In The Kn
o
w
The Weekly Newsletter of
The Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce
Friday, March 27, 2020
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Updated Takeout Takeover List
and
the Chamber's Official "We're Open for Business" Survey
The Chamber has been busy this week compiling the most current information about our local businesses and their status. Please click the updated "Takeout Takeover List" button below to view or print our updated food-related information and the "We're Open For Business" button for a complete list of businesses that completed our recent online survey about their status.
Please support our local businesses and eateries during this difficult time. And share this information with family, friends, co-workers or neighbors, especially those who may not be computer savvy or have access to the Internet. Many of our senior citizens would benefit from these informative lists but may not know about them.
If you are listed and have a change, correction, or update, please email your information to
tmaple@jeffersoncountychamber.com
with "Business Info Update" in the subject line. If you did not complete the survey but would like to, click
here
to begin.
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Coronavirus Information for Businesses
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The Chamber will be updating this page daily as it gets new information on state and federal mandates, job & employment resources, local business information, helpful forms from the SBA and more.
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Complete SBA Disaster Information, Forms, Tax Extensions, Workers' Comp Info
Here's the most up-to-date U.S. Small Business Administration Disaster Information as of Thursday, March 26th, 2020:
1. Latest SBA disaster assistance information:
3. Information on deferred workers' comp, tax filings, and more (Ohio only)
Workers' Compensation Insurance Payments have been “deferred” for those that need to defer until June. If you choose not to pay your workers' comp coverage for March, April, and May, you will still have coverage. However, you will then owe the full amount for all months combined in June as it's deferred
NOT
forgiven.
Health Insurance Payments have been “deferred” for 60 calendar days from the date the bill is due. (i.e., If your due date is April 1st, then your payment could be deferred to May 31st), but full payment for the 60 days in “deferral” would be owed at that point.
Federal Tax Filing for
ALL
personal taxes due date was moved from April 15th to July 15th. However, the State and City taxes have yet to adjust their due dates. This means your personal taxes at this point will still need to be filed by April 15th, but if you were to owe any money to the Federal Government, then the payment would
NOT
be due until July 15th.
Note: If you are planning on filing an extension to October, it will have to be done by April 15th. Either way, please let us know if you need help with this.
Lastly, if you make Quarterly Payments to the IRS, the first Quarter estimates are being “deferred” to July 15th, but as of now second quarter estimates will also be due July 15th.
4. Two websites related to the SBA disaster loan program:
5. Frequently Asked Questions & Notes from Recent SBA Assistance Meeting
- What is phone number and email address for disaster assistance? Disaster Customer Service (1.800.659.2955 or disastercustomerservice@sba.gov).
- Distinction between public non-profit (government organization) and private non-profit (a museum for example). Private non-profits qualify for this loan program.
- 11-month payment deferment. First payment due 12 months from the date of the Promissory Note.
- Funds available for working capital losses due to the virus. No expansion or consolidation of debt. (This may change, so discuss with the loan processor when you are contacted by them).
- Support on-going operations. Cover the costs/expenses to stay afloat.
- SBA loan payments not eligible as a qualified expense. Payment deferments from existing banks can be requested. (This may change, so discuss with the loan processor when you are contacted by them).
- Guidelines suggest up to 6 months of expenses.
- It appears that increases under the approved loans are an option if more funds are needed. Not entirely clear but discuss with the loan processor.
- Loan payments are made to the SBA and will receive a monthly statement even during deferment period. Can pre-pay.
- Apply for this credit even if you have availability under a line of credit, etc. They do not expect you to burn through your resources.
- No loan fees, but you will have some costs associated with collateral filings.
- Term is up to 30 years. Loan processor will set the terms. Repayment term is based on ability to pay.
- No business credit report required.
- Owner’s Draws/ Salaries will be determined by the Personal Financial Statement. Make a note on the application of the funds generally needed.
- Loan processor will determine loan amount. No specified formula. Maximum amount is $2,000,000.
- 21 days for approval (based on volume). No guess on closing time (from legal).
- Many policies normally required when securing a loan are being waived to expedite the closing.
- This is a federal program so for additional resources check local sources.
6. Links to SBA Disaster Assistance Forms
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Send Us Your We're Open/Work-at-Home Pictures!
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It's been a long, long week. To celebrate making it to the end, take a few minutes to help promote your business and have a little fun while you're at it.
1. If you are open for business, even with limited hours, send us a quick picture of you and/or your employees. Be sure to have your company name showing. Please put "We're Open" in the subject line of your email.
2. Working from home? Then send a pic showing your work space. Be sure to hold up a sign with your business or organization's name on it. Cardboard and a marker will do the trick. Please put, "Working From Home" in the subject line.
Email them to
tmaple@jeffersoncountychamber.com
.
We'll be posting them all on social media and creating a slide show to share with fellow Chamber members. Be creative, be safe, and show your community pride. To get the ball rolling, here are a few we've already received:
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Brad Degenkolb, Holiday Inn Weirton
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Jim Emmerling, Em-Media,
with videographer Adam Stickles
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Apollo Professional Cleaning & Restoration
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Toni Moreland - State Farm Agent
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Jen Cesta -
Public Library of Steubenville &
Jefferson County
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This Week's Featured Video
"The Goal Now Is To Survive"
A Business Owner's Fight To Stay Afloat
From
Forbes
:
In the first episode of "Forbes Firsthand," Yaakoub Hijazi, CEO of Star Laundry, tells his story about what it's like to be a business owner in the time of the pandemic. NYC's industrial laundry industry is enormous, and Star Laundry was responsible for services to 40% of the city's hotel industry. Now, Star is struggling to keep the lights on. In a last ditch effort, Hijazi is hoping to switch from hotels to hospitals to save the business and help the rising number of sick citizens in the city.
From last week: T
he
Wall Street Journal
reports, on Dec. 1, 2019, a patient in Wuhan, China, started showing symptoms of what doctors determined was a new coronavirus. Since then, the virus has spread to infect more than 100,000 people. Here’s how the virus grew to a global pandemic.
Previously:
TODAY’s coronavirus crisis team
– senior business correspondent Stephanie Ruhle, investigative and consumer correspondent Vicky Nguyen, and medical correspondent Dr. Natalie Azar – offer timely advice and perspective on the economic impact of the virus, work-from-home strategies, and social distancing precautions. Also:
Here's an article from CNBC
on how to protect your small business in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak.
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Utilize the Latest Resources to Conduct Remote Meetings
As organizations and businesses, there is a need to "gather" for many of us in order to keep government and business moving forward and to assist others as much as possible. There are many resources available for video conferencing and remote meeting and working that can be useful during this time. Click below for a list of five of the best.
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2020 Census and COVID-19 Update
Last week, most households should have received their first invitation to complete their 2020 Census questionnaire. Nevertheless, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the Census Bureau to alter many of their planned operations. Last Friday, they announced:
- The final day to complete a census questionnaire (online, by phone, or by mail) was extended by two weeks to August 14. It had previously been scheduled to end on July 31.
- The start of Nonresponse Follow-up, which is the operation that has census workers knocking on the doors of homes who have not yet completed a form, has been extended by a little more than two weeks to May 28 and will now end on August 14. It was previously scheduled to end on July 31.
The Census Bureau has also announced changes for a range of other operations, which can all be viewed
here
. As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves in the United States these dates may change.
The Census Bureau is still encouraging people to complete their questionnaires online, by mail, or by phone - all without having to meet a census taker.
Daily Census Progress Now Live
Last week, the US Census Bureau announced that 18.6 million households have already completed their questionnaires, which is certainly a higher figure at this point. A
map of self-response rates
in states, counties, and cities was also made available. It will be updated daily.
Questions?
Do you have any questions about the 2020 Census or how we can help with business engagement? Contact Jeff Connor-Naylor at
jnaylor@readynation.org
.
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National Association of Manufacturers and
the White House Request Completion of Manufacturing Survey Regarding COVID-19
There is currently an urgent request from the
National Association of Manufacturers
on behalf of the White House. The federal government is seeking manufacturers who can produce critically needed supplies for the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Due to the urgency of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is requested that manufacturers complete the survey as soon as possible. Please share this survey with manufacturers in your county!
Click
here
to access the survey.
We appreciate your assistance in distributing this urgent message. These are trying times; but the
OMEGA
region remains resilient.
OMEGA's mission is to provide a pathway to enhance community and economic growth in our region. OMEGA serves 10 counties in Eastern Ohio: Belmont; Carroll; Columbiana; Coshocton; Guernsey; Harrison; Holmes; Jefferson; Muskingum; and Tuscarawas.
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Modern Marketing 101:
LinkedIn Shares Tips on What to Post
During COVID-19 Lockdowns
From
SocialMediaToday
, Andrew Hutchinson writes: "LinkedIn engagement has been increasing for some time, so it's not surprising to see more people turning to the platform for professional advice. And this week, LinkedIn has provided some tips on how people can make best use of its platform to better connect and engage with their networks." Find those tips
here
.
From last week:
Social media is usually light and fun and frothy, a place where brands can let their hair down and invoke a more casual approach to marketing. It's also a place where brands must be in the moment, present and alert to what's happening now, especially if it's an event as all-consuming and life-threatening as a global pandemic.
Nikara Johns over at
Footwear News
provides insight into what a brand should and should not do during a worldwide crisis.
If you missed or want to re-read any of our previous Modern Marketing 101 installments, click
here
. We encourage you to print, save, share, and add these articles and resources to your business or organization's social media marketing manual.
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Member Morsels
Remember to visit individual member websites by clicking on the business name or logo.
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Schedule a Phone Reading Today!
Even though
Amanda's Gifts & More
is closed by federal and state order, Amanda is still available for mediumship readings by telephone. You can call her at 304.780.9709 to set up an appointment.
Phone readings are just as effective as "in-person" readings because Spirit doesn't have physical limitations.
Also, please "Like" Amanda's Gifts & More's
Facebook page
to learn about products we offer.
We look forward to seeing everyone when we are able to reopen.
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JBHS - Open During
COVID-19 Pandemic
We are open and taking new clients.
Jefferson Behavioral Health System
is an essential health care service according to Governor Mike DeWine’s Stay At Home order, and we continue to take new clients as well as provide services to our established clients. We have instituted telehealth as of Monday, March 23rd, 2020, and we are making sure our clients and the community are served during this COVID-19 pandemic.
Our phone number is 740.264.7751 and our office hours remain the same, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We also have a 24-hour Helpline – 740.264.1627. JBHS is located at One Ross Park Bldg, Suite 201, Steubenville.
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WTRF's "Small Business - Big Impact" Program Helps You Promote!
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During these unprecedented times, the Ohio Valley wants to come together to support local businesses, but in some cases they don’t know how. Most businesses have recently been forced into operating with limited hours, have closed or have recently changed their services. More than ever, people of the Ohio Valley need to hear from the businesses they love and support.
WTRF
is offering an innovative way to personally reach out!
This Community Greetings PSA campaign is an inexpensive, crowd funded way to reach a captive audience. The best part is that WTRF will match this advertising campaign dollar for dollar. On average TV viewership is up 11% and the WTRF.com is generating millions of page views every week with almost a half a million unique users. This means there are a LOT of people to reach with your message. Contact Lauren Hersey at 740.424.8226 or via email at lhersey@wtrf.com for details or click
here
for the full description.
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Carry Out for the Valley!
106.3 The River Can Help You Promote Your Restaurant or Business!
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106.3 The River
is working with local businesses that offer carry-out or delivery services. If you are a business owner and are interested in providing a gift card that will be given away on air, then email us to get involved. The minimum value for your gift card is just $20.
Email your request to
cindy@1063theriver.com
. Please include your business name, location, phone number, or website if customers can order online. Your business will be promoted on air and online at no cost, except for the gift card, which in return will create traffic.
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Feature your business or organization's news or events in "Member Morsels" by completing a quick online form. Click below.
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Around the State. Around the Country.
Up-to-Date Information from the Ohio and United States Chamber of Commerce
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Legislature Passes COVID-19 Emergency Measures, Extends Tax Filing Deadlines
Today, the Ohio General Assembly – employing extraordinary social distancing and other precautions to limit members’ interaction and protect their health – returned to the Statehouse to pass a comprehensive package of emergency measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic. It represents Ohio lawmakers’ first legislative response to the coronavirus outbreak.
The package was added to an already pending bill, House Bill 197, so as to expedite its consideration and passage procedurally, and was passed unanimously by both the Senate and the House.
The measures were developed by the legislature in consultation with the DeWine Administration, and are necessary to address a number of pressing issues, including providing the Administration and state agencies with additional tools to fight the outbreak and flexibility to deliver more assistance and relief to Ohioans and Ohio businesses, clarifying the fate of the March 17 primary election, and giving certainty to the lingering question of school voucher eligibility for the 2020-2021 school year.
Read the article in its entirety by clicking
here
.
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Coronavirus Live Blog
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has set up this live blog to provide important news and updates related to the coronavirus outbreak specifically for the business community. Check back daily for updates and find the latest guidance and resources on
our Coronavirus homepage
.
Thursday, March 26 | 9:30 A.M.
Chamber Applauds Senate Passage of CARES Act, Urges House to Act
Chamber CEO Thomas J. Donohue applauded Senate passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and urged the House to immediately pass the legislation to help businesses stay open and pay their employees, reduce the potential of future layoffs, and ensure more hardworking Americans have access to their paychecks.
“The CARES Act could make the difference between keeping a business up and running or being forced to reduce salaries, layoff employees, or shutter businesses entirely,” Donohue said.
Overnight, the Senate passed the largest economic stimulus package in recent history.
Read the article in its entirety by clicking
here
.
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The Library Link
Great Books About Business With Just A Click
Your link to success begins at the library. Each week in "In The Know,"
you to a business book or magazine that will inspire, teach, inform, or elevate you, professionally and personally. This week:
Build Your Dream Network
by J. Kelly Hoey
In
Build Your Dream Network
, acclaimed business columnist and networking expert J. Kelly Hoey offers a fresh new approach to mastering this timeworn skill in a world where everyone is posting, liking, and friending fast and furiously, but many are failing to leverage their connections successfully. Hoey presents innovative strategies for forming strong relationships—the genuine, mutually beneficial, long-lasting kind—using all of the social tools at your disposal. She also reveals creative and surprisingly simple ways to harness the power of your network to accomplish any ambition, from landing your dream job or a coveted account or client to successfully crowdfunding a new business venture.
View this book by clicking
here
.
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Today in History
FDA approves Viagra
- March 27, 1998 -
From History.com:
On March 27, 1998, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves use of the drug Viagra, an oral medication that treats impotence.
Sildenafil, the chemical name for Viagra, is an artificial compound that was originally synthesized and studied to treat hypertension (high blood pressure) and angina pectoris (a form of cardiovascular disease). Chemists at the Pfizer pharmaceutical company found, however, that while the drug had little effect on angina, it could induce penile erections, typically within 30 to 60 minutes. Seeing the economic opportunity in such a biochemical effect, Pfizer decided to market the drug for impotence. Sildenafil was patented in 1996, and a mere two years later–a stunningly short time compared to other drugs–it was approved by the FDA for use in treating “erectile dysfunction,” the new clinical name for impotence. Though unconfirmed, it is believed the drug was invented by Peter Dunn and Albert Wood.
Viagra’s massive success was practically instantaneous. In the first year alone, the $8-$10 pills yielded about a billion dollars in sales. Viagra’s impact on the pharmaceutical and medical industries, as well as on the public consciousness, was also enormous. Though available by prescription only, Viagra was marketed on television, famously touted by ex-presidential candidate Bob Dole, then in his mid-70s. Such direct-to-consumer marketing was practically unprecedented for prescription drugs (now, sales and marketing account for approximately 30 percent of the pharmaceutical industry’s costs, in some cases more than research and development).
An estimated 30 million men in the United States suffer from erectile dysfunction and a wave of new Viagra competitors, among them Cialis (tadalafil) and Levitra (vardenafil), has blown open the market. Drug companies are now not just targeting older men like Dole, but men in their 30s and 40s, too. As with many drugs, the long-term effects of Viagra on men’s health are still unclear (Viagra does carry warnings for those who suffer from heart trouble), but its popularity shows no signs of slowing. To date, over 20 million Americans have tried it, and that number is sure to increase as the baby boomer population continues to age.
For more events that took place on
March 27th, please click
here
.
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- 3,300,000 -
"A record 3.3 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, the Labor Department said Thursday, as restaurants, hotels, barber shops, gyms and more shut down in a nationwide effort to slow the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
"Last week saw the biggest jump in new jobless claims in history, surpassing the record of 695,000 set in 1982. Many economists say this is the beginning of a massive spike in unemployment that could result in over 40 million Americans losing their jobs by April."
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Questions about Oil & Gas?
These non-profit organizations are here to help you stay up-to-date on the oil and gas industry
in Jefferson County:
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Get The Information You Need - The Chamber Staff Is Here To Help
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Janet McLaughlin
Investor Relations Coordinator
Janet will assist you with utilizing your membership benefits, answering questions about member programming or how to promote your business through the Chamber.
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Tricia Maple-Damewood
President
Contact Tricia with suggestions, input or feedback on member programming, how to get involved on a committee or special project or with questions or information about anything related to the Chamber.
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Melissa DeFrances
Administrative & Accounting Coordinator
Melissa is your go to for accounting or billing questions, event reservations, membership questions, changes to your company information or any other assistance you may need.
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Contact Us
The Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce
630 Market Street
Steubenville, OH 43952
Phone: 740.282.6226
Fax: 740.282.6285
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