Greetings!
We want to keep you updated with information that will help you and your business and hope you find these links useful.
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2021 Business Outlook & Reopening Survey
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WE ARE LIVE: Take Our Business Outlook & Reopening Survey Today!
To best understand our members, The Encino Chamber of Commerce has partnered with the Los Angeles County Business Federation (BizFed) to survey the business community to find out what are the top areas of concern as our economy reopens, what we have learned over the past 12 months, and ultimately, what is the business outlook for the next 12 months?
Your unique insight will guide our advocacy over the next 12 months.
Help us Provide Powerful Insight to Shape the Future of Business in LA County
CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO ACCESS THE SURVEY
It should take you less than 10 minutes and you’ll help determine BizFed’s priorities for the year. The data gathered from this poll is used to inform policymakers throughout our region.
Importance of Taking the Survey!
As a follow up to last year’s COVID-19 Business Impact and Reopening Survey and the Annual Pulse Poll, we have worked with BizFed to combine the two polls to best understand what are the top 5 areas of concern for the business community, and most importantly, what have we learned over the past year during the pandemic.
Last year we found that 50% of businesses lost over half of their projected income for the year in the first few months of the Pandemic.
The business community felt that all levels of government were not listening to the business community when rolling out new regulations pertaining to COVID-19.
Homelessness found its way to the top of business concerns. Overtaking Taxes and Fees, which was #1 since 2011.
What will this year's Business Outlook & Reopening Survey tell us?
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New Vaccine Eligibility Now Open
Effective April 15th, all persons 16 and older in LA County are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine.
Currently, only the Pfizer vaccine is authorized for those 16 & 17 years old. For those who are 16 or 17, it will be important when making an appointment to select a location where the Pfizer vaccine is offered. The type of vaccine offered is noted for each vaccine site on our website under How to Make an Appointment. Persons under the age of 18 will need to have parental consent to receive their vaccination.
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Get Your COVID-19 Vaccine
All Californians 16 and older are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination. Getting vaccinated is an easy (and free) way to protect yourself and your family and help put the pandemic behind us.
What to Do
You can book an appointment by visiting the state's official vaccine website at MyTurn.
Where to Go
Vaccination clinics are set up across LA County. You can click here to find the location closest to you.
How to Get There
As always, please call my office at (818) 346-4521 if we can be of any assistance. Thank you for helping to keep our community safe!
Sincerely,
JESSE GABRIEL
Member of the California State Assembly, 45th District
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Updated Protocol from County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health
Please see the revised Los Angeles County Health Officer Order, which was modified to closely align with the State’s reopening framework and reflect the changes allowed in the Orange tier. The changes go into effect on Thursday, April 15 at 12:01 a.m. New County guidelines include: We anticipate updates to existing guidelines in the near future. I will keep you updated once all guidelines are posted.
Please visit the DPH website to see the new Health Officer Order and all updated Los Angeles County protocols and guidance documents related to COVID-19, including information on vaccines. |
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Join us for this update on continuing trends
and economic impacts in Los Angeles County
Space is limited and registration is required.
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A Fireside Chat with LAUSD Board President, Kelly Gonez
UNITE-LA is honored to invite you on Friday, April 16, as we hear from Los Angeles Unified School District’s Board President, Kelly Gonez, as she addresses the reopening of schools after an entire school year of virtual learning. Board President Gonez will share her priorities for the year, as she prepares to lead the nation’s second largest school district during such unprecedented times.
Board President Gonez was unanimously elected Board President of Los Angeles Unified School District last December, making her the youngest female Board President in LAUSD history. Join us!
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Mortgage Relief Available to Property Owners
The County of Los Angeles in Partnership with the NHS Center for Economic Recovery has launched its Foreclosure Prevention & Mortgage Relief Program.
Applications are now open.
Apply for up to $20,000 in assistance to help offset mortgage delinquencies.
Call 1-888-895-2647 or visit the NHS website to learn more.
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New LA County Worker Protections
COVID-19 Protocols: Important Info for Workers & Businesses
More businesses are now able to open as we enter the orange tier in LA County. As those businesses open, they must always follow proper public health protocols.
Thanks to a new LA County law, if you work at a business that is violating health protocols, you can report it without fear of retaliation. Your employer cannot retaliate or discriminate against you (e.g. fire or threaten to fire you, cut your hours, demote, suspend, or discipline you) because you complain about workplace violations of public health laws, rules and regulations.
LA County Hero Pay: Find Out If You Qualify
On Tuesday, February 23, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed a Hero Pay ordinance for qualified grocery and drug store workers in the unincorporated areas of LA County.
This temporary ordinance would require large grocery retail and drug retail stores to pay their employees no less than $5-per-hour hazard pay in addition to the employee’s base wage.
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California to Reopen June 15, 2021
As California reaches 20 million vaccines administered, and with COVID-19 case rates and hospitalizations stabilizing, the state is looking to move beyond the Blueprint for a Safer Economy to fully reopening our economy. On June 15, all industries across the state can return to usual operations with common-sense risk reduction measures such as masking and vaccinations.
California can only progress to this stage if we continue to stay vigilant, keep wearing our masks and getting vaccinated. The state will monitor hospitalization rates, vaccine access, and vaccine efficacy against variants with the option to revisit the June 15 date if needed.
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DPSS is committed to keeping the public informed about essential benefits, as well as resources offered by other service organizations in the county. Please help us to share this important information with those in your community who need it most.
GOLDEN STATE GRANT PROGRAM
Attention CalWORKs families with an approved case status as of March 27 will receive a one-time Golden State Grant payment of $600. The payment is to help families who may have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This payment is not a CalWORKs grant payment and not subject to hearing rights. Click here to learn more about the Golden State Grant Program.
FEMA COVID-19 FUNERAL ASSISTANCE
If you’ve have lost someone to COVID-19, FEMA may be able to help with funeral expenses starting in April 2021. For more information about FEMA’s funeral assistance program, visit https://bit.ly/39wyt43.
ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
IHSS Customers! Did you know you can get help to pay for the cost of operating your electrically-powered medical equipment? Click here to learn more.
TUTORING PROGRAM
Attention CalWORKs customers! Are your kids ready to head back to school? If they need extra support, the CalWORKs Tutoring Program can help! Visit https://bit.ly/DPSSGAIN for more information.
HELP FOR STUDENTS
College students who are eligible for “work study” or have a $0 expected family contribution may now be eligible to receive CalFresh benefits! Learn more at www.getcalfresh.org/students or call 1-866-613-3777.
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Grants Directly to Restaurants
Apply April 11-18
We have big news to share! Restaurants Care is launching the Resilience Fund to help the small restaurants at the heart of our communities. They’re in the fight of their lives, and we can help.
The Resilience Fund provides cash grants of up to $3,500 and additional support services for small restaurants in California for a year, with priority given to women and people of color. Applications are accepted April 11 -18. We received funding to support restaurants in 8 counties: Alameda, Fresno, Kern, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco and San Joaquin.
And we’re not stopping there. This fund also powers Restaurants Care hardship grants, a safety-net for restaurant workers – the servers, cooks, and dishwashers at the heart of restaurants.
This dream was made possible by a coalition of funders. Our deepest gratitude to lead donor SoCalGas and generous donors PG&E, SDG&E and the California Community Foundation. Thank you for keeping restaurants cooking!
We're here to serve the people at the heart of restaurants.
Alycia Harshfield
Executive Director
Zoom Webinar details:
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LA County Residents Can Soon Access Funeral Expense Relief from FEMA
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Small Business Stabilization Loan Program
Act now to take advantage of up to $3 million in loans for businesses! This LACDA new loan program is intended to support and help stabilize businesses in the region. Small Business Stabilization Loans range from $50,000 to $3 million, and can be used for working capital, equipment purchases, inventory, or refinancing of existing loans. Applications will be accepted until April 16, 2021 or until a total of $20 million in loan requests is received, whichever comes first.
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Federal Taxes
The IRS has now delayed this year’s Tax Day to May 17, 2021. However, this date change does not apply to estimated tax payments due on April 15, 2021; small businesses and individuals responsible for quarterly estimated tax payments must still make those payments by April 15.
New and updated, is the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) a refundable, advanceable tax credit on employee wages that is available 2020 and all of 2021. For 2020, it offers a total maximum credit $5,000 per employee. Looking ahead to 2021, the new American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) recently extended the period of eligibility for the ERTC to include all of 2021, versus a previous Q1 and Q2 limit. Since savings are up to $7,000 per employee per quarter in 2021, that’s a total maximum savings of $28,000 per employee in 2021.
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) tax credit for paid sick leave and family leave has also been extended by ARPA. The program originally expired at the end of March but now lasts until the end of September 2021. The maximum size of this tax credit for family leave is now $12,000 per employee.
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Work Sharing Program
Work Sharing Program can be a temporary alternative to layoffs if your business’ production or services have been reduced. The program helps employers minimize or eliminate the need for layoffs, keep trained employees and quickly recover when business conditions improve, and avoid the cost of recruiting, hiring, and training new employees. Employees will be paid based on the standard EDD benefit rate, multiplied by the percent of hours worked (i.e. a full time employee whose hours have been reduced to 32 hours/week would receive 20% of the standard unemployment insurance benefit). Click here for more.
Updates from the State can be found here.
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Los Angeles County’s Small Business Stabilization Loan Program
The Los Angeles County’s Small Business Stabilization Loan Program is available through April 16 or until $20 million in funding requests have been received. Mid-month, more than $18 million in funding requests were received by the Los Angeles County Development Authority. Loans range from $50,000 to $3 million. Eligible businesses must have been in operation for the last two years and need money for working capital, equipment purchases, real estate acquisition or refinancing of existing loans. Businesses can visit BizStabilization.lacda.org for more information.
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Guidance for Ventilation at Workplace Settings
An important approach to lowering the concentrations of indoor air pollutants or contaminants including any viruses that may be in the air is to increase ventilation. This document provides information on how to improve ventilation through improving air circulation and air filtration. It’s important to take steps in increasing air circulation and improving air filtration to protect staff and customers.
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Los Angeles COVID-19 Resources
The City of Los Angeles has compiled an extensive list of resources and financial aid programs available to local small businesses. Click here to access the site.
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If you know someone who is finding it hard to put food on the table because of the pandemic, there is help. CalFresh provides monthly benefits for groceries at the corner store. It only takes 10 mins but provides help 365 days a year. Visit getcalfresh.org/ for more information. #LetsFeedLACounty
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Free Webinars: Starting & Growing Your Business
Do you want to turn your dream into a reality this year? Join the LA Law Library for their free workshops to get all the tips you need! Grow your current business or transform your passion into your purpose.
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Does your business need help optimizing or creating a website? Do you need help optimizing or creating business listings and a digital presence? Mayor Eric Garcetti launched LA Optimized to help small businesses adapt to the rapid shifts in consumer behavior and technological advances by empowering them to boost their digital marketing, maximize their online business listings, create or optimize their websites, and increase their knowledge and presence in the e-commerce space - all at no cost to businesses.
In addition, this program will provide grants to select creatives (photographers, graphic designers, videographers, writers, etc) for providing creative and digital content
services including branding, videography, photography, website copy, and
graphic design to small businesses.
If you are a business owner interested in the program, please learn more here.
If you are a creative professional interested in supporting businesses, please apply here.
Applications will be
accepted on a rolling basis until September 1, 2021.
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LA County is helping train businesses on the implementation of COVID-19 safety protocols through a no-cost online training course called the COVID-19 Safety Compliance Certification Program (CSCCP). Once completed, business owners receive a certificate, and window seal to display on their storefront, which can reassure employees and customers alike that the business is following COVID-19 infection control and physical distancing requirements.
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Virtual Meetings and Webinars |
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Don't miss the annual Mega Mixer!
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Find out what help is available for your business.
Join us Tuesday, April 20th.
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Reminders for programs you may be aware of. |
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This email contains external links.
The Encino Chamber of Commerce makes no representations or warranties whatsoever about this company, its products or services or the information contained in this email.
Furthermore, this advertisement contains links to third-party email addresses or websites that are not under the control of the Encino Chamber nor has the Chamber reviewed the content or claims of any of those emails or websites.
When you access a non-Chamber website, you do so at your own risk and the Encino Chamber is not responsible for the accuracy or reliability of any information, data, opinions, advice, or statements on these third-party websites. The Encino Chamber provides these links solely as a convenience and the inclusion of such links does not imply that the Encino Chamber endorses or accepts responsibility for the content, information collection, or use of such third-party emails or websites or about the companies or businesses to which they relate or belong to.
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About Encino Chamber of Commerce
Thank you and we look forward to seeing you at our next event. Please log on to our web site at
Encino Chamber of Commerce
4933 Balboa Blvd.
Encino, California 91316
(818) 789-4711
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