Last week, the Montgomery County Council unanimously approved a $1 million special appropriation to provide grants to small businesses to support rental costs, either current or overdue rent payments. Each eligible business may be awarded a grant up to three months of rent based on its current lease or $10,000, whichever is less.

To be eligible, a business must have its physical location(s) only in the County or its County-based locations account for more than 50 percent of the business’s total number of employees or 50 percent of the business’s gross sales. The business also must have received $500,000 or less in annual revenue prior to the pandemic and be classified as a retail or service-related business (not including a restaurant, food service business, medical practice, professional services business, religious organization, or daycare facility); have a commercial lease in the County; and must demonstrate a revenue loss due to the pandemic.

The Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) in partnership with the County’s Business Advancement Team will administer the program and is expected to begin accepting applications shortly. 

GSSCC will notify business owners when the application portal is available.

The Small Business Administration officially launched its Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program last Thursday, but the website went down by this weekend and the following notice was still on the site this morning:

“Due to technical difficulties, SBA has temporarily suspended the SVOG application portal. SBA is working closely with the portal vendors to reopen as soon as possible. SBA will share advance notice of the time and date before the reopening so all applicants can be prepared and to ensure equitable access. Applicants may continue to register for a new account.”

Eligible businesses include operators of live venues, live performing arts organizations, museums, and movie theatres that had to shutter their doors a year ago in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Also eligible are live venue promoters, theatrical producers, and talent representatives.

The first 14 days of the $16.25 billion grant program were to be open to businesses that suffered a 90% or greater revenue loss between April and December 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The second 14 days was anticipated to be for businesses that suffered revenue losses of 70% or greater. Following the first 28 days, businesses with a loss greater than 25% were to be able to apply for grants, of up to $10 million.

The link to register is here. GSSCC will notify eligible members when we receive word that the site is open again.

It’s no secret that professional social media platforms like LinkedIn have seen new records of growth and engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic, but what is the secret to using that growth for your own business?

Join the Chamber for the Link In to LinkedIn Panel Discussion where panelists will share best practices and strategies to build your online brand, effectively engage your target audience, and utilize tools like ProFinder to grow your business.

Panelists include:

Join the Chamber for a virtual joint networking event with the Rockville Chamber of Commerce.

The Maryland General Assembly expects to adjourn sine die, at midnight tonight, ending the 2021 session. GSSCC has been following a number of bills that affect businesses and employers. Today, we provide an update on four that have been on our radar. Questions about any of these bills, or other General Assembly matters, should be directed to Jane Redicker.

Governor Hogan announced recently that $1.2 billion from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to replenish the Maryland Unemployment Trust Fund, that was decimated by claims associated with the pandemic. That was good news for employers. However, that money is earmarked for use beginning in 2022 and doesn’t cover the $1.7 billion shortfall in the fund. Unfortunately, this means that all employers will be in Table F for 2021, and rates will be higher than "normal." However, "experience rating” (company layoffs or firings due to Covid), will not be considered in the rates for 2021.

Actions by the General Assembly have moved and await the Governor’s signature to further help struggling businesses and bolster the fund. These include:

Earlier this month, the House passed a heavily amended version of the Maryland Essential Workers' Protection Act. The amended House version of the bill narrowed the definition of who is an “essential worker” to those “identified by the governor or a federal or state agency as critical to remain in operation during the emergency.” Under the original bill, almost every employee who could not work from home would have been considered “essential.” The amended bill provides for additional paid public health emergency leave only if federal or state funding is made available to employers (as was provided during the current pandemic), and no longer mandates “hazard pay.”

Over the weekend, the Senate considered the bill and passed an amended version, stripping out an important provision that allows employers to require verification/documentation of employees’ needs to use the paid public health emergency leave.

Because the Senate made changed to the House bill, it must now be reconsidered by House members. As of this morning it was not on the agenda for vote. We will monitor the session today and report back to members about the status of the bill.

Today, the Senate will vote on an amended version of the Digital Advertising Gross Revenues Tax and Tobacco Tax, that will provide the Comptroller’s office guidance on the legislature’s intent in the original bill passed last session. 

While the legislature’s intent was that taxes should be applied only to digital products purchased that one could “buy in a box” at retail, the Comptroller’s office wrote regulations that would have applied this tax to custom designed software products. Per Montgomery County Delegate Eric Luedke, in his explanation to House lawmakers, “our goal was to exempt the kind of software that requires a lot of customization and configuration in order to work.” This would cover much of the software companies buy and customize for their specific need. Del. Luedtke further explained that taxing this kind of product would be “the equivalent of taxing manufacturing machinery, which we don’t tax.”

Industry leaders have said that this “fix” to the legislative intent “is not perfect,” but is a move in the right direction, and they are confident that they can work with the Comptroller’s office to resolve other issues.

Note: This is different from the digital advertising tax, which is being challenged in courts across the country.

Late last week, both houses approved the Local Tax Relief for Working Families Act of 2021, that will allow counties and local jurisdictions to set local income taxes at different rates for lower-income and wealthy residents. As amended, the bill limits the highest local income tax rates to 3.2% and raises the minimum for local income taxes to 2.25% from 1%. The law also limits counties from obtaining certain state grants unless they adopt rates greater than 2.6%. 

Beginning on or about April 12, 2021, crews will implement temporary lane closures at the intersection of Georgia Avenue (US 29) and Bonifant Street for underground utility relocations for approximately five months, weather permitting. Work may take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays, and as needed, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends.

* Congratulations to Apex Home Loans on being named among the Washington Business Journal’s annual “75 Best Places to Work in Greater Washington for 2021.” The “Best Places to Work” results are based on survey responses provided from employees of nominated companies to a third-party research firm. The questions covered topics such as leadership, office space, perks, workplace culture, and more. Based on the results of those surveys, businesses were assigned a score out of 100 percent and ranked in four categories – small, medium, large, and extra-large. Apex Home Loans was honored in the large (50-249 employees) category. Honorees will be officially announced at a virtual awards event May 20 and in the May 21 issue of the Washington Business Journal.

* Blumen Lumen, a large-scale kinetic art installation will be unveiled soon at Downtown Silver Spring. Blumen Lumen features 18 to 24-foot folded, stainless-steel flowers that will open and close in response to weather patterns, sunrise and sunset, and can be influenced by voices. Watch the behind-the-scenes installation video from FOX 5 here.

* Maryland Youth Ballet is seeking a part-time Administrative Assistant to support the organization in the areas of customer service, student registration, remote support, and data entry. Read here for more details on how to apply.

* One Montgomery Green’s Montgomery County Greenfest 2021 will take place throughout the month of April with a series of free online and in-person events and activities that include educational workshops, an environmental film festival, community cleanups, and family-friendly games and scavenger hunts. Read here for more.

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* Non-Profit Team Virtual Meeting - 9 a.m. on Tuesday, April 13.

* Membership Development Committee Virtual Meeting - 9 a.m. on Tuesday, April 27.

* Economic Development Committee Virtual Meeting - 9 a.m. on Wednesday, April 28.

* Small Business Owners Network Virtual Meeting - 12 noon on Thursday, May 6. Topic: Getting things off your plate: outsourcing or delegating successfully. (Advance registration required here).

Corporate Partners - Downtown Silver Spring; Lee Development Group; Montgomery College; Joseph W. McCartin Insurance;

 Business Partners - Andalman & Flynn, AFI Silver Theatre; Apex Home 

 Partners - Peak Performance Digital; Bell Flowers; EBA Ernest Bland Associates; Image360.