Humboldt Made Member Update
Note From Our Executive Director
Humboldt Made is an organization dedicated to helping our small businesses grow in and outside our County.
In response to this crisis, we have been frequently relaying important information to our members, fielding calls, promoting businesses on our social media accounts and encouraging our community to shop local and #choosehumboldt now more than ever. We are facilitating connections to expertise, networking with other organizations, hosting webinars, and sharing resources.
It is remarkable how our community has come together to support our business community. They need our continued support. Keep shopping local, buy those gift certificates, write that online review, and share those posts from your favorite businesses. We are all in this together. If any community can pull through this unprecedented crisis, Humboldt can and will.
-Alanna Powell
alanna@humboldtmade.com
Upcoming Programming
Welcome to a new webinar series hosted by Humboldt Made's Alanna Powell and respected digital marketing expert Allie Heemstra of Allie Illuminates. Every session they will bring you ideas, solutions, and experts to help us all navigate this crisis.
Disaster Loans and Other Financial Assistance Options
Today's webinar will cover the SBA's COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan program and other lending options and financial resources available to help your business stay afloat during this crisis.
Leave with practical ideas for how to navigate the loan application process, make your business as lean as possible, and get resources to help you rebuild. Q&A session with lending advisors at the end.
YOU MUST PRE-REGISTER TO ATTEND. REGISTRATION CLOSES AT 11:00 AM ON THE DAY OF THE WEBINAR
Before the meeting, please make sure that you have downloaded and installed the Zoom app on your computer. It’s fairly fast and easy, but does take a few minutes, so if you wait until 12:00 to do that, you will miss out on the first several minutes of the webinar. Once you have registered for the webinar you will receive a Zoom link for that specific meeting.
Here is a link to our last Webinar in which we discussed resources available for businesses during this Covid-19 crisis, creating an action plan going forward as well as a Q & A session.
Other Resources from the last webinar:
The COVID-19 Crisis Action Plan for Small Businesses Template
Best Practices for Brands Communication During Times of Uncertainty
Helpful Messages from Members & Community Partners
Sales Opportunity
“Delish has closed to the public but we are gearing up to local deliver and ship our retail products. We will be staffing phones and taking online orders and delivering next day to local customers and shipping out of area orders. Anyone who wants to have their products included in the cart can participate in the following way: Contact us via email and let us know what products you would like to include on the Store. 100% of the sale price will go to the maker( less .035 credit card transaction fees) (meaning if we sell the product for $10.00 we will pay $9.65 to the maker). This would be a consignment relationship. We can pick up agreed products or they can drop off to Delish ( respecting social distance and no contact). Delish will manage the selling and delivery. I will pay maker or return unused products in 30 days.
I hope to hear back from you soon.
Contact info: buyer@delishon5th.com ”
Sales Tax Info
“If your business has been negatively impacted by the Covid 19 epidemic, you may have some options about your sales tax payments. Please go to this website and follow the link at the top to see what your options might be. I also encourage you to call - the CDTFA people are very helpful and easy to talk to. They may be a bit overloaded right now, so the website might be quicker, but if you have questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to call them.
https://www.cdtfa.ca.gov/ ”
Info on Credit Card Companies Response to Covid-19
“Main Street, Chamber, and Humboldt Made friends—
I just wanted to share the excellent response I got from American Express today. I contacted them via online chat to discuss the fact that as a small business owner whose store was closed, I could not pay my balance on time due to the coronavirus, was concerned about developing a bad credit history, and wanted to know what to do. They immediately replied with the attached. The whole thing took me about 5 minutes.
It was such a refreshing response for a major corporation, and they clearly had the terms set up in advance. It’s likely that other businesses and makers in our districts use American Express to make purchase for merchandise. It may be helpful to share this news with them so that they can make similar arrangements to avoid negative penalties.”
Updates from our Partners at SBDC
North Coast Small Business Pandemic Update
Small Business COVID 19 Emergency Response Mailing List. Please share this link with five people today. Not everyone gets our emails, but everyone needs to know what's going on. One way you can help your friends is to make sure the business owners you know and care about are getting the information they need.
SBA Disaster Loans open for Humboldt and Del Norte. (A client reports the online application is working, now!) Learn more on our COVID-19 FAQ page at How can I apply for a SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan? It's a good idea to run your application through a business advisor--see below--and you can also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov
US Export-Import Bank Extends Program Waivers, Extensions, and Other Provisions to U.S. Customers and Lenders. These include waivers, deadline extensions, streamlined processing, and flexibility, to our customers for an initial period of 30 days (with the possibility of a further extension. More on this fact sheet.
Small Business Grants Program. Facebook has announced a program of cash grants and ad credits for up to 30,000 eligible small businesses in over 30 countries affected by COVID-19 pandemic. Click here for more information.
North Coast SBDC Client Services Alert. Your Small Business Development Center has received an massive spike in requests for business consulting. No surprise. So we are implementing a "client triage process". Top urgency are clients who need help managing or preventing layoffs or securing financing to cover operating expenses. We have two teams with appropriate expertise ready to work with you immediately. New clients can apply here and returning clients can contact us at admin@northcoastsbdc.org or (707) 445-9720 x210. We are continuing to support other clients and have advisors ready for you, but our response time will be a little slower for non-crisis requests.
COVID-19 Tax Relief
Federal Tax COVID-19 Relief Measures. The IRS has established a special section focused on steps to help taxpayers affected by the coronavirus. Income tax payment deadlines for individual returns are being automatically extended until July 15, 2020, for up to $1 million of their 2019 tax due. This payment relief applies to all individual returns, including self-employed individuals, and all entities other than C-Corporations, such as trusts or estates. IRS will automatically provide this relief to taxpayers. Taxpayers do not need to file any additional forms or call the IRS to qualify for this relief. For C Corporations, income tax payment deadlines are being automatically extended until July 15, 2020, for up to $10 million of their 2019 tax due. More details on these tax relief announcements here.
State Tax COVID-19 Relief Measures. State Treasurer Fiona Ma announced efforts to assist taxpayers and businesses during the COVID-19 outbreak. The Franchise Tax Board announced an extension to file 2019 California tax returns and make payments until June 15. Partnerships and LLCs who are taxed as partnerships and whose returns are due on March 15 now have a 90-day extension to file and pay by June 15. Individual filers whose returns are due on April 15 now have a 60-day extension to file and pay by June 15.
County Property Tax Deadline News. The California Association of County Treasurers and Tax Collectors (CACTTC) has developed a statement related to property tax payments due April 10. While treasurer-tax collectors cannot extend the property tax deadline, they are empowered to waive interest or penalties for those who are unable to physically pay their taxes due to quarantine, illness, or closure of the Tax Collector’s office as a result of COVID-19. Please see the attached draft statement for more information.
Latest Resources for Small Businesses in Crisis
Employers Trying to Avoid Layoffs. [short video] Are you looking for that sweet spot where you cut payroll but keep your team working and paid? Watch this important PSA on EDD's Workshare program from the Eureka Chamber of Commerce's Sierra Jenkins.
Prepping to apply for Emergency SBA Economic Injury Loans. [webinar] Thursday, March 19th, 10 am -11:30 am Register here. Note: Seats are full but please get yourself on the wait-list in case capacity gets bumped up, or at least to get the recording. Provided by Northern California SBDC.
Recursos Para Pequeñas Empresas en California Afectadas por COVID-19 [webinar] Jueves, 19 de marzo, 11:00. Registrese aqui. Con el nuevo desarrollo del virus COVID-19, muchos empleadores tienen preguntas sobre las implicaciones en el lugar de trabajo. por Small Business Majority.
Surviving Together [webinar] Friday, March 20th, 12 - 1 pm. Register here. This is the first live webinar in a new series hosted by Humboldt Made's Alanna Powell and respected digital marketing expert Allie Heemstra of Allie Illuminates. Every session they will bring you ideas, solutions, and experts to help us all navigate this crisis. They will be recorded and shared afterward. From North Coast SBDC.
Restaurants, Hospitality Businesses and the Pandemic Crisis. [webinar] Friday March 20th, 2pm. Register here. Managing workforce, keeping your ABC license, best practices for to-go and delivery services, and getting a SBA disaster loan. Note: Seats are full but please get yourself on the wait-list in case capacity gets bumped up, or at least to get the recording. Provided by Northern California SBDC.
Working Capital Loans: The 6 Best Options of 2020 [web page] A range of working capital finance options at this blog post from Fundera.
How Small Businesses Can Prepare for the Coronavirus [web page] A range of useful resources at this web page, including a Crisis Communications Checklist.
Resources to help your small business manage through uncertainty [web page] Advice from Google on staying in touch with customers and employees. Click here.
8-Point Plan For Restaurant And Hospitality Employers During The COVID-19 Coronavirus Outbreak [web page]. An update on the latest federal and state rules relating to coronavirus and a suggested plan of action. Click here.
When A Recession Comes, Don't Stop Advertising [article] "As a popular adage says, “When times are good you should advertise. When times are bad you must advertise.” There are several reasons to advertise during a slowdown. Read on in this Forbes article.
Attention
Get Advice in this Sunday's Business Sense column with reflections and advice from the North Coast SBDC Director.
Stay Updated COVID-19 Resources and Guidance for Small Business is updated daily or more: northcoastsbdc.org/covid19
Get Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About COVID-19 and your business here
Sign up at the Small Business Emergency Preparedness mailing list & submit a question: surveymonkey.com/r/NorthCoastBizCOVID19
Get confidential layoff or closure help ... manage and support your employees during forced closures or layoffs with the Layoff Rapid Response team by emailing layoffhelp@northcoastsbdc.org or calling (707) 445-9720 x211
Get confidential management or finance help ... figure out how to maximize income, reduce expenses, apply for disaster funding and more by signing up to speak with a business advisor at northcoastsbdc.org/apply
North Coast SBDC Center Service Continuity
Is the Center headquarters open?
No. Starting Wednesday, March 17th the Center's main office at 520 E Street, Eureka is staffed but not open for walk-in clients. Please call 707-445-9720 x210 or email admin@northcoastsbdc.org instead.
Also, please be aware that staff are working at top intensity to maintain ongoing operations while ramping up during the crisis so please start by accessing the resources above to see if we've already answered your question.
Is my workshop still running?
Probably. Most of our workshops through May are still on and will be offered virtually via Zoom. Register for the workshops you want to attend northcoastsbdc.org/calendar and we will send you login instructions. You'll need a computer, decent Internet speed, and ideally a separate phone. The workshops that require a high level of interaction and/or computer labs will be postponed.
Can I still meet with my business advisor?
Yes. Our advisors are independent contractors so we leave it up to you two to decide where and how to meet. Many of our advisors are prepared to meet with you by phone and/or videoconference to make sure you continue to get the help you need.
North Coast Small Business Development Center
www.northcoastsbdc.org | admin@northcoastsbdc.org
Humboldt: (707) 445-9720 | Del Norte: (707) 464-2168