Economic Development
Updates on PPP from US Chamber
If you missed our Zoom call today, Chris Eyler from the US Chamber was a guest speaker. He shared with us some of what he hears, knows, and expects about changes coming to the the Payroll Protection Program (PPP.) He also wanted to stress the US Chamber‘s priorities to businesses for Phase Four. After the…
Read MorePPP Loan Forgiveness Application
As more businesses are starting to see PPP fund distribution into their accounts, they are wondering how to apply for the conversion of the loan into a grant. The SBA, in consultation with the Department of the Treasury, released the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan Forgiveness Application and detailed instructions for the application. The documents…
Read MoreACT NOW – Free online training series open for registration today at 10 a.m.
The Washington State Department of Commerce has partnered with the Thurston Economic Development Council (EDC) to offer free training to small business owners as they move through the Covid crisis. The program, ScaleUp provides actionable ideas to help small business owners right now and to build resiliency for the future. It is not a new…
Read MorePPP Update: Banks Resume Processing PPP
April 27, 2020: As you may know, the Coronavirus relief expansion bill passed last week. As of 7:30 a.m. Pacific Time today, banks resume PPP application processing. If you are still looking for a PPP lender, here is a complete list by state of PPP lenders from the last round of funding, provided by the…
Read MoreWorking Washington Small Business Emergency Grants
Update April 24, 2020: The amount of money available for this grant has been expanded to $10M. However applications are closed. Pierce county alone received over 4000 applications. Word is that Pierce County businesses who applied will be notified if their applications have or have not been forwarded to the state. On April 7, Gov.…
Read MoreLaid Off?
Unemployment has seen a massive spike with Covid-19, but efforts at relief are making it slightly less painful. If you have lost your job, then read on. The CARES Act provides businesses with an incentive to retain employees through the PPP (Paycheck Protection Program). Additionally, Unemployment Insurance is now said to be on steroids. For…
Read MoreCARES Act
With the $2.2 trillion stimulus package signed today, there is tremendous relief available for small businesses, who are struggling to keep their employees on payroll. Congress has approved the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. It allocates $350 billion in emergency loans for small businesses to help them keep workers employed. In fact,…
Read MoreConsolidated Corona Info
Who else is feeling a true sense of information overload? I’ve spent more time watching the news in the last couple weeks than I could have imagined. On a conference call today, I was directed to a comprehensive website that consolidates information and is regularly updated. The webpage is pretty easy to navigate with the…
Read MoreChildcare Issues and Workforce
As I tuned into the AWB’s (Association of Washington Businesses) Workforce Summit webinar today, one of the sessions was about Childcare costs. Without a doubt, this is an issue with which employers and employees have continuous struggles. Since my kids are older, I had not thought a lot about it during this current crisis, but…
Read MoreAction List for business owners impacted by COVID-19
Is Covid affecting your bottom line and cash flow? Today I listened to a Workforce Summit Live Webinar with AWB. One of the speakers was from the Thurston Economic Development Council and Center for Business and Innovation. She had some great information that she encouraged others to share. For that reason, this is copied and…
Read MoreSmall Business Resiliency Guide
The SBDC (Small Business Development Center) says, “As you all know, the best time to craft a business resiliency plan is before you go into business. The next best time is now. An actionable resiliency plan could mean the difference between business continuity under adverse conditions and business closure.” They have links for Business Resiliency…
Read MoreResources for Businesses impacted by Corona
Information about these opportunities is changing frequently. As soon as information is gathered, updates will be posted here. Updated March 23: On March 22, the SBA posted the following. Update: Disaster Assistance Now Available to all Washington Small Businesses Economically Impacted by COVID-19 As of 7:30 am on Monday, March 16… The SBA may be…
Read MoreBusiness Resources amid Covid – Columbia Bank
The FME Chamber is actively searching for ways to support our members during this unprecedented time. We know that Corona will have a significant impact on some of our members so we will be sharing resources as we find them. Columbia Bank sent me a message saying, “ “Hi Kara, Columbia Bank does offer quick…
Read MoreCovid and the possibility of SBA Disaster Loans
In January, we had a representative of the Small Business Administration visit our C3 group. Desiree gave us all sorts of information about the resources SBA has for small businesses. Prior to now, few thought of Covid-19 being a disaster for our region at the time. Therefore, Desiree didn’t mention it. But an economic disaster…
Read MorePierce Transit Destination 2040 Long Range Plan Update
Pierce County, along with our region as a whole, is growing rapidly. At the RAMP meeting this month, there was a statistic that floored me. In our 4 county Puget Sound region, in 2019, our population grew 68,470 over the previous year. Divide that by 365 and we had an increase of 188 new residents…
Read MoreRegional Airport Capacity
This morning, Lora and I attended the RAMP (Regional Access Mobility Partnership) meeting at the Port of Tacoma. One of the speakers was Josh Brown from the Puget Sound Regional Council. A few of the things he shared were incredibly interesting and thought provoking. The study specifically addresses aviation concerns in our region over the…
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