It will also touch upon required and recommended policies, handbook updates, communication plan and training required to ensure a safe work environment and reduce the risk of COVID-19 related litigation.
Stay at Home Activities!
What do you do if you’re an artist with no galleries open to exhibit your works? You make your own, of course.

In  Berlin  last week, 50 or so creatives displayed new pieces from their windows and balconies in a two-day celebration of local talent that looks set to be replicated in cities worldwide.
Canvas Studio Art in Fair Haven, NJ, brainstormed ways to bring creativity, positivity and familiarity back into the daily routines of school students.

They created the Canvas Art Challenge with Instagram and Facebook in mind so that every home-bound family had the ability to learn.

Please stay healthy and safe during this time, and know that WBEC-East remains a resource to you and your business.