We hope you know we are doing all we can to both support and inform our members and the community by sending you the latest information. To our restaurants: please keep in touch with your updates, changes in hours or procedures for your take out menus. To our retailers and service industries: please send us your news and updates regarding hours, on-line sales, and any other updates you would like us to share with our e-mail list and Facebook friends. Send to info@sandwichchamber.com .

We truly appreciate you hanging in there and encourage our community to continue to support your efforts!

Our next Retail Form scheduled for April 6 th has been cancelled and we will schedule a new date down the road. Join our Sandwich Chamber Retail Forum on Facebook to keep in touch virtually and connect with other members of the group. It is important to stay in touch.

Stay safe and we miss you all!


Denise (cell # (508) 241-6806) & Stacy (cell # (781) 540-9225)
Updated Guidance for Lodging

Effective yesterday, March 31st, Governor Baker updated the guidance for hotels, motels, inns, bed and breakfasts and short-term residential rentals (Airbnb or VRBO). To see this Order, please click below
More Important Updates from the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce

For businesses that “exist” but may not have been open at the start of the state of emergency due to the Coronavirus pandemic due to the regular pattern of seasonal operation , you may still qualify for the recovery loans created by the CARES Act. While you were not specifically providing a service, you were likely preparing to open, taking reservations, etc. The state’s office of Economic Development and Housing is encouraging you to apply, and the earlier the betters, as programs are on a first in, first out basis.

The following update is from the Executive Office of Economic Development & Housing:

The recently approved Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act has directed the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) District Office to implement resources for small businesses, as well as non-profits and other employers. They have released the Small Business Owner’s Guide to the CARES Act which includes answers to FAQ’s that I’m sure many of you have.

We’ve been hearing from many businesses that were looking for resources other than loans. I know you are receiving many links, and it can be overwhelming, but consider this SBA CARES ACT Guide the Cliff Notes version; it’s worth reading.

Struggling to get started? The following questions might help point you in the right direction. Do you need:

Capital to cover the cost of retaining employees? SBA and Treasury Department will launch the new Paycheck Protection Program to help keep employees on payroll and small businesses operating by the end of the week. If employers maintain their payroll, the loans would be forgiven , which would help workers remain employed, as well as help affected small businesses and our economy snap-back quicker after the crisis. PPP has a host of attractive features, such as forgiveness of up to 8 weeks of payroll based on employee retention and salary levels, no SBA fees, and at least six months of deferral with maximum deferrals of up to a year. Speak with an SBA lender about this program, a lender list can be found on our website at: www.sba.gov/MA These funds can be accessed directly from a bank you probably have an existing relationship with. We will have more details on this at the end of the week. THIS IS THE ONE YOU HAVE BEEN HEARING IN THE NEWS ABOUT.

A quick infusion of a smaller amount of cash to cover you right now or a low interest loan? You might want to look into an Emergency Economic Injury Grant/Economic Injury Disaster Loan . The low interest, long term “Economic Injury Disaster Loan” offers up to $2 million. The first payment is deferred for 12 months. The application has been simplified and can be completed 100% online through the SBA improved web portal at https://covid19relief.sba.gov/#/ IF you apply for that Disaster Loan above – you can ask for an “ Economic Injury Disaster Loan Advance” for UP TO $10,000 as part of the loan application. If approved, these funds can be used for payroll and other operating expenses and can be FORGIVEN.

To ease your fears about keeping up with payments on your current or potential SBA loan? The Small Business Debt Relief Program could help.

Just some quality, free counseling to help you navigate this uncertain economic time? The resource partners might be your best bet. 
Demand Visa, MasterCard, AMEX & Discover Reduce/Waive Certain Fees during COVID 19


COVID 19 is here and small businesses, who employ 47% of the nation’s workforce are doing everything they can to keep their businesses from failing in the face of lost income. This means they are doing what small businesses do best – pivoting - to make their businesses SAFE for their customers and their staff. For some this means Online Ordering, Curbside Pickup and/or Delivery, for others, deemed non-essential, this means closing down and laying off their employees. Given people’s fear of cash carrying and spreading COVID19, most consumers are relying heavily on their credit cards these days. This of course is causing the businesses still open to be offered significantly less cash, and more credit cards than ever. This in itself is hurting the small businesses because of credit card fees.

Did you know that every time you use a credit card online or over the phone that the vendor is charged an ADDITIONAL FEE?  This is called a CARD NOT PRESENT fee (CNP). And the card companies like Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover do it to cover their increased risk. This why many small businesses avoid taking cards over the phone, or have transaction fees for online purchases – to cover those added fees. Most companies pay close to 3% in fees to take your credit card INSIDE their store or restaurant. The CNP fees for a phone or online order can add an additional 2-3% to each transaction depending on the card type. That means the fee on a $10 transaction goes from $0.30 to $0.60. While not a lot of money during regular times, during COVID19 times when every penny counts, these fees are real money being lost by small businesses.

Other small businesses, who are not deemed essential, are being forced to close, and yet they are STILL being charged their monthly fees by the credit card companies regardless of whether they are making sales or not. Sadly these fees are literally sucked from the bank accounts of small businesses without them being able to stop them!

Right now Small Businesses in America are in the fight of their life, literally and figuratively. And these added CNP fees and monthly flat fees on closed businesses are not helping. This means that a larger percentage of sales is going to credit card fees than ever. This means less money is going towards small business payroll at a time when literally every dollar counts.

We are petitioning to have Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover to waive the added CNP fees for businesses who do not typically take CNP transactions. We are also asking for waiving of flat monthly fees on businesses not currently open. And if they can’t do that – what can they do?!

We are asking people to sign our petition and spread it around social media to pressure the major card companies: VISA, MasterCard, American Express and Discover to take notice and do something – anything – to help the people who bring them money day in day out – when we really need it.
With $349 Billion in Emergency Small Business Capital Cleared, SBA and Treasury Begin Unprecedented Public-Private Mobilization Effort to Distribute Funds

Tuesday, March 31, 2020

WASHINGTON – Following President Trump’s signing of the historic Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, SBA Administrator  Jovita Carranza  and Treasury Secretary  Steven T. Mnuchin  today announced that the SBA and Treasury Department have initiated a robust mobilization effort of banks and other lending institutions to provide small businesses with the capital they need.

The CARES Act establishes a new $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program. The Program will provide much-needed relief to millions of small businesses so they can sustain their businesses and keep their workers employed.

“This unprecedented public-private partnership is going to assist small businesses with accessing capital quickly. Our goal is to position lenders as the single point-of-contact for small businesses – the application, loan processing, and disbursement of funds will all be administered at the community level,” said Administrator Carranza. “Speed is the operative word; applications for the emergency capital can begin as early as this week, with lenders using their own systems and processes to make these loans. We remain committed to supporting our nation’s more than 30 million small businesses and their employees, so that they can continue to be the fuel for our nation’s economic engine.”

Better Business Bureau Tips Regarding Economic Impact Payments

The United States Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service  announced  that distribution of economic impact payments will begin soon and will be distributed automatically, with no action required for most people.  

This news will lead to the increase of scam phone calls, text messages or emails asking for personal information and claiming you need to provide it to receive the benefits. BBB is warning everyone to not give out any information to these fake communications, as  these checks are being sent out automatically , according to the IRS.  See our recent scam alerts on  relief checks  and  fake texts .  

Seniors are especially vulnerable  to these kinds of scams. It is important during this time to check on elderly neighbors and others who may need help, to be sure they are made aware of the most recent scams relevant to the coronavirus crisis. 

EMPLOYMENT LAW ALERT –MARCH 31, 2020
Families First Coronavirus Response Act Clarified
United States Department of Labor Guidance

As Tocci & Lee clients are aware the “Families First Coronavirus Response Act” (FFCRA) was signed into law on March 19. The FFCRA was designed to take effect on April 2 but the United States Department of Labor (the “DOL”) subsequently issued guidance designating the effective date as April 1. The FFCRA expires on December 31, 2020. The following guidance simplifies previous Employment Law Alerts and incorporates DOL clarifications of the Act. The DOL has published comprehensive Questions and Answers for employers and employees which can be can be found here .

Falmouth Hospital Maternity and Ped​iatric Inpatient Services to Move to Cape Cod Hospital

Beginning Monday, April 6, 2020, Cape Cod Healthcare will transition Falmouth Hospital maternity and pediatric inpatient services to Cape Cod Hospital. This transition is in response to the forecasted need for critical care due to COVID-19. The obstetric and pediatric units at Falmouth Hospital will be converted to adult patient care areas capable of treating patients needing ICU level of care or additional COVID-19 patients.


FB Insure's Small Business team is holding open Office Hours on Zoom Monday - Friday from 10am to Noon . Any small business owner can log into the meeting. If there is a queue they’ll wait in the waiting room to be admitted.
 

Small Business Open Office Hours: https://zoom.us/j/662569949
  
If you’d like to set up a time to talk or Zoom Web Conference, click this link to set up an appointment: https://calendly.com/ahofmann . I look forward to talking with you.  

Thank you FBinsure for putting a resource page together for businesses. Click below
Sandwich News



All the latest information, from the federal, state, and local government, is put out immediately on Sandwich News on Facebook. It is the central location for the community to meet online---complying with the CDC's recommendation for social distancing. 

You don’t have to be on Facebook to access the page. It’s a public page you can get to through google or  https://www.facebook.com/groups/sandwichnews/?ref=share
Restaurant Information
Small Business Resources
Click on any line to go to that informational site