News & Events from the Lafayette Chamber |
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Jay Lifson, Executive Director
251 Lafayette Circle, Ste 150, Lafayette, CA
Virtual Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 9am-4pm, Friday 9am-1pm
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Important update for all small businesses of Lafayette,
For anyone still applying to the Paycheck Protection Program Round 2 (PPP2), the White House has made several changes to the program designed to make you more eligible. Major changes include:
- Businesses of 20 Employees or Less Will Receive Priority Processing for 14 Days
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Starting Wednesday 2/24/2021 and ending Wednesday 3/10/2021, the SBA will only process applications from businesses of 20 employees or less, allowing them to “cut in line” and receive their loans in a timely manner.
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All of you who are over 20 employees can still be processed by the March 31st deadline if you apply, you will simply be processed behind the smaller businesses.
- Sole Proprietors/Self-Employed May Now Calculate PPP Loans Using Gross Revenue
- Originally, Sole Proprietors could only use Net Revenue (Line 31 of your Schedule C) to calculate owner’s “salary”. This punished entrepreneurs who operated at a loss or a slim margin in 2019.
- Starting March 2021, you can instead use your Gross Revenue (Line 7 of your Schedule C) if you are a Sole Proprietor, Self-Employed, or Independent Contractor.
- If you thought you were not eligible for the PPP because of your Net Revenue, you may be eligible now!
- Non-citizens with Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers are Eligible to Apply for PPP
- Noncitizens with lawful immigration status have been and still are eligible to apply for the PPP.
- Any business owners who hold green cards or visas are able to apply to PPP by using their Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).
Furthermore, Townsend Public Affairs, Inc. will be holding small business assistance webinars every Thursday afternoon at 4pm to discuss the Paycheck Protection Program and other tips to obtain funding. There will also be a Q&A panel where we can answer your questions live. Feel free to register for the Webinar by clicking HERE and select the date and time that works best for you. You can also access the latest recording by clicking HERE.
Please click on the following links to access our guide to the PPP2 as well as the three (3) other major COVID-19 relief programs available to you:
These guides are intended to give you a breakdown of what items you need to apply as well as tips and FAQs to be successful in funding.
The City of Lafayette Business Assistance Program is designed to be your local human resource and to answer any COVID-19 funding questions you may have. Sign up HERE for the free services through the City of Lafayette.
Townsend Public Affairs, Inc. (TPA) has been contracted by the City of Lafayette to provide this free service to City of Lafayette Businesses. Learn more HERE.
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When Will Contra Costa County Move to the Red Tier?
Contra Costa remains in the purple tier of California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy this week, but may shift into the less-restrictive red tier later this month if COVID-19 transmission continues to drop.
On Tuesday March 2nd, the only data benchmark preventing the change in Contra Costa was the county’s average daily rate of new COVID-19 cases. Contra Costa’s adjusted per-capita rate is 8.9 today, but has been dropping rapidly in recent weeks. The threshold for movement into red tier is an average daily case rate of 7.0 or less.
Tier placement, which dictates state health order restrictions applied in a county, are based on the per-capita number of new COVID-19 cases and the percentage of a county’s COVID-19 tests that return positive, including in communities identified by the state’s Healthy Places Index (HPI).
The State announced this week that moving from tiers could happen faster as more people are vaccinated. As noted above, there are currently about 1.6 million vaccine doses that have been administered to residents in the lowest-income communities.
- Once that number hits 2 million statewide, the requirement for counties to move from the purple tier to red tier will be loosened — the case rate can be up to 10 cases per 100,000 people, instead of 4 to 7 cases per 100,000 people.
- Once 4 million doses have been administered to lowest-income residents, counties can move from the red tier to the orange tier by reporting 2 to 5.9 cases per 100,000 people, instead of 1 to 3.9 cases per 100,000 people.
- The metrics of each tier must be met for two weeks before advancing to the next tier. Once in a tier, a County must remain there for three weeks before advancing to the next.
When Contra Costa does reach the red tier, notable changes will include:
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Restaurants, gyms, dance studios and museums may resume indoor operation, following state health guidelines.
- Indoor retail stores and shopping malls may increase their maximum occupancy and grocery stores may operate at fully capacity.
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Small private gatherings may be held indoors, following state health guidelines.
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Colleges and other higher educational institutions may reopen indoor lectures, following state health guidelines.
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Elementary and secondary schools can reopen for in-person learning without submitting a safety plan to the health department.
What can you do to help? Get tested! The more people who are tested the potentially the lower the cases will be!
We will post updated information as it is provided on our website here.
Questions about procedures or compliance? Call or email the Contra Costa County Covid-19 Hotline: (844) 729-8410 doc.callcenter@cchealth.org.
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Welcome New Members!
Last week we welcomed the following new Chamber members! We encourage you to learn more about them on their website and social channels!
2 Theatre Square, Suite #130, Orinda, CA
Michael Karp, 510-833-6743
The Fourth Bore is a chill industrial-edged brewpub with a great patio for safe social-distance dining featuring local craft beers and fine comfort food in the heart of Orinda Theatre Square. Plenty of TV’s to watch your favorite game or enjoy live music on the weekend.
Categories: Restaurants, Food Truck
2 Theatre Square, Suite #248, Orinda, CA 94563
Michael Karp, 510-833-6743
We are a mobile Neapolitan Pizzeria that specialized in hand-crafted pizzas fired in our 800-degree wood oven. Available for catering.
Categories: Food Truck, Catering & Event Planning
3606 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette
Fereshta Popal, 925-284-8600
Lafayette Beauty is a beauty boutique and salon offering a full line of professional salon-only beauty supplies, hair and skin care products, bath and body care, cosmetics, nail care, styling tools, hair accessories, and much more.
You can find many of your favorite brands in our store and we specialize in professional high-end, hard to find products only available in a beauty store like ours. We are always adding new products to our shelves to keep up with the latest trends in the beauty industry.
With our complete inventory of professional salon products and knowledgeable staff, there isn’t a better beauty store around. We’ve got everything to keep you looking beautiful.
Categories: Beauty Supply Retail Store, Skin Care Services / Products
Thank You Renewing Members!
The following members renewed their membership March 1-7, 2021.
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Member Shoutout! Podcasts!
The following members have been busy interviewing and recording podcasts! Listen on!
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Happy "Get Over It Day", Let's Network
Let's celebrate national Get Over It Day! This day should be celebrated as a day to let things go that have been holding you down or holding you back. Take a deep breath and let it go. The "it" is different for everyone. Whether it is personal or professional, purge the thing(s) that has been holding your success back. As you know, networking is a fun and wonderful way to help your business grow, but many don't want to do it for various reasons. I don't have time, I don't want to be bothered, I'll do it later, I'll go to the next meeting, whatever the excuse is, it's time to stop. You know networking is good for you and your business, so it's time to take a breath, make the commitment and Get Over It!
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Mt. Diablo Business Women: Protect Against Cyber Crime: 3 Key Actions to Avoid Being a Victim
Wednesday, March 10, 11:30am-1pm, Online
It’s great to see business conditions improving and family stresses easing a bit. But what about the challenge of cyber security, where vigilance is needed no matter what other circumstances we face? This month, Information Technology expert Sarah Tenisi will show us how to avoid being victims of cyber crime. We’ll learn how to protect our data, our financial well-being, and—most important—our peace of mind.
Join Mt. Diablo Business Women for this important topic, and also to enjoy the great networking and warm camaraderie of Mt. Diablo Business Women!
Register HERE. All Guests are welcome for 2 visits before joining as a member.
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Rotary Club of Lafayette Special Speaker Event from Bay Area Council
Thursday, March 11, 12n-1pm, Online
An incredible Speaker Opportunity for all Bay Area forward-thinking Rotarians, business owners and residents awaits you at noon on March 11, 2021.
Meet Jim Wunderman, President and CEO of the Bay Area Council, which leads the shaping of the future in the Bay Area in collaboration with top executives from more than 325 of the region's largest employers. The Bay Area Council's mission is to solve our toughest challenges, to grow our businesses and to improve the quality of life for everyone who lives and works here.
Mr. Wunderman will specifically address California's loss of major corporations, of small businesses and especially of tech jobs moving away from the Bay Area, as a concern for California and its economy.
Come prepared with questions for the Q&A immediately following the presentation. The presentation is free and informative. You'll know as much about our future in the Bay Area as Google, Apple, University of California, Salesforce, Facebook...
Meeting ID: 812 8112 3336 Passcode: 014057
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Podcast Launch 101
Tuesday, March 16, 12n-12:30pm, Online
Learn the essentials to launching your podcast for your business.
What you will learn in this session:
- What to do before you launch
- How to use your podcast for your biz
- Marketing strategies
- Technologies to consider using
- Best practices for your podcasting process
- How to find and get the best guests for your podcast
- And much more!
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Chamber Connectors
Wednesday, March 17, 4:30pm, Online
The Lafayette Chamber is hosting a networking/referral group called Chamber Connectors for current Chamber members. We meet twice a month (first and third Wednesday of the month at 4:30pm) online for now!
Use link to below to join us on Zoom Wednesday, March 3, 2021 at 4:30pm.
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March Madness Mixer!
Wednesday, March 24, 6pm, Online
Join us for our March 2021 Mixer!!
Details arriving here momentarily but it is sure to be a fun networking mixer for our Chamber members.
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Social Media by the Numbers - Social Media Metrics
Tuesday, March 30, 12noon, Online
Selecting the right Social Media channels for your business goals and tips on how to measure success.
What you will learn in this session:
- Tips & Tools for tracking Social Media metrics that matter.
- Using Social Media to boost your SEO.
- Using Social Media management tools to save time.
Presented by Piinch Company. Join us on March 30 at noon using this link:
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Employer Resources
No-Cost HR Services
What's the difference between furloughing and laying-off an employee? What if an employee tests positive? No-cost HR services are being offered to businesses in Contra Costa County to answer these and many of your other human resource questions! Call 888-599-7645.
One-Stop Job Shop Spring Hiring Event!
OSJS is for employers who are looking for interns or entry-level hires. If you're a non-profit and need volunteers, give us a try!
Wednesday, March 10, 12:00-3:00PM
Pricing: For-profit Employers: $240, Government Organizations: $125, Non-profit Employers: $50. OSJS Registration
Questions? Paula Conrad, Employer Relations and Internship Manager, Career and Professional Development Services, Saint Mary's College of California, 925-631-8280
Lafayette Chamber's Job Board
The Lafayette Chamber has created a blog/news page specific to Employer Resources. View it here >>
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Lafayette Community Foundation Excellence Grants
For more than 20 years, LCF has been awarding grants to local nonprofits that serve the needs of the community in the categories of Human Services, Seniors, Youth Development & Education and Arts & Culture.
The grant application deadline is March 31, 2021. To apply for a grant and to learn more about LCF's Excellence Grants visit
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The Lamorinda AVA celebrates its five year anniversary in March 2021!
Lamorinda wines continue to flourish and mature using innovative and sustainable urban agriculture processes. The AVA comprises bonded (wines available for sale to the public) and non-bonded wineries. Membership to the Lamorinda Wine Growers Association is open to any and all interested in wine making and grape growing. People need not be in Lamorinda, nor be growing grapes or producing wine. The AVA is excited to announce it will open its first public tasting room late 2021 on Mt. Diablo Blvd.
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Expanded Hours at the Lafayette Car Wash!
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Diablo magazine's Best of the East Bay ballot!
Voting for Best of the East Bay began last Friday. Check it out here. With 9 groups, 249 categories, and the chance to win, voting is sure to be fun for all!
Your business could be a winner. Here are the tools and tips you need to promote voting for your business:
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From the Lafayette Library and Learning Center |
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Storytimes at the Lafayette School District
Since students can't come into the Lafayette Library, we've taken the Library to them! Over the last several months, the Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation has collaborated with LAFSD to bring extraordinary stories by award-winning authors into the virtual classroom. Our new LibraryLive Online series has introduced students to a diverse range of powerful narratives, from Martin Luther King, Jr. and Anne Frank to ground-breaking female artists and inventors who challenged convention and changed our world. The Foundation is pleased to donate these books to local public school libraries and to our own Lafayette Library.
Thanks to donor support, virtual author events and book acquisitions keep us connected and ensure the Library is available to all. See below for our next storytime installment!
Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation Distinguished Speaker Series Presents James Oseland, World Food: Mexico City
Monday, March 8, 2021, 4:00 - 5:00 PM | ZOOM
Join acclaimed author and food editor James Oseland - and cook along with him! - in this special online program featuring recipes from his latest cookbook World Food Mexico City. Recipes and an ingredients list will be provided for a menu of authentic quesadillas, habanero guacamole, and micheladas.
World Food: Mexico City transports readers to the city's greatest home kitchens, markets and restaurants. The book unlocks the secrets to real Mexican cuisine with over 50 authentic, reliable recipes that offer a new way of understanding one of the most exciting food destinations on the planet.
Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation LibraryLive Online Series Presents
Vivian Kirkfield From Here to There: Inventions That Changed the Way the World Moves
Tuesday, March 9, 2021m 3:00 - 4:00 PM | ZOOM
Celebrate Women’s History Month in March with author Vivian Kirkfield as she shares stories from her colorful new book about two amazing women and their contributions to the history of invention: Bertha Benz who took the very first road trip in a prototype of the gas-powered automobile; and Raye Montague, the first African American and first woman program manager for the Navy who revolutionized how ships are designed.
All ages are welcome, though recommended for 8+
WOW and Sweet Thursday Collaborate to Present Marilyn Chase Everything She Touched: The Life of Ruth Asawa
Wednesday March 10, 2:00 - 3:00 PM | ZOOM
Join author Marilyn Chase as she discusses her book Everything She Touched: The Life of Ruth Asawa, with displays and descriptions of her art. The story of a woman who wielded imagination and hope in the face of intolerance and transformed everything into art.
In this compelling biography, author Marilyn Chase brings Asawa's story to vivid life. She draws on Asawa's extensive archives and weaves together many voices—family, friends, teachers, and critics—to offer a complex and fascinating portrait of the artist. Works of this major 20th century American sculptor are featured prominently at several sites in San Francisco.
This program is presented by the Friends of the Lafayette Library and Learning Center.
American Red Cross Blood Drive
Wednesday, March 17, 2021
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Don Tatzin Community Hall
Give Blood. Help Save Lives! The Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation and American Red Cross have teamed up to host monthly community blood drives. Donating is a safe process and healthy, eligible individuals are strongly urged to give blood or platelets.
For a limited time, the American Red Cross will test all blood, platelet and plasma donations for COVID-19 antibodies as an additional health service to our donors. To schedule an appointment go to: redcrossblood.org/give or call 1-800-733-2767 and use Sponsor Code: lafayettelibrary. |
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Friday, March 5 was #employeeappreciationday!
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Please note: to signup via text you will be asked for your birthdate. This information is not stored, it is only used for verify you are over 21 years of age.
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Show Your Membership!
Would you like to include a Lafayette Chamber membership emblem on your website or other marketing materials?
The Lafayette Chamber would be happy to provide you with the appropriate logos. Simply email your request to holly@lafayettechamber.org. |
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