SBN’s Response to COVID-19

SBN remains fully operational to serve our local diverse independent business community during COVID-19. This page will remain updated with accurate, relevant, and timely resources to help you through this time. With your health and safety in mind, we have postponed all in-person programs and events until further notice.

COVID-19 LOCAL INDEPENDENT BUSINESS RESOURCES 

FUNDING & FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE 

CITY, STATE, FEDERAL & CORPORATE 

• Founders First Job Creators Quest Grant (Philadelphia/ New Jersey) – Deadline: August 20, 2021
  • Founders First is committed to increasing diverse founder-led businesses generating over $1 million in revenues and creating premium wage jobs.
  • A total of $60,000 ($50K cash + scholarships) will be awarded to 20 small businesses: (2) $10,000 grant (2) $4,000 grant; (4) $2,500 grants; (12) $1,000 grants plus each grant recipient will receive a tuition scholarship for one of Founders First CDC’s stellar business accelerator programs.
  • Program Qualifications:
    • Must be in the Philadelphia/New Jersey metro area (Philadelphia County, Camden County, Burlington County, Mercer County, and Essex County)
    • Must have a current staff of 2-20 employees
    • Will have the ability to add 1-2+ net new premium wage jobs in the next 12 months.
    • Founders must be Black, Indigenous, Person of Color, LGBTQIA+, Military Veteran, Woman, or located in a Low to Moderate Income area.
    • Be a for-profit company with annual revenues between $100K and $3 million.

• SBA Shuttered Venue Operators Grant – OPEN
  • The grant program was established by the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act, and amended by the American Rescue Plan Act and includes over $16 billion in grants to shuttered venues, to be administered by SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance.
  • Eligible applicants may qualify for grants equal to 45% of their gross earned revenue, with the maximum amount available for a single grant award of $10 million. $2 billion is reserved for eligible applications with up to 50 full-time employees.
  • Eligible entities include: Live venue operators or promoters, theatrical producers, live performing arts organization operators, relevant museum operators, zoos, and aquariums who meet specific criteria, motion picture theater operators, and talent representatives.

• SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan – Deadline: December 31, 2021
  
  • The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program provides small businesses with working capital for vital economic support to small businesses to help overcome loss of revenue due to COVID-19.
  • Loans are up to $2M dollars with up to a 30-year term.
  • Advances up to $10K do not have to be repaid and covers the period of February 15, 2020 to December 21, 2020. 
  • Any small business with less than 500 employees, private non-profit organization or 501(c)(19) veterans’ organizations is eligible. 

• PA 30 Day Fund – Deadline: December 31, 2023 
  • The non-profit Pennsylvania 30 Day Fund provides forgivable loans for Pennsylvania-based small businesses.
  • The forgivable loan is intended to provide immediate financial assistance (within maximum three days) to meet payroll, preserve healthcare coverage for employees and save jobs while they await recently approved federal funding.

PHILADELPHIA AREA MICROLENDERS/ CFDIs/ MICRO RELIEF FUNDS 

• West Philadelphia Financial Services Institution (WPFSI) Loans – OPEN
  • WPFSI provides small business loans throughout Philadelphia for: Working Capital, Purchasing Real Estate, Renovation or Construction on an Existing Building, Purchasing Inventory, Taking Advantage of Business Opportunities, and Purchasing Equipment or Furniture.
  • Provides a variety of loans that range from $1K to $100K.

• The Enterprise Center COVID-19 Loan – OPEN 
  • The tiered fund provides a loan of up to $100K for businesses with up to $250K revenue and a $20K loan for businesses with up to $50K revenue.
  • Eligibility requires Philadelphia-based small businesses with at least one employee operating for at least six months prior to the coronavirus pandemic. 
  • Small business owners must attend a virtual office hour.

• Grow Philadelphia Small Business COVID-19 Resilience Fund – OPEN
  • Supports minority-owned contractors and related small businesses affected by the pandemic. The fund offers low-interest loans with flexible payment terms to eligible businesses.

• Grow Philadelphia Capital Initiative – OPEN 
  • The fund offers low interest loans to qualified minority-owned construction businesses to cover the cost of service contracts. 
  • Can finance construction loans for a maximum of $50K
  • The fund is eligible for construction business owned and operated by ethnic minorities working on a contract(s). 

• Neighborhood Progress Fund – OPEN
  • Offers Philadelphia area small business loans and business development services to entrepreneurs and businesses in distressed communities.

• Women’s Opportunities Resource Center Loans – OPEN
  • Provides low–interest loans, including professional services, and referrals to partner banks and community loan funds for small businesses.

• Small Landlord Rental Improvement Fund – OPEN
  • PHDC, in partnership with Impact Loan Fund, has launched a pilot program to finance repairs and renovations for landlords to improve apartments for affordable rentals. The fund will lend to landlords who own fewer than ten apartments in Philadelphia, and who need to improve their units to address health and safety-related repairs.
  • Loans are between $10K to $25K.

• PBA COVID-19 RELIEF FUND  – OPEN
  • PBA COVID-19 Relief Fund provides $500 to licensed beauty professionals who are unable to work due to COVID-19.
  • The funding, if awarded, is intended to be emergency aid for short-term immediate needs such as food and bills.

CROWDFUNDED LOANS  

• KIVA – OPEN 
  • Gives entrepreneurs access to zero percent interest small business loans. These loans are funded by hundreds of lenders from around the world.
  • First loans through Kiva can be up to $10K. They will approve your loan amount before the crowdfunding begins. Once you meet your goal, loans must be repaid in 36 months or less.
  • Loans are interest free.

• Honeycomb Credit – OPEN 
  • Provides community sourced low-interest loans for small businesses impacted by COVID-19. 
  • Offers three options for loan relief, generally between $10K – $50K. 

SBA LOAN FORGIVENESS

• PA SBDC – Provides a guide on ways business owners can track expenses for the PPP.
• Temple University’s SBDC – Provides a guide on loan forgiveness for both the PPP and EIDL. 
• Your Outsourced CFO – Gives an outline of managing PPP loan forgiveness. 

BUSINESS GUIDELINES

This section will periodically update on guidelines for Greater Philadelphia area local businesses. 

NATIONAL

• CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Reopening Resources – Recommendations and resources for businesses and workplaces planning, preparing, and responding to COVID-19.
  • Restaurants & Bars
    • Considerations for operating restaurants and bars
    • Interim guidance for resuming operations
  • Workplaces
    • Interim guidance for employers with workers at high risk of severe illness
    • Workplaces decision tool
  • Clean & Disinfect
    • CDC/EPA cleaning and disinfecting guidance

• OSHA (U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration) – Offers guidance on preparing workplaces for COVID-19.

PA

• Responding to COVID-19 in Pennsylvania – Gov. Wolf’s guide on mitigating the virus in Pennsylvania that also includes information for local businesses. 
  • Here’s a guide from the Pennsylvania Department of Health on public health safety measures for businesses that are permitted to maintain in-person operations. 
• Philadelphia 
  • The City of Philadelphia
    • Review the City of Philadelphia’s “Safer at Home” restrictions.
      • Safety Checklist for City’s Reopening – All businesses must follow eight elements for operating.
      • LATEST: Beginning August 12, masks are required indoors and at large outdoor gatherings in Philadelphia. See more from the City of Philadelphia here.

NJ

• New Jersey’s COVID-19 Information Hub – Gov. Murphy’s guide to mitigating the virus in New Jersey. 

DE

• Delaware’s COVID-19 Response – Gov. Carney’s guide to mitigating the virus in Delaware that also includes information for local businesses.

BUSINESS SUPPORT 

• Philadelphia’s Department of Commerce and PIDC are gathering information about the impact that COVID-19 has on Philadelphia-based businesses. Their survey is in the following languages: English, Spanish, Chinese Mandarin, and French.
• U.S. Federation of Worker Co-ops – Offers resources linking to webinars, CDC news and updates, financial relief resources, emergency planning checklists, and more.
• Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Association (PLNA) – Offers guidance and updates on landscape services, greenhouse nursery and floriculture production, and retail garden centers throughout Pa.
• Ballard Spahr – Provides small businesses with legal guidance and resources during COVID-19. Sign up to receive alerts and specify which topics are pertinent to your business. 
• PHL Emergency Business Insurance Support – Provides assistance for small business owners on insurance policies, filing and reviewing claims. 
• Women’s Business Enterprise Center – Offers assistance with preparing SBA EIDL applications and ongoing workshops.
• U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship – Offers a guide on The CARES Act.
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce – Provides a guide to the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans. 
• SBA’s COVID-19 Relief Loan Overview – This guide explains and outlines Economic Injury Disaster Loans and the Paycheck Protection Program.
• Philadelphia’s Commerce Department’s Office of Business Services – Stands ready to support businesses. They can be reached via a hotline (215-683-2100) and by email.
• ICIC – Is supporting local businesses by sharing a wealth of information and external resources as they become available. 
• Philly VIP – Matches businesses with pro bono legal services during COVID-19. 
• Social Distancing Posters – Operating an essential business? Download, print, and hang these informational posters about social distancing in your business. Different languages available. – Download here.
• 76ers Spirit of Small Business – The 76ers’ program allow business owners to be featured on their social media feeds. Through the Spirit of Small Businesses initiative, the 76ers will have a local small business announce the game, opponent, jersey, and where to watch the game. Participating businesses will also be given the opportunity to promote their business via 76ers digital channels (Twitter, Instagram, etc.)

PUBLIC HEALTH

• Vaccinations are available to all Philadelphia residents 16 and older. Get an appointment or visit the Convention Center or Esperanza walk-up sites.
• The Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium  –  Provides both free testing and vaccination to Philadelphia residents. 
• The City of Philadelphia has created a map of testing sites throughout the city. The tool can help you find a COVID-19 test nearest to you. 
• Philadelphia Department of Public Health – Provides updated information and guidance for COVID-19. There is a section specifically for businesses and nonprofits. 
• The Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) – Provides up to date information on the coronavirus pandemic, in addition to its variants and vaccination protocols. 
• World Health Organization (WHO) – Provides national and international updates and resources for international public health.

EMPLOYMENT/UNEMPLOYMENT & TAX RESOURCES 

EMPLOYMENT/ UNEMPLOYMENT 

• PA’s Pandemic Unemployment Assistance – Provides individuals in PA who have traditionally been ineligible for unemployment benefits can apply. Those eligible are: self-employed workers, independent contractors, and gig workers.
• PA’s Office of Unemployment Compensation – Employees in PA whose hours have been reduced or eliminated as a result of COVID-19 are eligible for unemployment or workers compensation benefits. You can file a claim here. 
• PA Career Link: Unemployment Compensation – Has a one pager response to COVID-19. Download PDF here.
• City of Philadelphia’s Sick Leave Policy – Requires sick staff to stay home. 
• What to Do if an Employee Tests Positive for COVID-19 – Download PDF here.

WORKSHOPS & WEBINARS 

• PA SBDC – Offers webinars on the SBA’s EIDL program.  
  • YouTube Videos 
  • Powerpoint Presentations 
• Temple University SBDC – The center remains operational during COVID-19. In addition to specialized workshops on resources, response and management amid the crisis. 
• Widener University SBDC – The center offers information and resources to business owners during COVID-19, including past slides and recordings of webinars. 
• Women’s Opportunities Resource Center – Offers webinars on ways businesses can navigate during COVID-19. 
• PIDC – Provides webinars for small business owners. 

GSI PARTNERS

• The Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) has released their Stormwater Grant Application Criteria with a deadline of October 15, 2021. This is the only scheduled grant deadline for the next year. 
• Philadelphia Water Department’s Private Development Services – The website provides updates on construction projects. 

EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING & SELF CARE

• Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services – Offers mental health and addiction services to residents.
• Mental Health America – Provides resources and information with those coping with COVID-19.
• CDC (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) – Offers advice on managing stress and anxiety. 
• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) – Provides information and a resource page for coping with COVID-19.

Follow SBN’s Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram for COVID-19 related news, announcements, resources, and other helpful links.