COVID-19 Resources

Posted May 13, 2021

Below is information shared with me from Representative Seth Lewis and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Development.  Webinars are happening today.

In the Bloomingdale Business Bulletin there were several Legislative issues being brought before you to help businesses recover.  Please read about them and help the Chamber stress the importance of these bills to pass.  The Chamber is advocating for you, working with our elected officials to have new legislation brought to vote.  We need you to complete the witness slips in order to get these bills passed.  Your elected officials, no matter what district, really look at these slips to see what their constituents want.  Your voice can only be heard if you express it.

BIG Legislation (SB1982 & HB1860) and R.I.S.E. Act (SB2490 & HB 801)
Chambers All In for Economic Recovery Platform and Form Letter
Find Your Representative for House or Senate
 

1.       Grant Opportunity: Illinois Small Business Community Navigators Program

The Small Business Community Navigators Program will be executed through a hub-and-spoke model, where DCEO partners directly with larger grantees (“hubs”) that then bring on board smaller local, community-based organizations (“spokes”) to provide direct one-on-one support to targeted businesses. Community navigator services will play an important role in providing technical assistance to disadvantaged businesses seeking to benefit from federal relief efforts. DCEO will issue up to 15 grants totaling up to $10 million to organizations that collectively cover every part of the state. Applications are due June 9^th. Apply HERE.
 
Upcoming webinars to learn about the application process:
        2021 Illinois Small Business Community Navigators Program NOFO Informational WebinarThursday, May 13, 2021 2:30 pm
https://illinois.webex.com/illinois/onstage/g.php?MTID=e595400c509d48cc70fc78223ae24de09
        2021 Illinois Small Business Community Navigators Program NOFO Informational WebinarFriday, May 14, 2021 10:00 am
https://illinois.webex.com/illinois/onstage/g.php?MTID=e4290011681e94cb0d3fb430d5e432dde
 

2. SBA’s Restaurant Revitalization Fund
   • The American Rescue Plan Act established the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) to provide funding to help restaurants and other eligible businesses keep their doors open. This program will provide restaurants with funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss up to $10 million per business and no more than $5 million per physical location. Recipients are not required to repay the funding. Learn more HERE.
   • Money is going fast for this federal opportunity. DCEO will be hosting a webinar with the SBA on Friday, May 14^th. Click HERE to register.

 3.    Illinois Economic Development Week 2021Join DCEO and our partners for a series of IEDW 2021 webinars! Learn from state, local, and industry economic development professionals and hear about the best practices, lessons learned, and strategies for success around driving economic development. Click the links below to sign up or share with constituents.

• Manufacturing Matters in Illinois
  • Thursday, May 13, at 10:00 a.m.
• Illinois Economic Recovery Post Covid-19: Small Business Relief, Public Infrastructure, and Regional Economic Planning
  • Thursday, May 13, at 1:30 p.m.
• Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
  • Led by the Offices of Minority Economic Empowerment (OMEE) and Regional Economic Development (RED), DCEO will celebrate Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) leaders from across the state, highlighting their contributions to the fabric of our state, and resilience as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.  You can learn more about the virtual events HERE.

The Chamber welcomes your feedback.  Please share your stories, as they help personalize the issues and motivate people to act. 
 

Posted February 2, 2021

The Illinois Department of Health announced that DuPage County can move to Phase 4 starting Wednesday, February 3, 2021. 

Daily Herald Article announcement

Phase 4 guidelines are below.  

While I have your attention - Coupon Corner goes out Thursday. Get your coupons up by Wednesday at noon to be included in the email blast on Thursday going to over 2300 subscribers, and postings to several neighborhood Facebook groups.  If you need help, reach out to  the Chamber: info@bloomingdalechamber.com.  February is Valentine's Day month, add a special Valentine promotion.

Phase 4 Guidelines per Restore Illinois

Gatherings: All gatherings of 50 people or fewer are allowed with this limit subject to change based on latest data & guidance

Travel: Travel should follow IDPH and CDC approved guidance

Health care: All health care providers are open

Education and child care: P-12 schools, higher education, all summer programs, and child care open with IDPH approved safety guidance

Outdoor recreation: All outdoor recreation allowed

Businesses:

• Manufacturing: All manufacturing open with IDPH approved safety guidance
• “Non-essential” businesses: All employees return to work with IDPH approved safety guidance; Employers are encouraged to provide accommodations for COVID-19-vulnerable employees
• Bars and restaurants: Open with capacity limits and IDPH approved safety guidance
• Personal care services and health clubs: All barbershops, salons, spas and health and fitness clubs open with capacity limits and IDPH approved safety guidance
• Entertainment: Cinema and theaters open with capacity limits and IDPH approved safety guidance
• Retail: Open with capacity limits and IDPH approved safety guidance

BUSINESS OPERATION INFORMATION

To prepare businesses and employers to implement new and updated safety guidelines in Phase 4, the State of Illinois has developed this business toolkit complete with signage, posters, and other resources to ensure business and activities are conducted in accordance with the latest public health recommendations. Visit the DCEO COVID-19 Phase 4 Page for further business specific details.

HOW WE MOVE TO THE NEXT PHASE

Post-pandemic: Vaccine, effective and widely available treatment, or the elimination of new cases over a sustained period of time through herd immunity or other factors.

WHAT COULD CAUSE US TO MOVE BACK

IDPH will closely monitor data and receive on-the-ground feedback from local health departments and regional healthcare councils and will recommend moving back to the previous phase based on the following factors:

• Sustained rise in positivity rate
• Sustained increase in hospital admissions for COVID-19 like illness
• Reduction in hospital capacity threatening surge capabilities
• Significant outbreak in the region that threatens the health of the region

It is important not to lose this opportunity.   Continue to be vigilant with your hand and surface washing.  Keep socially distant and enforce these precautions with your staff and customers.  

Masks ON Businesses OPEN.
 

December 21, 2020

The COVID relief bill is waiting for the President's signature.  
View the summary of the details here.
View the complete 5593 page bill here.

The relief package includes a $300 per week jobless benefit, and direct stimulus check of $600 to most Americans who should see the checks deposited in their bank accounts as early as next week and relief to renters facing evictions. The package includes funds for businesses, schools and health care providers. 

The new law overturns the IRS ruling and provides that regular business expenses paid for with PPP loan proceeds shall be deductible for tax purposes (applies to past and future loans.)
Thank you to all of you who helped voice this need to your local representatives. 

The PPP2 loans will be available to first-time qualified borrowers, and for the first time, to businesses that previously received a PPP loan.  Specifically, previous PPP recipients may apply for another loan of up to $2 million, provided they: have 300 or fewer employees, have used or will use the full amount of their first PPP loan ;and can show a 25% gross revenue decline in any 2020 quarter compared with the same quarter in 2019. 

PPP2 will also permit first-time borrowers from the following groups: businesses with 500 or fewer employees that are eligible for other SBA7(a) loans; sole proprietors; independent contractors; self-employed individuals; and not-for-profits including churches. 

It was not as much as the Democrats wanted but it is a "down payment" for more relief coming in 2021. Aid of local governments and the corporate liability shields did not make it into this package.

What happens next?  The Small Business Administration and the Treasury have to update the application with the changes and make available to the banks.  Like the first PPP, you will apply for this PPP2 through your local banker.

As more information and clarification becomes available the Chamber will share that information. All COVID related emails can be found on the Chamber's website under Business Resources for COVID-19. 

Other resources:
US Chamber of Commerce Guide Small Business COVID 19 Emergency Loans
Wall Street Journal

Have a wonder holiday.  May this gift from the Government help you and your business. I continue to participate in webinars, if you have questions, please let me know and I can help you find the answers.

Posted November 19, 2020,

Contact Information: Joan Olson (630) 407-6015 or Evan Shields (630) 407-6022

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

DuPage County Allocates $2.5 Million to Help Struggling Bars, Restaurants

During a special call meeting Tuesday, the DuPage County Board approved $2.5 million in additional CARES Act funds to help bars and restaurants that are financially struggling due to the mitigation measures ordered by the State of Illinois.

On Oct. 23, as part of the State’s COVID-19 mitigation strategy, Governor J.B. Pritzker announced restrictions on bars and restaurants in Region 8, which includes DuPage County. The order banned indoor dining and bar services and restricted the capacity allowed for indoor events and gatherings. Further restrictions put in place on Nov. 11 reduced seating capacity at outdoor tables from 10 to six people.

“We understand the severity and the danger associated with this virus, but we also understand the negative economic impacts these orders will have on our businesses. We are dedicating millions to provide relief to local businesses while we continue to fight the spread of COVID-19 in our communities,” said DuPage County Chairman Dan Cronin.

The $2.5 million will be disbursed through the Reinvest DuPage program. Launched by the County in May, the Reinvest DuPage program has provided $21 million in funds for small businesses to help sustain the local economy. Interested businesses may apply for assistance beginning Wednesday morning at the Choose DuPage online portal.

Eligible establishments must be located within the geographic boundaries of DuPage County, derive more than 50 percent of their revenue from the sale of food or liquor, and demonstrate an annual revenue of less than $4 million. The maximum amount any applicant may receive is $15,000. Restaurants and bars must also be in compliance with the Governor’s executive orders to be eligible to receive funding.

Choose DuPage will continue to administer the program, and the application portal will open at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18. For more information about the Reinvest DuPage program or information about how to apply, please contact Choose DuPage at (630) 955-2090 or visit www.choosedupage.com.

Posted October 26, 2020,

At its meeting this morning, the DuPage County Board approved a resolution authorizing $2.5 million in additional funds for a new phase of the DuPage County Small Business Grant Relief Program designated for Restaurants and Food Establishments in DuPage County. Under this new phase, restaurants and food service establishments in DuPage who have less than $4 million in annual gross revenue and meet the criteria and qualifications outlined below, will be eligible to apply for Covid-19 relief funds up to $15,000 to cover business and operational expenses.

Posted October 20, 2020

DuPage County Moves Back to Phase 3, Restaurant Employees Support, Local Grants, and Chamber Support

Multiple important topics to share with you today; DuPage moving to Phase 3, Help for Restaurant Employees, Local DuPage Grants, and Chamber Support.  Please read to the end.

At the Governor's press conference this afternoon, he announced the roll back of restrictions starting Friday, October 23rd for DuPage, Kane, Will and Kankakee counties until there are three consecutive days of positivity rates at 6.5% or less.

Phase 3 Includes the following:
Bar & Restaurants

• All bars and restaurants close at 11pm and may reopen no earlier than 6 am the following day
• No indoor service
• All bar and restaurant patrons should be seated at tables outside
• No ordering, seating or congregating at bar (bar stools should be removed)
• Tables should be 6 feet apart
• No dancing or standing indoors
• Reservations required for each party
• No seating of multiple parties at one table

Meeting, social events and gatherings (including weddings, funerals, potlucks, etc.)

• Limit to lesser or 25 guests or 25% of overall room capacity both indoors and outdoors
• No party buses
• Gaming and Casinos close at 11 pm, are limited to 25% capacity, and follow mitigations for bars and restaurants, if applicable

Nothing changes for schools, which set their own rules under broad state guidelines

View the details for the Tier One Mitigation Plan.

Please share this information with your employees:

Illinois Restaurant Association regarding the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund, a program of the Illinois Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. This program provides one-time grants of $500 to support restaurant employees facing an unforeseen hardship due to Covid-19. For more information and to apply, please visit https://www.illinoisrestaurants.org/page/ReliefFundApplication
 

Local Grants and Resources:

To learn about the latest grants and resources available for the DuPage Business Community, businesses are encouraged to visit the DuPage County Business Toolkit at www.choosedupage.com

Restaurants Take Out Options
The Chamber has a link to all restaurants who offer Take Out. This list was created in the early weeks of COVID-19, things may have changed. If you are not on the list and wish to be, contact Cindy Allston: cindy@bloomingdalechamber.com.  This link will be shared in social media.  

Coupon Corner Drives Customers to Your Business
Remember to use the Coupon Corner to help bring customers to your establishment.  You can create a coupon at anytime.  The link to the coupons are emailed out monthly on the first Thursday of the month, but residents can access the coupons all month long, anywhere they can access to our website. Create your coupon on the Chamber website under Members> Post a Hot Deals.

Market to new Audiences on the Facebook Group Bloomingdale Strong
This group was created in March to allow businesses to post, unlike other neighborhood site which have restrictions. The site has grown to over 800.  You can post once a day about your business, your specials, the measures you are taking to keep your customers save.  Join Bloomingdale Strong, and share the group with your followers.
 

I'm sorry to share this upsetting news.  We have to work together to get COVID-19 under control.  I'm always open to your feedback and ideas how the Chamber can support you. Bloomingdale is Strong and Supportive!
 

Posted October 16, 2020

Comcast Grant for Minority Owned Business

Recently, small businesses have been dealing with the ongoing impact of the pandemic, social unrest and environmental events. Black-owned businesses have been some of the hardest hit.  According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, between February and April 2020, the number of active Black-own businesses declined by 41%, Latinx-owned businesses declined by 32% and Asian-owned businesses dropped by 25%, versus just 21% for the general population. Comcast RISE was created to invest in the success of these critical businesses by providing valuable and practical support. 

The Comcast RISE program which stands for Representation, Investment, Strength and Empowerment, will initially be available for Black business owners. Beginning November 28, 2020 all Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) business owners will be eligible to apply for Comcast RISE.

Selected businesses could receive one or more of the following services through Effectv, the advertising sales division of Comcast, and Comcast Business, a leading provider of technology for businesses of all sizes.

Areas the grant will cover include Consulting, Media, Creative Production, Technology Makeover, and Monetary Grant.  Visit  http://www.ComcastRISE.com for more information on eligibility requirements, and latest updates.  
 

Posted September 23, 2020

BIG Support for Small Business

The Business Interruption Grant (BIG) program is multi-million program developed by Governor Pritzker and the Illinois General Assembly to provide economic relief for small businesses hit hardest by COVID-19.BIG leverages federal funding provided by the CARES Act to help offset COVID-19 related losses for Illinois small businesses. Funding may be used to help businesses with working capital expenses, including payroll costs; rent; utilities; and other operational costs.

Applications for a second round of funding are now being accepted and can be found here. A total of $220 million will be made available for small businesses of all types in Illinois. Grants will be awarded and funded on a rolling basis until funding is depleted. The grant size will be equivalent to two months of expenses.

The BIG program is open to all eligible businesses (for profit and nonprofit) with $20 million or less in annual revenue in 2019 and experienced losses due to COVID-19. Of the total funding, $70 million will be invested in Disproportionately Impacted Areas (DIAs) and $60 million in heavily impacted industries. A map of the DIAs and the eligibility guidelines can be found on our website. The heavily impacted industries are defined as having annual revenues of $10 million or less and have been close or operating at a very diminished capacity since mid-March and are likely to continue to do so until Phase 5 of the Restore Illinois Plan. These industries include the following:

• Event spaces
• Music venues
• Performing arts venues
• Indoor recreation
• Amusement parks
• Movie theaters
• Museums
• Charter/shuttle buses

DCEO will be hosting webinars regarding this program. You can register for the webinars by using the links below:

Event: Northeast Region Business Interruption Grant Webinar
Date and time: Friday, September 25, 2020 2:00 p
Event address: https://illinois.webex.com/illinois/onstage/g.php?MTID=eae4c803e69f3132138ed9c902bf20d0e

Event: Northeast Region Business Interruption Grant Webinar
Date and Time: Monday, September 28, 2020 2:00 pm
Event Address: https://illinois.webex.com/illinois/onstage/g.php?MTID=eb5ae540f4ac73d79af6b0fcdc96cd4fa

Event: Northeast Region Business Interruption Grant Webinar
Date and time: Wednesday, September 30, 2020 3:00 pm
Event address: https://illinois.webex.com/illinois/onstage/g.php?MTID=e1b28c578db7ed2236ac96f8a0a0def37

For more information, please contact Joe McKeown @ joseph.mckeown@illinois.gov
www.illinois.gov/dceo

Posted June 22, 2020

Phase 4 on target to start Friday, June 26th

Are you ready for Phase 4?  Read up on the guidelines set by the Governor's Office. 
https://dceocovid19resources.com/restore-illinois/restore-illinois-phase-4/

Publicize your reopening on the Facebook Group Bloomingdale Strong. I would love to see live video of your business up on Bloomingdale Strong celebrating your reopening! Share what precautions your are taking to unsure the safety of your employees and customers.  You won't lose customers by being too safe, but you may lose customers if you don't take safety seriously. 

Posted June 12, 2020

DuPage Small Business Relief Grant Program re-open for applications

The program initially launched on May 18, and is now re-open for applications.

In an effort to assist small businesses and independent contractors impacted by COVID-19, DuPage County in conjunction with Choose DuPage is providing grants to use for employee retention payroll, utilities, and rent.

Criteria

Small businesses with fewer than 15 full-time employees and less than $1.5 million in annual revenue may apply for a grant up to $15,000.
Independent contractors with more than 50% of their annual income coming from 1099 work, and an annual income of less than $100,000 may apply for a grant up to $7,500.
Businesses and contractors that have received other funds intended for COVID-19 relief (i.e. PPP, EIDL) are not eligible.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PROGRAM, WATCH OUR INFORMATIONAL WEBINAR, AVAILABLE ON-DEMAND. View Webinar

For additional information, click here to visit our website. 

Posted June 5, 2020

Paycheck Protection Flexibility Bill

The U.S. Senate by unanimous passed the Paycheck Protection Flexibility Act tripling the time allotted for small businesses to spend their funds and still qualify for loan forgiveness.  A key provision the amount of PPP funds required to spend on payroll was lowered to 60%. June 30^th remains the deadline to apply for PPP.  (This does not include 501c6 organizations.)  The President is expected to sign the act.

The bill:

• PPP borrowers can choose to extend the eight-week period to 24 weeks, or they can keep the original eight-week period.
• Payroll expenditure requirement drops to 60% from 75% but is now a cliff, meaning that borrowers must spend at least 60% on payroll or none of the loan will be forgiven.
• Borrowers can use the 24-week period to restore their workforce levels and wages to the pre-pandemic levels required for full forgiveness. This must be done by Dec. 31, a change from the previous deadline of June 30.
• The legislation includes two new exceptions allowing borrowers to achieve full PPP loan forgiveness even if they don’t fully restore their workforce. First, as previously allowed, borrowers can exclude employees who turned down good faith offers to be rehired at the same hours and wages as before the pandemic in calculations. Second, the new bill allows borrowers to adjust because they could not find qualified employees or were unable to restore business operations to Feb. 15, 2020, levels due to COVID-19 related operating restrictions.
• Borrowers now have five years to repay the loan instead of two. The interest rate remains at 1%.
• The bill allows businesses that took a PPP loan to also delay payment of their payroll taxes, which was prohibited under the CARES Act.

Employers can grant paid leave for COVID-19

COVID Tax Tip 2020-63 , May 28, 2020

Under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, employers can grant paid leave for an employee to take care of their health needs related to COVID -19 or to care for their family members. This relief helps ensure employees are not forced to choose between being paid or staying home to care for themselves, a child or other family member.

In addition to the relief for employees, businesses can claim two new refundable payroll tax credits for granting paid leave to their employees. The paid sick leave credit and paid family leave credit are available for eligible employers who pay qualified sick leave wages and/or qualified family leave wages from April 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020, and who have fewer than 500 employees.

The paid sick leave credit and the paid family leave credit will immediately and fully reimburse employers for the cost of providing COVID-19 related leave to their employees.

Learn more: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/employers-can-grant-paid-leave-for-covid-19

Posted May 21, 2020

Starting May 29th, Restaurants will be allowed to open outdoor seating, with restrictions. View the Bloomingdale Outdoor Seating Guide for Restaurants for more information.

Posted May 12, 2020

DuPage County Launches Reinvest DuPage

DuPage County announced Tuesday it will launch Reinvest DuPage, a grant relief program developed in partnership with Choose DuPage for small businesses and independent contractors. The program will provide grants to sustain some businesses impacted by COVID-19.

DuPage County will fund this initial program with $7 million in monies received under the federal CARES Act. Choose DuPage will administer the plan with support from DuPage County and local banking and financial experts.

“We are well aware of the devastating impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on our small business community,” said County Board Chairman Dan Cronin. “We believe establishing this small business relief program will sustain some businesses until they can safely reopen.”

The program will provide grants of up to $15,000 for DuPage County-based businesses with fewer than 15 full-time employees and less than $1.5 million in annual revenues. Monies received under the program may be used for payroll, rent, mortgage payments, utilities, and other expenses necessary to maintain operations. A 1099 contractor whose annual income is less than $100,000 can also receive relief through the program.

Recipients may not have received assistance from either the federal Paycheck Protection Program, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan, any state hospitality grant, or any local loan or grant program.

Choose DuPage will hold a webinar at 11 a.m. May 15 to discuss the program with DuPage businesses. Registration for the webinar will be provided at www.choosedupage.com and Choose DuPage will promote the program via social media and an email outreach campaign.

The online-only application portal is expected to launch at 9 a.m. May 18.

View the Press Release Here.

Posted May 6, 2020

The Bloomingdale Chamber along with neighboring Chambers are working on a list of businesses who can provide PPE, hand sanitizers, and cleaning products.  If you can provide these, please contact me at cindy@BloomingdaleChamber.com.  This list will eventually be shared with all members to help you prepare for reopening.
 
Restore Illinois
Governor Pritzker unveiled the Restore Illinois plan, phases and regions. We are currently in Phase 2: Non-essential retail store re-open for curb-side pickup and delivery; Illinoisans are directed to wear face coverings when in public.  We will be in this phase until at least May 29 when the State can reevaluate.  Each phase will last 28 days between reevaluating.   The State will be looking at the number of new cases, testing and number of hospital beds available.  Bloomingdale is in the Northeast Region along with Cook County and Chicago. DuPage County mayors and managers are working to get DuPage out of the Northeast Region.  For now,  Bloomingdale will continue to follow the planned phases as directed by the State.

Please email me at cindy@bloomingdalechamber.com if your OPEN status has changed so I can update our website list.  Provide one line of how you are open, for example curbside pickup only, restricting number of customers in the store , at risk hours are: etc.

You can review the Restore Illinois Plan documents here:
Restore Illinois – A Public Health Approach to Safely Reopen Our State
Restore Illinois Phases
Restore Illinois Health Regions
Illinois Department of Public Health metrics 
 
Paycheck Protection Program Loans FAQ
There have been many questions about the PPP. There is an updated list of the FAQ which can be found HERE.  If you have questions, I encourage your review this list and contact the bank which granted you the loan.  There are still details about reporting which have to be addressed. 

The two I hear the most is:

Question: Will a borrower’s PPP loan forgiveness amount (pursuant to section 1106 of the CARES Act and SBA’s implementing rules and guidance) be reduced if the borrower laid off an employee, offered to rehire the same employee, but the employee declined the offer?

Answer: No. As an exercise of the Administrator’s and the Secretary’s authority under Section 1106(d)(6) of the CARES Act to prescribe regulations granting de minimis exemptions from the Act’s limits on loan forgiveness, SBA and Treasury intend to issue an interim final rule excluding laid-off employees whom the borrower offered to rehire (for the same salary/wages and same number of hours) from the CARES Act’s loan forgiveness reduction calculation. The interim final rule will specify that, to qualify for this exception, the borrower must have made a good faith, written offer of rehire, and the employee’s rejection of that offer must be documented by the borrower. Employees and employers should be aware that employees who reject offers of re-employment may forfeit eligibility for continued unemployment compensation.
 
Question: The amount of forgiveness of a PPP loan depends on the borrower’s payroll costs over an eight-week period; when does that eight-week period begin?

Answer: The eight-week period begins on the date the lender makes the first disbursement of the PPP loan to the borrower. The lender must make the first disbursement of the loan no later than ten calendar days from the date of loan approval.


Facebook Business Grant Opportunity

Facebook is giving away $100 million to up to 30,000 eligible businesses across 30 countries where they operate. To be eligible to apply your business must:

• Have between 2-50 employees
• Have been in business for over year
• Have experienced challenges from COVID-19
• Be in or near a location where Facebook operates

For more information visit Facebook Grant Program.
 

Posted April 29, 2020

WorkNet grants helps essential businesses to stay open

The Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity has made some funds available for your local WorkNet offices throughout Illinois to prevent essential, small businesses from laying off or furloughing employees. They are looking for businesses for whom these potential grant dollars would make the difference between keeping workers on or having to layoff/furlough. Here are some sample scenarios that qualifying businesses (“essential” per the Governor’s order and “small” by the SBA’s definition) can apply to cover—
 

• A small business needs their employees to be at work, on‐site, but cannot afford frequent deep cleaning to help prevent potential exposure to COVID‐19. Layoff aversion funds could be used to pay for a cleaning/sanitization service.

• A small business whose employees use specific software or computer applications asks their employees to work from home/remotely in order to support social distancing and limit potential exposure to COVID‐19. Layoff aversion funding could be used to purchase the software programs and/or hardware (computers) that the employee would need to use from home to support their work.
• A call center environment needs to have their employees work from home/remotely in order to support social distancing and limit potential exposure to COVID‐19. Layoff aversion funding could be used to purchase remote access supplies, including laptop computers and/or smart phones, that the employee would need to use from home to support their work.
• In order to support social distancing and limit potential exposure to COVID‐19, a company that usually runs two shifts of workers adds a third shift, so that fewer employees are on onsite at any given time. Layoff aversion funding could be used to offset related costs to the employer or workers, excluding wages and benefits.
• Incumbent worker training to redirect and reassign existing employees on critical business needs. Layoff aversion funding can help pay for projects to support the production of goods and services that are needed to address COVID‐19 National Health Emergency and/or preserve critical business operations to stay in business.

 
Please note that this list is not all inclusive. Employee payroll and benefits cannot, however, be covered through this funding opportunity. Upcoming costs as well as expenses incurred already since the start of the Governor’s stay-at-home order (March 20) can be reimbursed through this grant. The amount that can be awarded per company is $5,000-$50,000.  What expenses did you incurred to stay open? Be creative.  It is such a short easy application, I encourage you to try, and please let me know how it goes.
 
There is a very brief application document that companies in need should complete and submit to your local WorkNet office by close of business Wednesday, May 6.  We are looking for companies for which this type of funding will truly be a game changer!
 
The key to keep in mind is the money is going to the local workforce areas.  The chambers / businesses interested in receiving assistance must connect with their respective local workforce area.  Send your application to Lisa Schvach at LSchvach@worknetdupage.org by May 6th!
 

Posted April 24, 2020

Stay At Home Order updates, changes to which businesses can open & Retail to Go

Yes, it was disappointing the Executive Order to Stay At Home was extended through May, however there were some positive changes.  Let’s build upon those.  

With new essential businesses opening and non-essential retail able to place orders for deliver and pick up, more stores are able to partially open.  The launch of the COUPON CORNER on Thursday is perfectly timed.  Get your coupon loaded to be included in Thursday's email by completing the Google Form.

Businesses who are open, let’s celebrate with Retail To Go by going LIVE on Facebook May 1st on the Bloomingdale Strong Facebook Group.  Let’s fill the page with businesses who are open, giving tours of their store, highlighting deals, explaining the precautions being taken to ensure the products they deliver are safe. Have fun with it! Celebrate this small victory. Let’s see who can be the most creative and receive the most likes on Facebook.  Whoever has the most likes on their LIVE stream on the Bloomingdale Strong Facebook Group will receive a free Eblast from the Chamber. Likes will be counted May 1st at 5:00 pm.

Read below for the updates on the extension.  

Face Coverings
Beginning on May, individuals will be required to wear a face-covering or mask when in a public place where six feet of social distancing can’t be maintain and in public indoor spaces, including stores.  This new requirement applies to all individuals over the age of two who are able to medically tolerate a face-covering or mask.
 
New Essential Businesses
Greenhouses, garden centers and nurseries may re-open as essential businesses, as can animal grooming businesses.  Social distancing requirements must be maintained and both employees and their customers are required to wear a face-covering.
 
Non-Essential Retail
Retail store not currently designated as essential businesses may re-open to fulfill telephone on online orders through pick-up outside the store and for delivery.

Essential Businesses and Manufacturing
Essential businesses and manufacturers will be required to provide face-coverings to all employees who are unable to maintain six feet of social distancing, along with following new requirements that maximize social distancing and prioritize the well-being of employees and customers, including occupancy limits and precautions such as staggered shifts and operation of only essential lines for manufacturers.
 
Schools
While to closed, educational institutions may allow and establish procedures for pick-up pf necessary supplies or student belongings.  Resident hall move-outs must follow public health guidelines, including social distancing.
 
Health Care
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) also will be issuing guidelines to surgi-centers and hospitals to allow for certain elective surgeries for non-life-threatening conditions, starting on May 1.  Facilities will need to comply with certain criteria, including proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), testing of elective surgery patients to ensure COVID-19 negative status and ensuring enough overall space remains available for COVID-19 patients.
 
Outdoor Recreation
State parks will begin a phased re-opening under the guidance of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR).  Fishing and boating of no more than two people will be permitted.  Golfing will be permitted under strict safety guidelines provided by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (IDCEO) and when social distancing is ensured.
 
Small Business PPP Relief Refunding
The $484 billion in new federal relief funding includes $310 billion to replenish PPP—which exhausted $349 billion in Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Stability (CARES) Act in only two weeks—$75 billion for hospitals, $25 billion for COVID-19 testing and additional monies for the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program.
 
Congressional Democrats also are pushing for a fifth piece of legislation to provide federal relief to states and cities, and chambers of commerce, business and trade associations and other Internal Revenue Service (IRS)-designated 501(c)(6) not-for-profit organizations not eligible for PPP funding in the CARES Act or the newly-appropriated bill.