COVID-19: Business Information & Resources
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Visit
Coronavirus.illinois.gov
for all the latest information from the state of Illinois. The full text of Governor Pritzker's "Stay at Home" order can be found
here
.
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Financial Assistance for Illinois Small Businesses
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With information rapidly changing, we are committed to providing accurate training, information sharing, and guidance on the different financial assistance options available to small business in Illinois.
- Illinois small businesses and non-profits can apply for the SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program.
- View our Events Calendar to sign up for upcoming webinars about the SBA EIDL program.
- DCEO announced a new package of emergency assistance programs for small businesses in need of additional capital, totaling more than $90 million.
- Accion has an expedited Line of Credit available (up to $25,000) to existing Accion clients and for any entrepreneur who needs access to capital right now. Any entrepreneur who has a clean credit report in 2019 is eligible for this expedited process.
- The Illinois Small Business COVID-19 Relief Program is an impact investment loan program under which the State Treasurer would make up to $250 million in deposits available to financial institutions throughout the state, at near-zero rates, to assist Illinois small business and non-profits negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Have questions about any of these programs? Need help with your application? We're here to help - and it's free & confidential. Contact us to schedule an appointment via phone or Zoom by emailing
info@cusbdc.org
.
Assistance is also available in Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese.
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Unemployment Benefits - Illinois Department of Employment Security
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Unemployment benefits may be available to some individuals whose unemployment is attributable to COVID-19.
IDES recently adopted emergency rules
to try to make the unemployment insurance system as responsive to the current situation as possible.
Online Filing Schedule:
- Those with last names beginning with letters A-M will be asked to file their claims on Sundays, Tuesdays, or Thursdays.
- Those with last names beginning with letters N-Z will be asked to file their claims on Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays.
- Saturdays will be available for anyone to accommodate those who could not file during their allotted window.
Call Center Filing Schedule:
- Those with last names beginning with letters A-M will be asked to call on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 7:30 AM – 6 PM.
- Those with last names beginning with letters N-Z will be asked to call on Mondays and Wednesdays between 7:30 AM – 6 PM.
- Fridays (7:30 AM – 6 PM) will be available for anyone to accommodate those who could not file during their allotted window.
The day or time of day in which a claim is filed will not impact whether you receive benefits or your benefit amount. Additionally, claims will be back-dated to reflect the date in which a claimant was laid-off or let go from their job due to COVID-19.
The Illinois Manufacturers' Association hosted a conference call with IDES earlier this week about the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak and its impact on workers. The call discussed benefits for workers who may face a temporary layoff, plant closure, separation from the company, or be quarantined and unable to work due to a diagnosis or being in close proximity to a person testing positive for the virus. Who is eligible for unemployment insurance? How can individuals apply for benefits and how long will they last? Tips for employers and more. Listen to the audio
here
.
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Takeout & a Toast for Champaign County
March 28, 2020
6:30 - 7 PM
In the greater Champaign County area, dining out in our award-winning restaurants with friends and family is a frequent activity. Today, as we stay at home, we’re looking for ways to support our local restaurants and stay connected as a community.
Join
chambanamoms.com
,
Visit Champaign County
, and
You're Welcome CU
for Takeout & a Toast on Saturday, March 28. At 6:30 p.m., we’ll host a virtual toast to the community that has come out in force to support our local service industry. We’ll raise our glasses together, and share our meals all across the greater Champaign County area.
Grab your favorite take-out, or cook at home if you’re more comfortable, and join us! Engage with us as we talk about collaboration and community, and give shout-outs to your favorite local businesses. Post your pictures and toast to the community in this event, and we’ll pick three winners to receive a $50 gift card to a Champaign County restaurant of their choice and three winners for
Chambana Proud
t-shirts.
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SBDC Webinars: COVID-19 Financial Assistance for Illinois Small Businesses
March 31 - April 3, 2020
Various Times
This webinar, led by SBDC Director Don Elmore, will provide details about the financial options available, including eligibility requirements, what documents are necessary to apply, program terms, and more. The webinar will be approximately 30-45 minutes of presentation time followed by Q&A. Participants will be able to ask questions in the chat box, which will be moderated by a member of our team.
Topics to be covered:
- SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program
- State of Illinois – Hospitality Emergency Grant Program, Illinois Small Business Emergency Loan Fund, and Downstate Small Business Stabilization Program
- Accion - Expedited Line of Credit (+ other Accion services)
- Illinois Small Business COVID-19 Relief Program
- U.S. Government – Keeping Workers Paid and Employed Act -(Division A of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act))
Learn more + register
here
.
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Check out the
Champaign County Rallies Around Restaurants, Retailers, Small Businesses group on Facebook
. Goals of the group: support local restaurants, retailers and small businesses in Champaign County; provide a central location for local restaurants, retailers and small businesses to share information about how they are still serving customers and ways we can engage with them; and to provide a central location for individuals to share ideas on how to support the industries.
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If you have a question, want to share information about your company’s situation, and/or are in need of resources, please contact us:
- Carly McCrory-McKay, Executive Director - Champaign County EDC
- carly@champaigncountyedc.org / 217-649-2586
- Jordan Landeck, Marketing & Events Director - Champaign County EDC
- jordan@champaigncountyedc.org
- Don Elmore, Director - Illinois Small Business Development Center at Champaign County EDC
- don@cusbdc.org
- Mariel Huasanga, International Trade Center Director - Illinois Small Business Development Center at Champaign County EDC
- mariel@cusbdc.org
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