Laredo Main Street
COVID-19 Laredo Main Street Resources
MileOne Announces Paycheck Protection Program 2021 Application Workshop & Information Series
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) approved emergency amendments to TABC Rules that immediately:
· Enable retailers who sell alcoholic beverages for on-premise consumption to more easily qualify for a Food and Beverage (FB) Certificate.
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Remove some of the more difficult and costly requirements to qualify for the FB Certificate so that these businesses do not need to make major changes to their business models or invest in expensive equipment.
Many establishments that would have otherwise remained shuttered will be able to reopen and operate in a safe manner due to these amendments. The guidance below outlines the process for reopening and qualifying for an FB Certificate, if needed.
Main Street America and Brother International "At Your Side" Small Business Grant $5,000 to $10,000 USD will be awarded on a competitive basis. DEADLINE Thursday, January 28, 2021 6:59pm CST.
LAREDO, Texas — MileOne, a City of Laredo partner, will be hosting a three (3) day application workshop and information series regarding the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) from January 26 – 28, 2021. It will be presented by the Minority Business Development Agency with the U.S Department of Commerce.
Topics to be covered include:
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What's New for the PPP 2021
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PPP Overview & Updates
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Applying for the PPP in 2021
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PPP Qualifications & Application Process
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Taxes & Finance for the PPP 2021
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PPP Important Financial Information
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The Paycheck Protection Program is a federal program governed by the U.S Small Business Administration (SBA) that provides loans to help businesses keep their workforce employed during this pandemic.
The loans provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on payroll and can be used to help fund costs, including benefits, and mortgage interest, rent, utilities, and other eligible expenses related to COVID-19.
This workshop series is open to the public and is free of charge. To register, please visit https://www.mileoneinc.com/ppp-2021-workshops or contact MileOne at 956-413-8855.
Texas Business Bulletin
Governor's Webinar
The Governor’s Small Business Webinar Series provides Texas small business owners and entrepreneurs with timely, relevant, actionable information on COVID-19 recovery resources.
Businesses also get the chance to connect with local experts and support systems.
Texas Travel Industry and Covid-19
All communities in Texas, big and small, are being severely impacted by the loss of travel spending due to the coronavirus. According to recent estimates from the U.S. Travel Association, annual travel industry losses for the U.S. could approach -45% and far exceed that of any other sector. The impact of the coronavirus on the travel industry is projected to be 9 times that of 9/11. The research also shows significant losses for Texas. The state has lost more than $1 billion in travel spending each week since March 21 – the fourth highest impact among all states following only California, Florida and New York.
Other industry indicators support the economic impact estimates. As seen in the chart from research firm STR, hotel room nights sold across the state dropped to 889,000 the week of April 18. This represents an occupancy rate of around 20% statewide. Airlines have cancelled flights and reduced scheduled departures to Texas airports. As of April 27, Texas departures for the upcoming four weeks are down -65% according to Airline Data, Inc.
Travel Texas is monitoring industry impacts as well as consumer sentiment for when the time is right to travel again. Recent surveys show that many travelers are postponing trips for later in the year, feel safer on road trips, and are more likely to explore destinations closer to home. Resources to assist the travel industry with recovery from COVID-19 are available at www.travel.texas.gov.
Governor's Plan to Open Texas
Governor Greg Abbott has established the Strike Force to Open Texas—a team of nationally recognized medical experts and private and public leaders who will advise the Governor on safely and strategically reopening the state of Texas.
EDT's Executive Director, Adriana Cruz, has been appointed to serve as a member of the Strike Force Advisory Group and a co-chair of the Workforce, Economic Development & International Trade Working Group. She is working directly with business leaders and economic development partners from across the state to make recommendations to the Governor.
Texans are invited to visit the Strike Force to Open Texas' official website where they can offer feedback to the Strike Force using the "Contact" button.
On April 27, 2020, the Governor and the Strike Force announced Phase I to open Texas, which will begin May 1. Certain services and activities will be allowed to open with limited occupancy. The Texas Department of State Health Services has issued minimum standard health protocols for all businesses and individuals to follow. Guidance for employers, employees and individuals begins on page 20 of The Governor's Report to Open Texas. Download the report below and be sure to review all relevant health protocol checklists.
Texas Governor's Executive Order
You can find our latest findings about Texas orders and mandates on this link. You can also go to his website for previous reports.
Main Street "At Your Side" Grant
Learn how to keep your customers and Employees safe
As Texas has begun allowing businesses to open their doors, including non-essential services starting May 18th, it's important to know what you need to do to keep your employees and customers safe.
Join us for a 1-hr webinar to learn what best practices you can employ in order to keep your community COVID free.
Presenting the webinar will be Rafael Benavides, Public Information Officer with the City of Laredo. Him and his team have been working around the clock keeping the public informed on the COVID outbreak, so this is your opportunity to get expert guidance for your business.
As Texas has begun allowing businesses to open their doors, including non-essential services starting May 18th, it's important to know what you need to do to keep your employees and customers safe.
Join us for a 1-hr webinar to learn what best practices you can employ in order to keep your community COVID free.
Presenting the webinar will be Rafael Benavides, Public Information Officer with the City of Laredo. Him and his team have been working around the clock keeping the public informed on the COVID outbreak, so this is your opportunity to get expert guidance for your business.
U.S. Chamber "Path Forward" Program
Masks, Temperature Scanners,
and More
SPEAKERS
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Suzanne Clark
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President, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
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Paul Benda
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Senior Vice President, Risk and Cybersecurity Policy, American Bankers Association
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Dr. Angela Hewlett
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Medical Director, Nebraska Biocontainment Unit
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Randy Owen,
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CEO, ThermoWorks
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Rodney McMullen
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Chairman and CEO, Kroger
Watch Other Recordings
Big Picture: Road Map to Reopening
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From barriers to reopening, to big questions about immunity and liability, to ways employers can incorporate innovative approaches to safety into the workplace, the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s program series Path Forward fosters dialogue on helping America prepare to restart the economy and get millions of people back to work.
Transportation: Overcoming Barriers for Return to Work
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SPEAKERS
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Suzanne Clark
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President, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
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Raj Subramaniam
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President and Chief Operating Officer,
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FedEx Corporation
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Rick Cotton
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Executive Director
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Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
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Nuria Fernandez, Chairman
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American Public Transportation Association; and CEO, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
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Phil Washington
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CEO, Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Federal and National Resources
CDC Resources
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides extensive information and updates on how to prevent community spread. Below is specific guidance for community organizations, businesses, and event planners.
U.S. Department of Labor
The U.S. Department of Labor provides information on common issues employers and employees face when responding to influenza, pandemics, or other public health emergencies.
SBA Resources
The Small Business Administration (SBA) released a toolkit offering guidance for businesses and employers to plan and respond to Coronavirus. They also offer the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program that provides small businesses with working capital loans of up to $2 million that can provide vital economic support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
The U.S. Chamber is working to inform and equip businesses with the most important and up-to-date information to prevent the spread of the virus and prepare businesses for the near and long-term impact.
Laredo Main Street & Tools
Laredo Main Street organizations have an essential role to play in supporting businesses during this difficult period, and our Laredo Main Street staff are actively supporting businesses and communities in the recovery process.
We are updating this resource page on a daily basis. Please call 956-523-8817 if you'd like to contribute.
Funding Programs
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The Small Business Administration's Economic Injury Disaster Loan program provides small businesses with working capital loans of up to $2 million that can provide vital economic support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing. Learn more.
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Facebook is offering $100M in cash grants and ad credits through their Small Business Grants Program. Learn more.
Webinars
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Rhonda Abrams/USA Today Small Business Facebook Livestream | Daily at 1:00pm EDT
Other Resources
Texas.gov
Restaruant Regulation
Main Street America
Texas Health and Human Services
Texas A&M System
Texas Workforce Commission
Employers
Mass Claim Unemployment
Shared Work
U.S. Customs & Border Protection
Starting midnight April 1st, Gateway to the Americas Bridge will
continue to remain operational 24 hours for pedestrian traffic. Trusted
Traveler Program (TTP) SENTRI participants will only be able to access
express lanes from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. At all times, all other
vehicular traffic will be diverted to the Juarez-Lincoln International
and Colombia-Solidarity Bridges, which will be operating at their normal
hours.
To avoid any potential delays, CBP encourages travelers to download the CBP Border Wait Time App through their mobile device. The CBP Border Wait Time app displays live estimated wait times and open lane
statuses at U.S. land ports of entry.
BA Disaster Recovery Assistance Webinars
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Join us for the latest information about SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. These sessions will cover the basics of the program, how to apply and where you get get additional help with preparing and applying for an SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans through the SBA's website.
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Small businesses are the heartbeat of our communities. As they deal with this crisis, they continue to do what they can to help their community, and SBA will continue to assist small businesses with emergency loans and business counseling as we have for the last 67 years. To help support our small business community SBA has created a small business resource page dedicated to COVID-19 at SBA.gov/Coronavirus.
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We want to emphasize that public health is the priority and we’re encouraging small businesses to do their part to keep their employees, customers and themselves healthy by following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most up-to-date information on COVID-19, as well as Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond.
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US Treasury, IRS and Labor announce plan to implement Coronavirus-related paid leave for workers and tax credits for small and midsize businesses to swiftly recover the cost of providing Coronavirus-related leave.
How to Support Local Safely
Tip Sheet: As the COVID-19 crisis continues to develop, we’ve gathered some quick tips, ideas, and inspiration that your Main Street program can implement to keep your community supporting local while social distancing or isolating.
Social Graphics: We also created a set of social graphics highlighting ways your local community can continue to engage and support your Main Street businesses. Please download Instagram - single image or slide show, Facebook, and Twitter graphics and share widely on your social accounts to spread the word on how to continue supporting local! Please use #SupportLocal when posting.
PeopleFund Disaster Relief Program for Covid-19
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If you've already applied for the SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) or the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), you may be eligible for a bridge loan while your loan and funds are processed. Visit their coronavirus relief page to learn more and apply for this assistance program.
